Best Things to Do in Kobe! A Full Guide of Everything from Must-See and Hidden Spots to Food, Shopping and more!

For your next trip to Kobe, you won’t want to miss the cheery season of cherryblossoms as they come into full bloom from April to May, or the gorgeous autumn leaves across October and November. July and August are especially humid. In the winter, snow is scarce, but the air will drop to below 0℃ at times.

Spring (March – May): Light jacket or thin sweater
Summer (June – August): Thin fabrics, short sleeves, hat, and sun protectant
Fall (September – November): Light jacket or light sweater
Winter (December – February): Coat or thick, warm sweater

Kobe is easily accessible by public transit, via bullet train to Shin-Kobe Station or by stopping off at Sannomiya Station in the city center, serviced by both JR and private railway lines. Located just 20 minutes from Osaka and 80 minutes from Hiroshima, Kobe’s location serves as an excellent home base for your travels in west Japan.
For highway bus, there are many routes across Japan that provide service to Sannomiya Station.
By air, a flight from Tokyo (Haneda Airport) to Kobe Airport only requires about 65 minutes.

The Nankin-machi district in Kobe ranks among Japan’s top 3 chinatowns, next to those in Yokahama and Nagasaki. In addition to its 100+ Chinese restaurants and eateries, there’s plenty of Western and Japanese spots, supermarkets, specialty shops and more just waiting to be explored. To get the best of food and sights, we recommend eating your way along the vibrant, bustling streets with pork buns, shark fin, grilled “shoronpo” soup dumplings, Peking duck, and more.

Kobe opened its port in 1868, becoming a vital point of trade between Japan and foreign nations. As a result, the Kobe-Motomachi area was designated as a residential area for foreign traders. The townscape features grand, western architecture and modern buildings that offer a taste of European style without having to leave Japan. Visitors here are greeted with historic, culturally significant buildings, luxury brand shops, overseas specialty stores, cafes, and plenty of shopping to enjoy. At night, the streets are lit up beautifully in a way that, coupled with its seaside location, offers up an especially romantic glow.

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge connects Awaji Island to Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture. Known as the world’s longest bridge, its full length spans 3,911 meters, while the distance between its two supporting towers measures 1,991 meters long. It’s suspended by wires, connected at its two main towers from a height of 300 meters high! In the evenings, the bridge is lit up for an especially romantic air.
Visitors are welcome to enjoy the views or stroll across, but it’s also possible to take a tour up the main towers! You won’t want to miss it!

An over 1800-year old shrine near the downtown Kobe area. It’s one of the cities prominent power spots and known for bringing prosperity to relationships. Behind the main hall you’ll find Ikuta Woods, a garden sanctuary with “water fortunes” that are praised for their uncanny accuracy.

Kobe Harborland is the name for the 18.5-hectare harborside area and complex of entertainment buildings. In addition to shopping, its larger-than-life, cosmopolitan look and feel make it an especially popular stop with tourists. For kids, there’s endless, fun possibilities at Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall, Mosaic Big Ferris Wheel and plenty of other entertainment to enjoy!

Along with the opening of Kobe’s port in 1868 came the development of “Kobe Kitano Ijinkan-gai”, the residential area for foreign traders. It included 30 western-style buildings that still stand today, 16 of which are available to tour inside. If you take visit inside you’ll enjoy a full range of quirky experiences, like sitting in the Saturn Chair at “Yamate Hachiban-kan”, create an all-original perfume at the “Dutch Museum and Fragrance House”, or even have a chance to take some catchy snaps at the Kobe Mysterious Consulate of Trick Art”.

Welcome to Japan’s biggest herb garden, set against a backdrop of fresh fragrance and color all year around. This expansive garden is home to photo spots and 12 separate gardens including rose and lavender. At the onsite cafe and restaurant visitors are greeted with a menu of items celebrating fresh, seasonal herbs and edible flowers. At the Fragrance Museum there’s a crash course in making natural, essential oils that simply can’t be missed. Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens is accessible by a 10 min. cable car ride. From the gondola looking down you’ll find a stretch of Kobe cityscape and ocean as it unfolds beneath your feet.

Mt. Rokko, at 931-meters tall, is the main peak of the Rokko Mountains. There is a cable car available for easy access to the top. It includes a number of different recreational facilities, from places to move your body and mountain escapes with romantic night views. Soothe your soul with the gentle sound of the Rokko International Musical Box Museum, or visit Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, the world-acclaimed garden for alpine plants. Tucked away in the richness of nature, there’s plenty to enjoy!

This is a spot for children to meet their hero, Anpanman. The building is divided into two floors, with the museum on the second floor (admission fee applies) and a shopping mall on the first floor (free to enter).
This is a spot for children to meet their hero, Anpanman. The building is divided into two floors, with the museum on the second floor (admission fee applies) and a shopping mall on the first floor (free to enter).

The star-lit nightscape of Kobe is so stunning that it has been listed in Japan’s Top 3 Night Views, along with Hakodate and Nagasaki.
There are a few notable places in Kobe to catch a view of the cityscape at night, but there is no comparison to the view from Mt. Maya, 702 meters above. The view from the “Kikuseidai” observation deck is especially remarkable.

The ROKKO Forest Sound Museum, located on top of Mt. Rokko, is a museum exhibiting a collection of antique music boxes, automatic organs, and karakuri dolls made in Europe and America from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Visitors can enjoy automatic performances of music based on seasonal themes in the popular program "Concerts without Performers.
At the production studio, visitors can experience assembling music boxes and making musical instruments such as castanets and kalimbas. With careful guidance and assistance from professional staff, even beginners can feel at ease.

This tower tour at Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge includes exclusive access to the otherwise closed bridge towers, 300 meters high over the passing bridge traffic below. The thrilling sights from 300 meters above will amaze your eyes!

WAKKOQU Kitanozaka sits at the foot of Kitano, the stylish district known for its worldly influence. Set in a European-esque backdrop with Japanese flair, this veteran restaurant is the place to eat teppan-yaki grilled Kobe beef to your heart`s content.
This spot specializes and select cuts of Kobe beef, the highest grade of all Tajima brand wagyu beef. Each bite is grilled to juicy perfection on a teppan-yaki iron griddle, providing a one-of-a-kind steak experience that’s simply unbeatable.

“Box-Pressed Sushi”, is a traditional Osaka/Kansai method of sushi making where sushi rice is topped with sea bream, shrimp, conger eel, or other fish and pressed into a square shape via a wooden box.
At Higaki, a restaurant located in the bustling “Nankin-machi” chinatown district of Kobe, the conger-eel box sushi comes with especially high acclaim. The eel is a specially caught, large “Densuke Anago” variety from the Seto Inland sea, that packs a truly delicious bite.

Roushouki was established in 1915 as a pork bun shop. In a single day, its known to sell as many as 13,000 steam buns. To this day it still sees long lines waiting to get inside. The dough is based on a generations-old family recipe, matching perfectly with the pork inside for the harmonious, tasty bite that people love.

A beloved stop for Japanese comfort food in the bayside streets of Kobe. From hamburg steaks and deep fried prawns to korokke and more, the menu is packed with all the western-style comfort foods that Japan has loved for years. One especially hot item is the Quattro Korokke. Its crispy exterior and packed potato and beef tendon filling are sure to keep you full.

A bar fusing the best of okonomiyaki and Spanish cuisine. This quaint little spot keeps only 10 counter seats and a single table at the back. The interior buzzes with the liveliness of latin music, offering up an easy vibe that invites anyone to come in and stay.
To start, we recommend the “Butatama” (pork and egg) okonomiyaki. It’s grilled into a perfectly petite round shape, and stacked as high as 5 centimeters.

Kobe is home to many popular confectioneries, but Patisserie Mont Plus is still one that stands above the crowd. Inside you’ll find the chef’s specialty French sweets and Japanese sweets made with subtle French influence. There’s a small area with tables to sit if you prefer to eat in store, along with a cozy decorated interior to host your sweet tasting experience.

Kobe-Sanda Premium Outlets boasts the title of being one of the largest outlet shopping malls in western Japan. It was designed after the Pasadena suburbs outside of Los Angeles. Once here you’ll find a line up some 210 different shops, featuring popular brands, popular specialty stores, interior goods and sports, general knick-knacks and restaurants.

This shopping street is lined with approx. 300 different shops along the full length of the 1.2-km arcade. The bustling shopping hub is separate into “Ichibangai”, “sanchome”, “yonchome”, “gochome” and rokuchoume”a venues, each selling a variety of wares from fashion and miscellaneous goodies to new shops, restaurants and veteran shops. No matter when you visit, there are seasonal, annual events to enjoy.

Daimaru Kobe Store is a retail complex located in the relaxed, retro streets of the former foreign residences. In addition to covered luxury brands, the complex is also home to trendy stores and select shops to delight shoppers of all ages. Just outside the main building you’ll even find a few boutique shops like Former Foreign Settlement 38-bankan, a chic history building that retains its architectural integrity today.

Sannomiya Center Gai, the central hub and traffic central of Kobe. This large-scale shopping street stretches from east to west spanning the distance between Flower Road and Koikawasuji with a wide range of food, fashion, home and miscellaneous goods and more.

Kobe Harborland is a prime destination for tourists in Kobe. The expansive area is home to Kobe Harborland umie, the large-scale, 3-building retail complex with about 230 different fashion, goods and food shops. With direct access to the ocean, this wide-open location is a perfect place to spend a day shopping, eating and strolling around.

Fruendlieb is a veteran bakery shop that’s been in business since the Taisho Era (early 1900s). It’s longstanding crowd favorite “Mimi” (literally “ears”) features a rich, buttery pie texture in an adorable heart shape. The name and cute ear shape are a nod to the German belief of pigs (ears) being a lucky charm. The buttery, flakey crust is simply irresistible, and it comes in both large, medium and small sizes.

Gaufre from Kobe Fugetsudo are an iconically famous confection from Kobe. It features thinly roasted wafers filled with a light vanilla, strawberry or chocolate cream. You’ll love the light, fleeting flavor of wafer and cream as it melts away in your mouth.

Kobe Puddings are made simply with eggs, heavy cream, dairy, sugar, and topped with citrus liqueur. The round, delicate taste is made even more delicious with the special caramel sauce on top. Kobe Pudding has received the Grand Gold Quality Award from Monde Selection.

This large-scale Tea Ceremony Party is open to the general public and takes place every year at the historic Sumadera Temple. It’s especially popular because this easy-going, casual tea ceremony allows visitors to join just as they are, even in street clothes.

Kobe Oji Zoo is a coveted destination for sightseeing, especially in spring when its 480 Yoshino variety cherry blossoms come into full bloom. For the best time to visit, don’t forget to come back at night to see the blooms fully illuminated and beautiful like you’ve never seen them during the day. (Please note, the zoo animals are not available to view during the evening illuminations).

Kobe is known as the home of Japan’s jazz roots. Every year in October, a special event, nicknamed “Kobe Jazz Street” is held at different venues across the city. It includes a full on marching jazz parade, plus enough jazzy decorations and flair to have earned its name as a Kobe fall tradition.

Take a drive about 25 minutes from the center of Kobe to Kobe Municipal Arboretum, a wide open space to enjoy the nature of Mt. Rokko. Towards the end of October, there are nearly 3,000 trees in 38 varieties whose leaves transform into gorgeous colors. This specific event is called “Shinrin Momiji Sansaku”

Kobe Luminarie started in 1995 for handing down memories of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and as a symbolic event for the hope of Kobe. A number of illuminated arches line Nakamachi-Dori, the main street of Sannomiya look like a corridor, which is a fantastic event that you can experience as if you are walking through a tunnel of light.

Kobe Luminarie has been consecutively canceled for 2020, 2021, and 2022 due to the expansion of Covid-19 infection. As an alternative event, an event titled “Cassa Armonica, the Music Jewelry Box” will be held. Cassa Armonica, which is the main work in Kobe Luminarie every year, will be exhibited at KOBE EAST PARK.

This is Nankin-machi’s biggest lunar near year festival. During festival season crowds come to enjoy the sounds of firecrackers and the unforgettable sights of the Chinese Dragon and Lion Dances. There are plenty of events to enjoy, including the Chinese History Parade, where actors dress in Chinese opera-style costumes and make up while acting out the stories of notable historic figures.