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The Kobe harbor panorama and the red Port Tower seen across the water from Po-ai Shiosai Park

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City guide · 神戸 Kobe

Kobe

A port city between mountains and sea: Western-style houses, Chinatown, and the red Port Tower

Photo: 663highland · CC BY-SA 3.0

Kobe is one of the earliest Japanese ports to open, and mountains and sea squeeze the city into a narrow strip. In the Kitano Ijinkan area, Nankinmachi, and Meriken Park, you can still see traces of the East-West encounter that began when the port opened. Other places worth a visit in the city: Nankinmachi, one of Japan's three major Chinatowns, lined with street-food stalls and shops; Meriken Park and Kobe Port Tower, the seaside park home to the red tower and the Kobe Maritime Museum, a symbol of the port; and Ikuta Shrine, an ancient shrine in the middle of busy Sannomiya, with thickly wooded grounds.

History

How the city came to be

Kobe is one of the earliest Japanese ports to open: the port opened in 1868, the city was established in 1889, it became a designated city in 1956, Kobe Port Tower was built in 1963, the city was rebuilt after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995, and Kobe Port Tower reopened after renovation in 2024.

  1. 1868The port opens
  2. 1889The city is established
  3. 1956The city becomes a government-designated city
  4. 1963Kobe Port Tower is built
  5. 1987Meriken Park is built on reclaimed land
  6. 1995The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake strikes; the city is rebuilt
  7. 2024Kobe Port Tower reopens after renovation

Stories

Stories of the city

The three crows

Legend · Arima Onsen

Legend has it that two deities saw three wounded crows bathing in the spring, and within days the birds' injuries had healed, proving the water's healing power. This is the founding legend told in Arima.

The 1097 flood and the twelve lodging temples

History · Arima Onsen

In 1097 a devastating flood left Arima in ruins. A monk, usually identified as Ninsei, acting on divine guidance, rebuilt the hot springs and surrounding temples and set up twelve lodging houses called shukubō; Onsen-ji, recorded as founded in 724, was among the temples rebuilt. Many inns in town still carry the character "bō" in their names, such as Gosho-bō and Naka-no-bō, a legacy of that lodging-house tradition.

Restoring the Thomas House

History · Kitano Ijinkan & Kobe Harbor Area

The Kazamidori House, formerly known as the Thomas House, was home to German trader Gottfried Thomas, who lived in Kobe around 1909. From December 1983 to March 1985 the red-brick house underwent a large-scale restoration, and the weathercock on its roof became a symbol of Kitano.

The weathercock on the roof

Legend · Kitano Ijinkan & Kobe Harbor Area

Besides showing the wind direction, the rooster weathervane on the Kazamidori House roof is said to ward off evil spirits. This local belief has made the weathercock a must-photograph sight for visitors.

Must see

Places you shouldn’t miss

Arima Onsen

Classic landmarkHyogo Prefecture · Kobe City (Arima, Kita Ward)

Arima Onsen

One town, two contrasting waters: the Kin-sen (Gold Spring), rich in iron and salt and turning reddish-brown on contact with air, and the nearly…

Kitano Ijinkan & Kobe Harbor Area

Classic landmarkHyogo Prefecture · Kobe City (Chūō Ward)

Kitano Ijinkan & Kobe Harbor Area

On the hillside, the Kitano Ijinkan district preserves Western-style residences from the Meiji to Taishō periods; by the sea, Meriken Park has t…

Before you go

Rules to know in Kobe

All etiquette & taboos →

Local customsTippingCountry-wide guidance · 日本

There is no tipping in Japan

Do

  • Say thank you with 'arigatō gozaimashita'

Don’t

  • Pressing loose change on staff

Japan is a no-tipping country and bills usually include service; if you press a tip on staff, some will politely refuse.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese table manners

Cultural sensitivitiesEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · 日本

Take off your shoes when you see a genkan (entrance step)

Do

  • Take off your shoes at the entrance of homes, some restaurants, temples and hot-spring facilities
  • If unsure, look for a shoe rack or slippers at the entrance

Don’t

  • Stepping onto tatami or indoor wooden floors in shoes

It is seen as very rude.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette

Cultural sensitivitiesPublic transportCountry-wide guidance · 日本

No phone calls on trains and the shinkansen; queue to board

Do

  • Put your phone on silent; on the shinkansen, take calls in the area between carriages
  • Queue at the marked spots on either side of the train door, and let people off before you get on
  • Give priority seats to older people, pregnant women and passengers with limited mobility

Don’t

  • Talking on the phone or playing sound aloud in the train

Not illegal, but you will get looks and a reminder from the conductor.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: JNTO: Japanese etiquette

Sources