Kōbe
With direct access from Shin-Kōbe Station (via a passage on the station's 2nd floor) and spacious rooms, this 37-floor hotel is an easy choice, even if it feels a bit dated. There's an English-speaking staff, restaurants, bars and a fitness centre (¥1080 surcharge for the pool).
There are also family rooms (¥22,800) with two double beds that can sleep up to four people.
18.61 MILES
This César Pelli–designed tower, which opened in March 2014, is Japan's tallest building (300m, 60 storeys). The observatory on the 16th floor is free,…
18.86 MILES
After unifying Japan in the late 16th century, General Toyotomi Hideyoshi built this castle (1583) as a display of power, using, it's said, the labour of…
17.78 MILES
Highly photogenic Dōtombori is the city's liveliest night spot and the centre of the southern part of town. Its name comes from the 400-year-old canal,…
17.4 MILES
West of Midō-suji, Amerika-Mura is a compact enclave of hip, youth-focused and offbeat shops, plus cafes, bars, tattoo and piercing parlours, nightclubs,…
20.43 MILES
This ambitious museum showcases the world's cultures, presenting them as the continuous (and tangled) strings that they are. There are plenty of…
13.74 MILES
Kaiyūkan is among Japan's best aquariums. An 800m-plus walkway winds past displays of sea life from around the Pacific 'ring of fire': Antarctic penguins,…
18.09 MILES
A century ago, Shin-Sekai ('new world') was home to an amusement park that defined cutting edge. Now this entertainment district mixes down-at-heel with…
18.11 MILES
Dedicated to Shintō deities of the sea and sea travel, this graceful shrine was founded in the early 3rd century and is considered the headquarters for…
0.33 MILES
You'd never guess that such a beautiful natural sanctuary could sit so close to the city. This revered waterfall in four sections (the longest is 43m tall…
0.37 MILES
Up a steep hill past the homes of Kitano-chō, this shrine has good views over the city.
0.37 MILES
For generations of Japanese tourists, this pleasant, hilly neighbourhood is Kōbe, thanks to the dozen or so well-preserved homes of (mostly) Western…
4. Nunobiki Herb Gardens & Ropeway
0.71 MILES
Escape the city on a 400m-high mountain ridge, offering sweeping views across town to the bay. During the day (to 5pm) you can descend on foot through the…
0.74 MILES
Kōbe's signature shrine is said to date from 201, though it's been rebuilt many a time – a symbol of resilience for the city. It's right in the middle of…
6. City Hall Observation Lobby
1.05 MILES
The 24th-floor observatory atop Kōbe's City Hall stays open generously late so you can get a night view of the city, towards the mountains or the bay …
1.18 MILES
Kōbe's Chinatown – Nankin comes from Nanjing; machi just means town – dates to the early days of the city opening its port to foreign traders. It was…
1.21 MILES
Kōbe's local-history museum, in a Greek-revival-style building dating from 1935, is undergoing major renovations and scheduled to reopen in November 2019.