What I Did When I Got There: Kobe from Osaka It takes around half an hour by train to reach Kobe from Osaka, but the difference is clear immediately after stepping off the train. Because it is nestled between the harbor and the mountains, you see that geography wherever you go. And Kobe, to be honest, surprised me.
It is not as busy as Osaka, but it is not sleepy either; it is just comfortabley. It has enough to keep you occupied if you’re willing to explore a little. Now, here is a combination of things I experienced.
I saw touristy sights on the water and took a ride through a hillside garden. I visited a personal favorite animal park and finally had some good old-fashioned Kobe beef that I’ve been dreaming about since I started planning this trip. It’s all from my experience there…
My Trip to Kobe from Osaka
BE KOBE and Kobe Port
Nothing I didn’t see or do myself. So here’s what I liked and what I learned as I went along. In the late afternoon I headed to Meriken Park where I saw the BE KOBE monument just off the water.
It’s very popular… Everyone was lining up to have their photo taken next to it, so of course I joined in. As you can see from photos online, it looks much larger than expected.
It lights up at night, and I hung around to watch.
By day there is Oriental Hotel and harbor as a background, while at night everything lights up and glows like this, which isn’t too bad, it’s still nice, though a little touristy. The park itself is flat and open; perfect for a stroll if your legs need a rest from all that walking uphill. I was over by Kobe Port Tower (the lattice thing in all the postcards for Kobe), which I didn’t visit this trip either but looked at admiringly from below.
Next to that is Maritime Museum, with its unique white framing, and then beyond that all the other things along the waterfront: a combination of workport and play that I’m always fascinated by. It is not trying too hard, it is just nice and useful. I passed Oriental Hotel a few more times and then Mosaic mall with its Ferris wheel as I continued along the waterfront.
Here there were a few ships moored in the harbour: a dinner cruise boat and a tall-masted training vessel. There was also a row of granite markers and a tall mosaic sculpture among the public art installations. Overall, it’s all very much set up to be walked through in the evenings, which is exactly what I did.
When it got dark, the Ferris wheel began changing colours and the lights on Port Tower came on. The harbour quieted down for the night and I wandered the wide plaza. There’s no hurry here; it’s just a place to sit back and relax.
If you go at night bring a jacket as the breeze from the water will get you if you aren’t prepared.
Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens
On a clear fall morning, I rode the ropeway up to Nunobiki Herb Gardens.
At the bottom is lower station; the gondola immediately begins its ascent. After purchasing a round-trip ticket, I joined the line.
Each cabin holds about four people and features an optional glass panel floor for those who like that kind of thing.
We rode up in around ten minutes, and the view quickly unfolded: a forest of trees on the hillside above and the city spreading below me towards the harbor. Ahead and behind us other gondolas was slowly cruising along the length of the cable line. It was a little unsettling to look through the glass directly down when first getting in, but I adjusted.
As we rose higher, more of Kobe’s waterfront and grid revealed themselves below.
I entered the gardens by a stone arch at the top. Although it wasn’t even the start of the holiday season yet they’d already set up a Christmas market, and there was a large bamboo-framed tree decorated nearby the entrance. The gardens are terraced on the side of the hill, meaning that wherever you go you’re either walking up or down gently sloping paths with beautiful views out across the city.
I got a map at the gate and simply wandered around. The market stalls sold mulled wine and little craft items, and there was a Tudor-style building that looked like it belonged in a different country entirely. The view opened up to include whole harbour from the terraces past the greenhouse.
It’s a pleasant place to stroll around, but not exactly ground-breaking gardens. What makes it worthwhile is the effect of the air up on the hillside, the ride up the ropeway, and that view over the city. It is a welcome change from concrete.
On my return journey, I got the view in reverse as we descended in the gondola. You feel like you go down quicker (likely because it’s downhill). Outside the central part of Kobe is a zoo called the Kobe Animal Kingdom.
It’s not near anything interesting but it’s close enough that I went to check it out, and I’m happy I did. m. Most days.
I arrived mid-morning and rushed in. It’s the first area: an enormous, glass-walled greenhouse, packed with both open and enclosed exhibits. Immediately, I saw some sand cats, small wildcats from the deserts who mostly sleep all day, either stretched out on a branch or tucked into a miniature bed somewhere.
Kobe Animal Kingdom
On one piece of wood there was a sleeping cat, and on another, a cat asleep on a perch. As house cats go, they are tiny, and ridiculously adorable.
But then again, they did very little while I stood watching. Just seeing them up close was enough for me. And then there were the shoebills.
They are huge birds with an odd stare and a giant bill. This one was up on his nest, totally still, and I just stared at him for like five minutes before he twitched his head. When they does nothing, they’re strangely interesting.
The rest of the park I wandered around and spotted fennec foxes curled up asleep; meerkats standing sentry; a pygmy hippo lounging by the water; red pandas climbing tree trunks; a two-toed sloth hanging upside-down; and macaws perched and preening. Most of the animals was relaxed and the enclosures were well designed. It felt like a more intimate visit than I have had at other zoos because you can get pretty close to many of the animals.
The Sumatran tiger was fast asleep on a ledge. There was a flamingo-filled pond outside. A Bactrian camel sauntered right up to the fence.
All the animals is awake and friendly. The capybaras was awake and friendly.
They came right over and let me feed them some of the food you can buy in the food cups. It’s an easy and fun interaction with the animals, who are gentle and don’t mind people at all.
It was my first time seeing a giant anteater strolling through their enclosure, too. All in all, I spent around three hours just wandering the entire park at an easy-going pace. It’s a nice change of pace from all the gardens and temples out there if you’re interested in animals.
For dinner, because when you go to Kobe you eat Kobe beef, I booked a table at a yakiniku spot.
Kobe Beef Yakiniku
It had this cool system where there’s a tablet on every table so you can order directly from it. Although I am not good with kanji, it was easier than trying to understand the menu, as I could see what things cost and look at photos. For starters, I got one of their fancy tasting platters, which came out gorgeously laid out in various cuts of wagyu.
Ridiculous levels of marbling, the kind you look at pictures of and think: must be Photoshopped. I placed every cut on the charcoal burner on our table and grilled them for about a minute or two each side.
While some of the offal cuts were slightly chewy (which I enjoyed), they all took less time to cook than the rest of the meat. The meat itself? Rich and tender.
I mean, realy. It didn’t take me very long before feeling stuffed and, frankly, I don’t know if I wanted any more. That much fat means a little goes a long, long way.
Between rounds of beef, I leafed through the menu. It has its own pages for Yamagata beef and Tajima beef. There are also sections for tongue, skirt steak, and offal.
You can find cold noodles, side dishes, and even desserts. It’s only right that there is an entire page dedicated to Kobe beef. Aside from some cold noodles (to break up the richness), I mostly ordered just tongue and other types of beef.
The cold noodles was refreshing.
There’s also a lunchtime menu of beef cutlet sets that I didn’t sample on my visit (but will do next time). It was all good value for what it is, too. There’s nothing formal about the place, just good food in a relaxed atmosphere.
I was full and extremely pleased. After the hustle of Osaka, Kobe was just what I needed. With its beef, its animals, its hillside views, its waterfront, it had plenty to offer for a solid few days.
If you’re based in the Kansai area, it’s an easy trip, and there’s enough variety here that you won’t get bored. I’d go back. Have you been to Kobe, or is there something in particular you’d like to see if you went?
Let me know in the comments.
