Kobe･神戸

When I was talking to Sa about my upcoming daytrip to Kobe, I told her that I was planning on leaving Osaka around 9:30 a.m. She said, “Don’t go that early. Nothing will be open.” I asked, “The shrines won’t be open at 10?” She laughed and said, “If I think about going to Kobe, the only reason is to eat. I only think about food.” A girl after my own heart.

The last time I was in Kobe was in 1996, the year after the Great Hanshin Earthquake. At that time, there was construction everywhere, and I don’t really have any exact impressions of Kobe from that time other than being extremely busy. Ten years and lots of reconstruction later, the city has been transformed and is very nice. Kobe is actually quite compact, much smaller than I had remembered, and easy to navigate on foot. There are various shrines to visit as well as a traditional Japanese style garden. Then, of course, there is the famous Chinatown, filled with delicious smells, street vendors, restaurants, and lots of Chinese speakers giving it a very authentic aura.