"Kobe, A Beautiful Port City" a Kobe Travel Page by MINOSUKE

Kobe is the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture. From Osaka, we can get to Kobe in about 30 minutes.
The city is on the inland sea, Setonaikai. The downtown lies along the coast. Behind, there are Rokko Mountains. We can walk down from the foot of the mountain to the sea in less than 1 hour, first we go down steep slopes and when we get near the sea the road becomes almost flat.
Kobe Port was opened in the Meiji Era along with Yokohama and Nagasaki and many people came to live in Kobe from abroad. So there is international atmosphere in Kobe.
There used to be a lot of beautiful buildings built in the Meiji and Taisho Era, but many of them were destroyed in the 1995 earthquake. After the quake, those buildings were rebuilt and the streets were replanned. But I do not think the charm of the city has decreased at all. I like visiting the city. I like to go to restaurants in Kobe. I like to go shopping there. And I like to walk around in the city.

In the middle of December every year, the downtown streets in Kobe are decorated with uncountable number of lights. This event, Luminarie, began in 1996, the year after the terrible earthquake that took place in the area around Kobe in January, 1995. More than 6,000 died in the earthquake. This event began in order to console the souls of the victims in the quake. During the period of this event, many people come to Kobe to pray for the dead.

In Kobe, we can enjoy international cuisine.
Especially Chinese food we can eat in Kobe is SO delicious, so is Indian food.
There are many Chinese people living in Kobe and there is China Town near Motomachi. A lot of tourists come visit there.