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KOBE |
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An historic port and distinct city in its own right, KOBE , the
capital of Hyogo-ken, now seems more like the fashionable western suburb
of sprawling Osaka, 33km east around Osaka Bay. You don't visit Kobe for
the sights, which are of limited interest, but more for its human scale,
dramatic location on a sliver of land between the sea and Rokko-san, its
cosmopolitan atmosphere and great range of food.
Although Kobe has almost totally recovered from the 1995 earthquake , it
has far from forgotten this horrific event; one of the city's most
interesting new "attractions" is the Kobe Phoenix Plaza , which
documents the quake and its aftermath. The nearby Kobe City Museum ,
covering the port's earlier illustrious history, is also worth a look,
as is the space-age Fashion Museum on the man-made Rokko Island, east of
the city harbour.
Heading into hills, you can relax at Arima Onsen , one of Japan's oldest
spa resorts. West of the city is the Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi , the longest
suspension bridge in the world , linking Kansai directly with Shikoku
via Awaji-shima. Continue some 55km further west along the coast and
you'll arrive at Himeji , home of Japan's best original castle Himeji-jo,
a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
The City
Kobe's sights are split into three main areas. South of the band of rail
lines passing through Sannomiya Station, Kobe's focal point, is the
city's commercial centre covering the old settlement area and, to the
west, Nankin-machi , Kobe's Chinatown. Immediately south of here are the
harbour developments of Meriken Park, Kobe Harbor Land, Port Island and
Rokko Island. North of Sannomiya Station lies Shin-Kobe Station and
Kitano where the ijinkan (foreigners' houses) dating from the turn of
the twentieth century (most reconstructed after the 1995 quake), are
clustered on the slopes of Maya-san. For the best view of the whole city
and the Inland Sea, take the cable car up Rokko-san. |
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