The capital city of Hyogo prefecture, it is not a destination one would visit for sight seeing purposes ,however, similar to Osaka, its attractive points are the cosmopolitan atmosphere and good food.
Still painfully fresh in people's minds is the terrible earthquake that hit Kobe in 1995 killing 6000 people. But 11 years on there is little to indicate that the tragedy had even occured.

• Meriken Park - Situated just on the waterfront of Kobe harbour, this park is also the location of the Kobe Port Tower.
• Kitano-Cho - As Kobe developed into an important international port during the Meiji period, foreign traders and diplomats used this area to build their homes. Due to their European appearance the Japanese consider this as one of Kobe's more fashionable areas.
• Kobe City Museum - If one requires a history lesson on Kobe, this is the place to go. It covers a great deal from the origins of this city to the tragic earthquake in 1995.