Xplore Japan: Kobe!
Kobe (神戸, Kōbe) is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture and one of Japan's ten largest cities. Located between the sea and the Rokko mountain range, Kobe is also considered one of Japan's most attractive cities.
Kobe has been an important port city for many centuries. Its port was among the first to be opened to foreign trade in the 19th centuryalongside the ports of Yokohama, Nagasaki, Hakodate and Niigata.
In 1995, Kobe was hit by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which killed over 5000 people and destroyed tens of thousands of buildings. Today the city is completely rebuilt, and few signs of the terrible event remain.
Kobe city most famous specialities is Kobe Beef.Kobe Beef is a prized Japanese delicacy and probably the most widely-known regional specialty food in Japan. It is one of several breeds of Wagyu, or Japanese cattle, which are bred throughout the country and often associated with the area where they are raised. While Kobe Beef is probably the best known type of wagyu outside of Japan, there are many other breeds, such as Matsuzaka and Yonezawa Beef, that are equally or even more famous among Japanese gourmets.
Kobe Beef is distinguished as a tender, flavorful meat that is well marbled with fat. It is produced from pedigreed Tajima breed cattle which were born and slaughtered in Hyogo Prefecture. Despite popular rumor, the cows are not usually fed beer or massaged with sake. Once slaughtered the meat must pass a series of requirements and only the highest grades of meat with exceptionally high levels of fat marbling earn the Kobe Beef label, which is a strictly-guarded trademark.
One of the Onsen at Kobe is Arima Onsen/ Hot Springs.Arima Onsen (有馬温泉) is a famous hot spring town within the city limits of Kobe, but on the opposite side of Mount Rokko from the city center. The town lies in a natural mountain setting, yet is close enough for Kobe and Osaka residents as an easy and popular day trip or weekend getaway.Although Arima Onsen has a modern look today and is pretty built up, one can still find several narrow lanes and wooden buildings when strolling around the center of town. Due to its compact size, the small town can be explored entirely on foot, and there are several hot spring sources, nice templesand shrines and a small hot spring museum (200 yen) to be discovered.
Shin-Kobe Ropeway (新神戸ロープウェー) is one of three services that lifts tourists up the southern slopes of the Rokko mountain chain. The ropeway departs from next to Shin-Kobe Station, Kobe's shinkansenstation. As it ascends, it passes by the Nunobiki Waterfall and the Nunobiki Herb Garden, giving a nice aerial view of both. The highlight of the ride lies in the observation deck located just beside the top station, which offers spectacular views of Kobe and is a popular night view spot.An alternative way to get to the top station is via a hiking trail from Shin-Kobe Station. It is somewhat surprising that only a few steps north of the station are forests shielded from the rumbles of the city. A 15-20 minute climb through the woods takes you to the 43 meter tall Nunobiki Waterfall, whose name comes from its draped cloth-like appearance. Five minutes east from here is the Miharashi Observatory, which offers decent views of the city.A further 20 minute scale up the mountain takes you to the middle station of Shin-Kobe Ropeway and the lower entrance of Nunobiki Herb Garden, one of Japan's largest herb gardens with hundreds of herb species and seasonal flowers. A glasshouse in the garden makes growing flowers and fruits such as guavas and papayas possible throughout the year.
Last but not least there is Sorakuen Garden.Sorakuen is a traditional Japanese landscape garden in the center of Kobe. The garden used to be part of the residence of Kodera Kenkichi, a former mayor of Kobe, but was opened to the public in 1941.
All the buildings, which had originally stood in the garden, were destroyed in the war, except for a stable. The former home of a foreign trader, the Hassam House, was moved into the Sorakuen Garden from the Kitano
Thank You for reading my blog! all informations are from Google & japanguide.com.Photos are from google and edited by administrator! Btw this is the last episode of explore Japan mini blog series! Hope you guys enjoy it! regards ben! :)
