Japan is a chain of islands, long, narrow and mountainous, and the best way to see all of it is its superb rail networks. So, rather than drive, we built our Japan tour around the Japan rail pass, bought before we reached Japan, which allowed us unlimited rides on the famous Bullet Train – Shinkansen.
As our base we chose the beautiful port city of Kobe instead of the crowded and touristy metros – Tokyo or Osaka. Kobe lies on the main train route, just 20 minutes from Osaka, 30 minutes from Kyoto and 2 hours from Hiroshima and Fukuoka in the south. Our longest trip was to Hokkaido, the north island, via the Seikan Tunnel (world’s longest undersea rail tunnel) and it took only 9 hours.
We took short trips to various destinations such as 5 days in Hokkaido, 3 days in Tokyo, 3 days in Kyoto, 2 days in Osaka, a day each in Shikoku and Hiroshima and 3 days in Kyushu. In between each of these trips, we returned to our base, Kobe for a day or two.
A Few Words about the Bullet Train:
Superfast, spotlessly clean, almost empty (free seat reservations just before boarding the train), always on time, with ticket checkers who bow before and after taking your ticket for inspection. Smiling, and bowing, attendants come around with Bento Boxes – Japanese meals (Ekiben) which are absolutely fresh and tasty. Altogether it is a grand ride!
Kobe – What to see
Kobe is full of beautiful sights, and the best way to get around is the hop-on hop-off City Loop bus which stops at 17 spots during its 65 minute round trip.
Kobe Port Tower
A good place to start is this 105 meter red lattice featuring an observation deck with views of the sprawling port and the Rokko mountain range, plus the nightly “light show” on nearby Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge. The Kobe Maritime Museum – next door – is also worth a visit.
Akashi Kaikyō Bridge
It is Japan’s tallest bridge, and also the world’s longest suspension bridge (nearly 4 KM long), connecting Kobe to Awaji Island. The glass-floored Maiko Marine Promenade, on the Kobe side of the bridge, has an observation lounge with a superb view of the Akashi Strait and Osaka Bay, plus a café.
Nunobiki Falls
is a series of waterfalls which cascade down the mountain side, a beautiful sight which has inspired artists and poets over the ages. Careful, getting there involves a trek along a 400 meter path which is very steep in places.
Nunobiki Herb Garden
Located on Mount Rokko, Nunobiki garden features thousands of herbs plus greenhouses, grand displays of flowers, exhibits and a cafe. Its glasshouses, where we can get a herbal foot soak, are worth roaming around. If you are interested you can pick up some knowledge of flora through interactive teaching spots along the walkways.
Mount Rokko
It is accessible by a cable car as well as a hike, is known for the grand view of Osaka bay. At night this view is really awesome, said to be one of the three best night-time views in all of Japan.
Arima Onsen
It is one of the oldest and best hot springs in Japan, can be reached by a subway from Shin-Kobe station. The golden onsen water is said to be rejuvenating and very good for your skin.
Arima is a charming and picturesque village which snuggles into a leafy and serene corner of the mountains adjacent to Rokko mountain. Several walking paths, lined with many beautiful narrow alleyways, temples and shrines, lead to some of the more historic parts of the city.
Taxis
After walking around all day, we simply couldn’t trudge up the long and steep hill to home and bed – a taxi was needed. Beware, Japanese taxis are expensive, about $5 per mile, but you get luxury for the price. The driver is in white uniform, complete with peaked cap and white gloves. When you approach a taxi he opens the door by pulling a lever. The seats are lovingly covered with white lace. Money is paid and returned on a small tray extended by the driver. And – no tips!
Food and Drink
One cannot finish off Kobe without mentioning its famed food and drink.
The renowned Kobe beef is usually served as a steak or as teppanyaki (grilled on an iron plate), but there are other (surprising) ways to have it, too. Akashiyaki is octopus in an egg batter, cooked on the takoyaki grill. The western croquette called Korokke is popular and worth a try! It is made of minced meat, eggs and vegetables, served with mashed potatoes, and a salad.
No Japanese meal is complete without Sake (Japanese rice wine, served warm in small cups). Hyogo Prefecture, where Kobe is located, is the largest producer of refined sake in the country. There are two museums, Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum and Kiku Masamune Sake Brewery Museum, which display the brewing process of traditional Japanese sake. Both offer free samples of freshly brewed and unrefined sake.
Serene, pretty and uncluttered by tourists, Kobe will be an ideal base for your forthcoming Japan trip. Take our word for it.
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This looks like a great place to visit with a fun mix of nature and man-made attractions. I’d love to see the waterfalls and smell the herb gardens. The Kobe beef would be fun to try and my husband would definitely go for the octopus.
We had almost 2 weeks in spots around Japan but we came nowhere close to seeing everything we wanted to. We will definitely add Kobe for a return visit. Good to know the hop-on-hop-off bus is a good way to get started. We would definitely want to plan a visit to the Nunomiki Falls. Even with a 400m steep path to climb. We missed the hot springs in Japan so maybe this would be the place to try them.
I lived in Japan for almost six months and I visited Kobe just once – wish I had spent a couple or more days there. Totally agree with you on the Shinkansen – it is super fast, clean and on time. In fact, all transportation in Japan are on time all the time which was an experience in itself. I missed Mount Rokko when I visited Kobe and it is on my list for next time.
Beyond the beef, I had never really considered Kobe as a place worth seeing. I have Japan in my sights as it looks amazing & well worth exploring more than my few days on a stopover in Tokyo. I would not have considered taking the train everywhere but it sounds like a fantastic idea & Kobe the perfect spot to explore it all. I love the idea of getting bowed to at the ticket check & the food looks much better than you would normally get on a train! Thanks for all the info!
Aaah, beautiful Japan! Although I was racing crisscross by Shinkansen, I didn’t make it to Kobe – I simply couldn’t see it all. However, next time when in Japan, I will at least include it on a day trip….also because I absolutely want to try the famous beef 😀
I can’t wait to return to Japan. I loved my time there. Never made it to Kobe, maybe next time. I love the mix of city and nature and oh, Japanese food. But I’ll avoid the sake, I get a hangover just thinking about drinking that, lol.
The bowing train staff was something that impressed me very much when going by Shinkansen in Japan 😀 so charming!
Unfortunately, I haven’t visited Kobe, but I agree that any of the cities in that region are perfect bases. It was totally unnecessary to move from hotel to hotel – I just could have stayed in one place and go to the others on day trips. Next time I know better – and then, I’ll also visit Kobe – if only of the beef 😉
I hope to visit Japan and Kobe is beautiful. Never heard of the place but will keep it in mind. Thanks for article.
I never heard of Kobe, but it looks like a place definitely worth visiting on my future trip to Japan!
I’m glad you used Kobe as a base! I think it is often overlooked and personally I preferred how quaint and knowable it was (vs the much larger, more frenetic cities you point out).
Japan is really high on my wish list. Kobe looks really beautiful so I’m definitely adding it to my future itinerary.
Japan has been a dream country for me for so long… I hadn’t ever considered Kobe before, but it seems there are quite a few cool things to see as well as the real deal kobe beef. I’m saving this blog for Japan planning.
It looks like a hidden gem. The waterfall, herb garden are all so beautiful. It looks like you also enjoyed some good food. Wonderful list of things to do and see in Kobe.
I have had my sights on Japan for several years now but have never considered staying in a base such as Kobe and using the rail system to travel to the other towns. Kobe looks like a great destination in its own right. One thing I would like to know is where did you stay in Kobe if you were going to other towns and staying in them for several days for example your 5 day trip to Hokkaido? did you keep renting different places each time you returned to Kobe or just a long term rental?
Angela, We were lucky to have a good friend whose house we used as a base. The other option is to do a long term rental. Kobe and Osaka are both good bases as they are more or less in the middle of Japan and you can do rail trips north and south. 🙂
I loved my brief time in Japan and would really like to return with my family and explore more of the country. Kobe looks like an interesting base to choose – the countryside is so green and lush… my kind of place.
Honestly, I never saw people chose Kobe as their based when visiting Japan. But I trust your searched and it’s good to hear about buying shinkasen ticket from your own country.
The train journeys sound fabulous. I have been on a bullet train in South Korea but the Japanese trains sound more fun. I would love to sit in a taxi too with their lace seat covers and manners. I have had a glass of sake too but seeing a brewery must be such a nice experience.
I so want to visit Japan but thanks to the ongoing pandemic. Not sure how long I need to wait! Kobe certainly seems like a must-visit place. Looking forward to trying Sake 🙂
I haven’t had a chance to explore Japan at all, but this area seems much more my speed than the urban areas. I’d love to visit the herb garden and the tower (I love high views!). Kobe looks like such a hidden gem. So lovely!
I have never thought about having Kobe as our base whenever we are in Japan. We usually stay in Osaka. Thank you for sharing this post. We will surely consider staying in Kobe during our next trip as I would love to explore the Nunobiki area.
Kobe looks awesome. My wife and I went to Japan in the early part of our trip…but we never made it to Kobe (to be honest, don’t know we ever heard of it, aside from Kobe beef). But that Nunobiki waterfall sounds magical, and we loved visiting Onsens, so the Arima Onsen sounds like a must!