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Kobe, a city not far away from the tourist hotspots – Osaka and Kyoto, offers a wide variety of unique experiences. Aside from its famous for its Kobe beef, you should not miss out on the following locations:

Meriken Park

In 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake destroyed the port of Kobe. Soon, Meriken Park was restored with a small memorial about the effects of the earthquake and a small part of it was left devastated on purpose to commemorate the destructive power brought about by the earthquake.

Meriken Park has been a popular venue for events such as fireworks displays, flea market, festivals, etc. On normal days, people would visit this vast waterfront park to enjoy the scenic view before them while sitting by the water.

Location: 2 Hatobacho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0042

Website: https://www.merikenpark.com/

Harbor Land

If you’re into shopping and eating, why not head on to Harbor Land which has a wide variety of restaurants and shopping boutiques? Your kids might like going to the Anpanman Museum or riding Ferris Wheel. In winter, you can practice or showcase your ice-skating skills at the pop-up outdoor ice-skating rink!

Enjoy dining in at night while gazing at the waterfront sights, especially the Kobe Maritime Museum with its majestic roof design and the Kobe Port Tower, which is slowly showing its full splendor to the world while being under renovation since 2021.

Location: 1 Chome Higashikawasakicho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0044

Website: https://harborland.co.jp/

China Town (Nankinmachi)

Kobe is one of the cities in Japan that has China Town, aside from Yokohama. It is known as Nankinmachi, which originated from “Nanjing”, the former capital of China.

This relatively small district is loaded with Chinese shops and restaurants, providing a taste of China. You can find lots of souvenirs, Chinese dishes, and Chinese street food.

Location: 1 Chome-3-18 Sakaemachidori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0023

Website: http://www.nankinmachi.or.jp/

Foreigner’s Settlement Town in Kitano (Kitano Ijinkan Gai)

Kobe has been a gateway for trading goods, resulting to foreigners moving in and settling in for good. The Foreigner’s Settlement Town in Kitano, or also known as Kitano Ijinkan Gai, showcases a number of uniquely built architectures of Western designs.

The buildings in the town of western-style residences include: The Weathercock House, Moegi House, Rhine House. Platon Decorative Arts Museum, Kobe Kitano Museum, Kobe Mysterious Consulate of Trick Art, Yamate Hachiban-kan, French House, Kitano Foreigner’s Club, English House, Uroko House and Uroko Museum, Ben’s House, Former Chinese Consulate, Kaori-no-Ie Olandakan (Former Wolhin’s House), Wien-Austrian House, and Denmark House.

Location: 2-20-4 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0003

Website: www.kobeijinkan.com

Arima Onsen

Why not soak into some of the hot springs in Arima Onsen, which is considered to be Japan’s oldest and one of the most famous hot spring resorts? This hot spring town has two types of hot spring waters – namely the “Kinsen” (gold water) and “Ginsen” (silver water). Kinsen has a brown color due to iron deposit while Ginsen which contains radium has a clear color.

There are a lot of things to do around Arima Onsen. Aside from visiting the hot springs, you can take a walk around the town while wearing a Yukata or Kimono or try some delicacies such as udon and soba. The Yumotozaka shopping street offers a variety of things such as souvenir stores, accessory shops, crepe shops, and a lot more!

Arima Onsen is situated in the mountain, but it is accessible from Kobe or Osaka. Are you ready to spend the perfect weekend getaway in this hot spring town?

Location: 790-3 Arima-cho Kita-ku Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture 651-1401

Website: https://visit.arima-onsen.com/