Things to Do in Kobe

The layout of this attraction can be mildly confusing to foreigners: the thing to remember is that this is TWO attractions, a cable car ropeway from the foot of the hill, and the herb garden the cable car takes you to at the top of the mountain.

The ride is about 10 minutes long and takes you over iconic views - Nunobiki waterfall and, the NunobikiGohonmatsu dam, and of course, spectacular panoramas of Kobe itself, and the Seto Inland Sea. It's hard to decide which is a better time to ride, the daytime or the evening.

The journey's end greets you with a lovely observation deck. Selfie time. There's a cafe, restaurant and shop at the pretty half-timbered house. Check out the many different blooms at the musical Rose Symphony Garden. The exquisite herb garden itself has about 75,000 herbs and 2000 flowers! Visit the Kobe confectionery factory Honey Bee. Enjoy a herbal foot bath.

It's possible to simply hike up to the herb garden instead of taking the ropeway, skipping the rose garden below. Or you could take the ropeway halfway to the Kaze no Oka station, get off, and then continue to climb to the top. Or you could skip the ropeway on your way back and hike down.

The 80000 square metres of the zoo are home to around 850 different animals from 150 different species. A pleasant number of the species are quite rare - giant panda, koala, golden snub-nosed monkey, Amur tiger, and snow-leopard. Polar bears, ostriches, monkeys, dolphins, orangutans, lions and penguins help round off the attractions. Kids will enjoy the petting zoo, where the rabbits and goats are quite friendly. They won't want to miss the Ferris Wheel or the mini-train ride either. The zoo theatre has interesting video exhibits on animal ecology. The elephant Suwako is the oldest in Japan. In springtime, the zoo is an excellent place to visit for the 'hanami' or the cherry blossoms.

It would be easy to end up spending an entire day in this commercial complex without realizing where the time has flown.

The main attraction here is the Sannomiya Centre Street underground shopping market. 120 establishments ranging from upscale fashion, books, electronics, interior decor boutiques to excellent eateries make this one of the most popular malls in the city.

But there are just as many establishments outside the street, an eclectic mix of shops and cafes located inside charming old Kobe buildings, remnants of the Old Settlement Area. Definitely check out the Flower Street, a road of pretty blossoms, fountains, sculptures and statues, and Japan's first flower clock.

The area is also a supremely important public transport hub, with many of Kobe's major railway and subways lines meeting here - JR TokaidoHonsen Line, Subway Yamate Line, Hanshin, Hankyu, and Port Liner.

In 1860, the city of Kobe opened up to foreign traders, after a treaty signed by Japan and several western nations. These merchants established themselves in the Kitano district, and once upon a time there used to be over a thousand western style mansions in this area. Today there are only thirty. Of these, about 20 are open to public visitors as museums. These are:

• Weathercock House
• Moegi House
• Uroko House and Uroko Museum
• YamateHachibankan
• Kitano Foreigners Association
• Former Chinese Consulate
• England House
• Ben's House
• Former Panama Consulate
• Dutch Museum and Fragrance House
• Wien-Austria House
• Denmark House
• Platon Decorative Arts Museum (Italian House)
• Yokan Nagaya (France House)

The Kitano area, thanks to its trendy atmosphere, is very popular with the local young crowd. As such, it is filled with bars, restaurants, boutiques, cafes and souvenir shops. So even if you're never going to step a foot inside one of the actual museums, the district itself is a delight to explore.

This is one of the oldest and most historically significant shrines in the country. It was built in the 3rd Century AD in worship of the deity (kami) Wakahirume, and is one of the three major shrines established during that period. The shrine is seen as a spiritual center for life and health and it is popular among local athletes who come to pray here before events. During New Year's, revelers throng around the shrine. It is also popular among couples who come to pray for good fortune in their romances.

The shrine was also the location of a significant historical skirmish known as the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, though the exact location of the fighting is ambiguous. The Noh plays Ebira and Ikuta Atsumori are performed during the Ikuta's Autumn Festival, and tell the tales related to that skirmish.

Check out the nearby koi carp pond.

Completed in 1963, this hyperboloid tower is a classic tourist trap. The tower is 108 meters tall and there is an observation deck at 90 meters, with 360 degrees panoramic views of the city. It looks like an elongated Japanese drum. It is one of the city of Kobe's landmarks. The views from the top look out to Mount Rokko, Kobe, Kobe Port, and out to Awaji Island in Osaka Bay. If you reserve a spot, on New Year's Eve you can catch the sunrise from the top of the tower.

This beautiful observation hall, on the 24th story of the Kobe City Hall building has two sides. The north side looks out to the Rokko mountain range and the Sannomiya neighborhood. The south side looks over the Kobe Port Tower, Akashi Kaikyo Bridge between Kobe and Awaji Island in Osaka bay. While the view is fantastic during the daytime, the observation deck is also open until the night; and you definitely don't want to miss checking out Kobe all lit up from a hundred meters up in the sky. Check out the nighttime illuminations of Mt. Shisho, Mt. Ikari and Mt. Dotoku. During the first and second week of December the hall is a popular viewing spot for the Kobe Luminarie event.

This is also a good place to grab some eats at the UCC Cafe Comfort.

North of the city of Kobe you will find this sprawling, charming shopping complex. There are about 260 foreign and local brand shops here selling everything from clothes, antiques, furniture and sporting equipment. The architecture of the place was inspired by the Pasadena complex in Los Angeles, which itself looks like a southern European town. There are also over a dozen seafood restaurants. Activity picks up during the weekends when there are outdoor events organized by some of the stores, but it never feels over crowded and noisy. You can easily spend the whole day here. Check of the complex website for upcoming events that you may want to see.

The name of this attraction can be a little misleading. It is not a zoo, but rather a bird and flower park, although some people now call it an animal cafe. It used to be called the Kobe Botanical Garden.

Yes, you do get to see some fauna, mostly cute animals such as kangaroos, capybaras, rabbits, alpacas, sheep, goat, horses, giant tortoises, cats dogs, red pandas and guinea pigs. There is even a camel. The bird population consists of owls, tropical birds, parrots and hawks. All of these are spread out over a dozen interactive areas such as lily ponds, an aviary and a stable.

It's all jolly good fun with the family.

This is another fun tourist trap for the family - an aquarium next to Suma Beach. Opened in 1957, the main attraction here is the live dolphin pavilion, where the marine mammals perform tricks. On the first and second floors of the attraction there is a large glass wall on the other side of which is a huge water tank. The inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean - sharks, stingrays, sea turtles and sardines - swim in it. In the Amazon World exhibit swims the pirarucu, the largest freshwater fish in the world. There are peacocks in the aviary. The enchanting sea-shell gallery is not to be missed. There's even a petting area with penguins and otters. The skeletons of whales in the Cetacean gallery are awesome. Kids will enjoy the rides at the small amusement park. From the rooftop plaza catch views of the Osaka Bay and the Kii Peninsula.

In 1868, when Japan started letting in foreign tourists and visitors, this area was the wharf where the ships could come in. The name comes from the Japanese translation for 'American'. In the latter half of the twentieth century this became a very popular tourist area, thanks in no small part to the nearby Kobe Port Tower, the Kawasaki Good Times World and the Kobe Maritime Museum. In 1995 a massive earthquake struck the region, which devastated the wharf. It was rebuilt as a maritime park, and there is a memorial to the victims of the earthquake here. To the west of the Kobe Port Tower there is a pier that extends out into the sea.

The Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group has been around in the city of Kobe for over a hundred years. Though most people think of the Kawasaki brand as associated to motorcycles, the company started out as a ship manufacturing concern. Over the years the company has been associated to multiple other heavy industries such as aviation, space travel, and railways, and even the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo. Thus, the main attractions at this museum are models of the various crafts and technologies the company has worked on. There is a flight simulator, a train simulator, a jet ski motor, and a huge theater which showcases how ships are built.

The importance of this series of waterfalls for Japanese history and Japanese literature cannot be overstated. There are four separate major cascades known as Ondaki, Mendaki, Tsusumigadaki, and Izumoki, of which the first is most popular and also the tallest at 43 meters. Though most people enjoy the view of the waterfalls from the cable car above, visitors can also get up close to them from the beautiful forest promenade that courses alongside the water. It is relatively crowd free and makes for a very peaceful hike. Entrance to the waterfall can be found from the side of ShinKobe Station that faces away from the city. It is best to get your directions clear before setting out as the signs are all in Japanese. As you climb uphill you will also come across a shrine.

Kobe is one of the foremost brewing centers for the Japanese alcoholic drink Sake. And the Hakutsuru is one of the most important breweries in town. Your tour through this delightfully charming traditional building, set inside a modern brewing facility, will be self-guided. Written guides in multiple languages will take you through the traditional sake brewing process, tools, and equipment. At the end of your tour, there is a free sake sample waiting for you.

This is part of a series of the attractions of Mount Rokko.

Technically this is not a cable car but rather a funicular. The car departs from Rokko Cable Shita Station and goes to the RokkoSanjo Station. This is one of the easiest ways to get up the mountain from Central Kobe. The cars began to operate in 1932 and since then have become one of the most fun family-friendly activities in the city. It is only a 1.7 kilometres long ride, which rises in elevation by 493 meters. In other words this is an exhilaratingly steep climb. The cable car is your first activity at the mountain, which goes on to offer a botanical garden, a music box museum, a sheep pasture, a golf course and the Rokko Garden Terrace.