Kobe

INTRO
amed after those who worship the holy shrine, Kobe is today a "holy" international trading port for Japan. Nestled between mountains and sea, this cosmopolitan city is a fashionable mixture of foreign and native culture with great food and lively nightlife. Kobe has an exotic harbour atmosphere, spectacular night views and a little something for almost every taste, from jazz and pleasant strolls among trendy boutiques to sake breweries and hot springs.

City Profile
City: Kobe
Country: Japan
Area: 550,72 square km
Population: 1,528,948
Wards: 9
Language: Japanese

LOCATION
Situated a little west of Osaka, and surrounded by the beautiful Mt. Rokko Mountain and the Seto Inland Sea, Kobe is an important and attractive modern city stretched out on the shores of Osaka Gulf. As an important port, it is accessible by sea, train and air and it is not far from both domestic and international destinations such as Osaka, Tokyo, Korea and China. This strategic location leads to Kobe's having an irreplaceable role in Japanese port-related industry.

TIME TO VISIT
Located on the Inland Sea and sheltered by the Mountain Range on the north, Kobe has a typical Mediterranean climate, characterised by relatively mild winters and cool summers. The temperature in August is usually around 30 degrees C with no wind at nights, while that in the winter goes down to 4 degrees C and it snows several times through that season. The rainy months are June and July so depending on their personal weather prefferences, Kobe welcomes its visitors throughout the whole year.

POPULATION
Even though there are over 1.5 million native inhabitants, the city of Kobe has an international flavour of around 45, 000 people from as many as 115 different countries. This contributes to a large number of people speaking foreign languages as well as to the existence of diverse communities. There is a plenty of places where it is possible to study the Japanese culture and language.

DISTRICTS
Kobe is divided into 9 districts called kues, which is conventionally translated as ward but is closer to "borough" in everyday use of English, and means a district an a large Japanese city. Each ward is famous for different reasons, and the most important of them are as follows:

Higashinada ward is home to the sake breweries of Nada, the world's top producing region of sake. This is a place where old traditions still exist with the annual ward Danjiri festival. Higashinada ward is also a preferred area to live by students since many colleges and universities are situated at the foot of the mountains.
Suma-ku attracts tourists with its sandy beach and popular summer events.reviews>> Sannomya is famous for the Ikuta Shrine located there. This is the place where was the battle between the Heike and Genji Clans several hundred years ago.
Chuo-ku is the growing centre of Kobe, surrounded by natural walls of mountains, historical buildings and seas.
Gulshan is the most luxurious district in Dhaka. It is overflowing with skyscrapers, exclusive restaurants, lavish residential areas, shopping malls, foreign diplomatic missions and elite clubs. You can find many international brands and branches of multinational companies here.
Ramna is a famous administrative district. The Secretariat, which houses most of the government ministries, and the Supreme Court of Bangladesh are located here.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
Kobe offers wide range of tourist and entertainment activities for almost every taste and interests. The city is well known with its Kobe Beef that you should definitely try if you are a meat lover. Besides the food, here are some suggestions covering several of the famous spots in the city:

Arima Onsen (Hot Spring area) is located on Mount Rokko and is one of Japan's oldest hot-spring spas. There are two public baths: the Gold Spring with copper-coloured water and the Silver Spring with clear water rich in carbonic acid, both believed to be curable. Fee: 550- 650 Yen, open from 8am till 10pm. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.kobecityinfo.com/att/mt.html#ahs
Nunobiki Falls ( Nunobiki-No-Taki ) is one of the greatest "divine falls" in Japan which is a set of waterfalls. This natural phenomenon had a significant impact in Japanese literature and art and is an ideal place to unwind and enjoy nature. More info at: http://www.kobecityinfo.com/att/o.html#nuno
Kitano-cho is a Western-style neighbourhood that was settled by foreign diplomats and traders when Kobe was chosen for an international port. More than, twenty Gothic and Victorian style houses, called ijinkan, are open to the public and attract visitors with their architecture and nice views of the sea. More info at: http://www.kobecityinfo.com/att/san.html#ki
Kobe Fashion Museum displays various fashion accessories and gowns from ethnic costumes to modern collections by famous designers. Extravagant fashion shows that take place in the museum and displays change four or five times a year. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/kobe/A31305.html
Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum was established in 1743 as one of the many sake breweries in this area. The tour takes about 30 minutes and presents previously and currently used techniques on sake production. It is free of charge with a free sake tasting and drinking tips at the end. Hours: 9.30am-4.30pm.
Hanshin earthquake Museum presents a recreation of the 7.3-on-the-Richter-scale earthquake that struck the city in 1995. It takes about an hour to witness the disastrous event by computer-generated scenes and detailed documentaries. More info on the admission fee and how to get there: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/kobe/A33528.html

AIRPORT and TRAIN
Kobe is an easily reachable city from within the country. There is one domestic Airport and one train line that provide the city's accessibility.

Kobe Airport is situated on an artificial island close to the coast of central Kobe. The airport operates with only domestic flights and the nearest International airport is Osaka's Kansai Airport. The Kobe Airport is connected to the main Kobe railway station, Sannomiya Station, by an elevated Port Liner that takes you there for 20 minutes for the price of 320 Yen. The taxi ride will cost you 2000 Yen. Official Airport Website (Japanese): http://www.kairport.co.jp
Tokaido Shinkansen is a train that connects Tokyo and Shin- Kobe Station. It takes a little less than 3 hours (170 minutes) to reach Kobe with a Nozomi train. The one-way non-reserved seat ticket costs 13,760 Yen, while a reserved seat costs additional 740 Yen. There are cheaper hikari trains that run through the same destinations but it takes 25 minutes more to reach the city. More info at: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2018.html

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION
Kobe's local transportation is convenient for tourists with its discount one-day tickets and special tourist bus.

There are two Subway lines in Kobe: the main one starts at Tanigami through Shin-Kobe to reach San-no-miya Stations and the second one begins at San-no-miya Station and links to the main one at Shin-Nagata Station. Prices start from 180 Yen and are determined by destination. There is a one day unlimited pass for 1000 Yen.
Public buses are frequent and the names of the main destinations are displayed in Roman letters. Enter at the centre of the bus and pay with exact sum when you leave at the front, Fares: 200 Yen. One day pass costs 1000 Yen for all lines.
Taxis are available at the minimum charge of 550 Yen for the first 2km and additional Y90 for each half kilometer.
A special Loop Bus runs between Nakatottei Tsutsumi (Nakatottei Pier) and Shin-Kobe through 15 major sights. They operate every 15-20 minutes and cost 250 or 650 Yen for a day pass.
Kobe Kanko 1 Day Coupon gives you an unlimited use of subways, buses and non- JR trains around Kobe for one day for 2000 and a 1000 Yen additional coupon for admission to selected tourist attractions.

HISTORY
The history of Kobe is connected to that of the Ikuta Shrine because its name derives from the word "kanbe" that is the archaic name for those who supported the shrine. Back to the 8th century, as early as the Nada period, the city was known under the name Owada no Tomari and was one of the first cities to open as a trading port with foreign countries beginning with China in 1868. Kobe was heavily bombed during the Second World War and had to be rebuilt and enlarged so as to reach its present vibrant infrastructure. Following the devastating war the city suffered another disaster, this time cause by nature: the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 that took the lives of more than five thousand people and destroyed most of the port. In spite of the damage, Kobe has flourished as Japan's third busiest international trading port.

CITY LINKS

Japan Times, A Daily Newspaper in English: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/
Currency Information: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2196.html
Kobe Information and Attractions: http://www.kobecityinfo.com
Useful Tips: http://wikitravel.org/en/Kobe
Kobe Tourist Information Center: PHONE: 078/322-0220

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Kobe International University: http://www.kobe-kiu.ac.jp/, in Japanese
Kobe University: http://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/
Kobe City University of Foreign Studies: http://www.kobe-cufs.ac.jp/english/index-e.html
Konan University: www.konan-u.ac.jp/english/indexE.html http://www.kobecityinfo.com/sightseeing.html