Kobe, the capital of Hyogo Prefecture, sits on the north shore of Osaka Bay in the Kansai region. As Japan's third-largest port city, it blends a cosmopolitan heritage with traditional Japanese charm, featuring well-preserved Meiji-era architecture. Located just 35 km from Osaka, it serves as a strategic base for exploring the region. Known for Kobe beef, the historic Arima Onsen, and a strong international business presence, Kobe offers a sophisticated experience for frequent travelers seeking both cultural depth and modern convenience.
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The city center, particularly around JR Kobe Station and Sannomiya, is the optimal base. It offers easy access to Osaka, Kyoto, and the port area. The district is dense with hotels, dining, and shopping, surrounded by Meiji-era Western architecture, making it ideal for both business and leisure travelers.
Kobe is a key transport hub in the Kansai region, with rapid rail connections to Osaka and Kyoto. The city has an efficient metro and bus network covering major attractions. As Japan's fourth-busiest container port, its connectivity is excellent for travelers managing multi-city itineraries.
Kobe hosts Asian or Japanese headquarters for over 100 international corporations, including Eli Lilly, Procter & Gamble, and Nestlé. Local giants like ASICS and Kawasaki Heavy Industries are also based here. The strong business presence ensures mature hotel infrastructure with frequent conference facilities, catering well to business regulars.
Spring and autumn offer pleasant weather for exploring the city and visiting Arima Onsen. While Kobe beef is available year-round, enjoying it in a hot spring during winter is particularly delightful. Summer is warm but offers vibrant port night views and outdoor activities.
mosque in Japan
observation tower
mountain in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
museum in Japan
Shinto shrine in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
museum in Japan
Herb garden in Kobe, Japan
mountain in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
suspension bridge in Kobe, Japan
museum in Kobe, Japan
building in Suma-ku, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
hot springs in Japan
Originality is demonstrated here through ingredients from each season and classic techniques. Omakase set menus feature refined, beautiful arrangements, with light flavours to suit a modern sensibility. The name declares that the house is a gathering point, bringing together everyone and everything else involved in food and restaurants. The site chosen for its relaunch was where Point first started. Anticipation is building for this fresh turning point.
With Nishikujo Station to guide them to the spot, every evening customers gather at Sakamoto Sushi, where the familiar chef greets them with a smile. The omakase menu, which begins with a snack, is astounding in variety and breadth. Fish are painstakingly prepared by methods such as marination and searing, and are paired with white sushi rice in the Kansai way. Nigirizushi are interspersed with bozushi and hand-rolled sushi to keep things interesting. The chef uses the highest-grade fish, yet the prices won’t break the bank.
While eating ramen, salt water from the noodles gradually dilutes the soup. You can experience this for yourself. First, pour a little of the soup into a separate bowl. Finish the noodles in the original bowl, then try sipping the reserved soup—the difference in taste will amaze you. The harmony created by a bowl of ramen goes beyond taste. The slurping of noodles forms a duet with the classical music in the background. The joy of ramen knows no bounds: ‘mugen’.
Sobakiri Karani worked with a woodworking artist to create the interior using re-used wooden materials. Large tables with mismatched chairs and unique ceiling paintings express a whimsical spirit. The menu’s appetisers, including tofu pickled in unrefined sake and duck-and-onion miso, tempts one to a cup of sake. Soba is coarse-ground and cut into both thin and thick noodles, furnishing variety in finish and flavours. Enjoy soba the way you like it in a congenial atmosphere.
This à la carte udon shop is a project of the proprietress of the Japanese restaurant Miyamoto. The plain-wood counter and bamboo accents lend the restaurant a kappo feel. À la carte dining is available for both lunch and dinner, while dinner service generally begins with a set offering of appetiser and hassun. Udon noodles are house-made, their broth light and clear like Japanese soups. Sake and side dishes end with a serving of udon; closing with udon rather than soba is one of the restaurant’s charms.
Cuisine that weaves together the seasons of Japan and the culture and climate of Italy. Flavours such as bamboo shoot, sweetfish, pike conger and game express their respective seasons. Having burnished his skills in inland and coastal regions, the chef is schooled in the bounty of both land and sea. He modifies each single ingredient by a wide range of preparation techniques, bringing out a side of it never seen before. Individual needs and tastes are catered for: guests can choose from a variety of pastas, for example, or request preferred portion sizes.
WebsiteThe shop opened its doors a quarter century ago and is as popular as ever. Father and son tend the charcoal brazier, taking the tiller together. Two breeds of free-range chicken, each suited for different cuts, are grilled over kishu-binchotan charcoal. Skewers are served one at a time on antique dishes, combining respect for yakitori with the gracious service for which Ayamuya is renowned. Omakase meals don’t include any veggie skewers, so diners can appreciate the full flavour of the chicken.
Website‘Kuude’ is ‘let’s eat’ in Osaka dialect, the chef’s nickname is Kiyo, and the whole name has a French sound to it. A colour scheme of bright blue and green declares the shop’s freedom from convention. The theme is ‘unforgettable cuisine’: each dish features no more than three items, arrangements are minimal, and portions are generous. At lunchtime, set meals of Western items paired with rice and miso soup make ku:de kiyo a local favourite.
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