Travel Features : The Best of Kobe
For centuries Kobe has been a cosmopolitan port, a melting pot of European and Asian cultures, in a country that has, for the most part, remained ethnically homogenous. It says a lot about the city, that so many travelers and traders have decided to make Kobe their home.
Phoenix Rising from the Ashes
At 5.46 a.m. on January 17, 1995, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook the city of Kobe. 6,400 people were killed and over 40,000 injured. A quarter of a million houses were destroyed. Estimates of the economic cost were over 90 billion U.S. dollars. This catastrophic event brought Kobe to the attention of the world, but the city is more than just the survivor of a natural disaster.
Heavy bombing during World War II destroyed most of Kobe, but the city recovered and regained its prosperity. The 1995 earthquake left the city in ruins once more, but again the city recovered, and now shows few signs of the two tragedies.
The threat of earthquakes, however, has not disappeared. Three tectonic plates meet not far off Japan’s eastern coast, creating a geological time bomb. Technological advances improve the ability to monitor seismic events, but there is nothing that can be done to prevent them. Many of Japan’s mountains, including Mt Fuji, are active volcanoes, and it is just a matter of time before the country is shaken by another earthquake.
The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution is a giant glass cube on Kobe’s waterfront. Its museum provides visitors from around the world with the experiences and lessons learned from the Kobe earthquake. The grainy images from an office security camera show the ten seconds when filing cabinets, tables and chairs were thrown across the room. Dioramas reproduce the devastated streets, while workshops teach school children how to prevent future disasters. The institution also operates as a research center, so that studying the loss of so many of Kobe’s citizens may, in some way, save the lives of others.
An International Community
For over 200 years, Japan was a closed country, banning foreigners from its shores. During the mid 19th Century foreign envoys set up the first trade treaties and Yokohama, Hakodate and Nagasaki, were opened to international trading. In 1868, Kobe joined them and gradually transformed from a fishing village to what would become Japan’s biggest port.
The influence of these foreign connections can be seen across the city. The Chinese population, estimated at over 40,000, is centered on the city’s Chinatown, known locally as Nankinmachi. The entrances to the area are marked by traditional Chinese gateways and lanterns. Some visitors purchase silk dresses and posters of Bruce Lee, but most come for the food. Street vendors sell steaming bowls of ramen and hot dumplings, while restaurants cater for those with more time and money to spare.
The European Traders built their homes along with churches, a mosque and a synagogue on the hillside north of the port. The district, known as Kitano, is now one of the most exclusive areas. The brick and timber western style buildings, although unspectacular to foreign tourists, do stand out in a country which seems to have very few structures that aren’t concrete. The most famous of these ijinkan (foreigner houses) is the Weathercock House, which as well as being a state-designated important cultural property, has become a symbol of the city.
Kobe’s most famous foreign residents are not in Chinatown or Kitano, but at the city’s zoo. Koko and TanTan are two giant pandas taking part in a Japan-China breeding program. Unsurprisingly, in a country that puts anime characters on planes and bank books, Koko and TanTan can be seen in cartoon form across the city.
Ikuta Shrine
Kobe’s amusement district, is filled with pachinko parlors, bars and hostess clubs. It could be considered a little ironic, therefore, that it’s original resident is Ikuta Shrine, one of the oldest in Japan. Since the 8th Century, locals have traditionally visited the shrine to pray for victory; this may have once been for imminent battles, but now is more likely to be professional sportsmen looking for a little divine inspiration. Judging from the numbers of expensive cars parked in the grounds of the shrine – a little prayer seems to go a long way.
The shrine is also popular with those searching for marriage. Men and women write their messages of hope on the heart shaped wooden prayer tablets known as ema. Many simply state, “Ai onegaishimasu,” or “Please give me love.”
Worshipers enter the shrine through the through the giant orange-red torii gate. Some come for special ceremonies, such as the blessing of a new baby, but for many it is a quick, often daily, routine. They stand in front of the main hall, pull on the bell rope, toss a coin into the offerings box, clap three times, then offer a silent prayer. Miko, young female attendants, can be seen dressed in traditional red and white kimono. They assist the priest with the running of the shrine and also sell the omikuji (fortune papers) and omamori (talismans). These omamori are also popular gifts for loved ones and can provide everything from fortune and health to success on an upcoming driving test.
Meriken Park — Harborland
Meriken Park in Kobe’s Harborland is a relaxing open area where the locals walk their dogs and enjoy the cool ocean breezes in the summer. The Maritime Museum, which displays the city’s role as a port, is more famous for its architectural design than its contents. The white steel pipes and glass structure resemble the prow of a giant sailing ship and contrast with the orange of the Port Tower, which was designed to look like a traditional tsuzumi hand drum－albeit a 108m high version. Built in 1963, it provides a 360- degree panorama, and is another testament to the effectiveness of earthquake-proof design.
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
It’s a fact of life that most things don’t meet expectations. Whatever the label says, it won’t be the world’s sexiest car, most accurate watch or best cup of coffee. Some things, however, achieve their goal, which is even more impressive if the goal was seemingly impossible.
The engineers who were told to design the Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi were given one such task – the world’s longest suspension bridge. The strait that separates Honshu and Shikoku is four kilometers wide, and the water is 45 meters deep, with strong currents and waves of up to ten meters. The bridge could not obstruct the international shipping lane it would span, and had to be strong enough to support an expressway for vehicles. And just incase that seemed easy, it also needed to withstand typhoons and the occasional catastrophic earthquake.
The bridge was completed in 1998, at a cost of around five billion US dollars. During its construction, it withstood the 1994 quake that actually stretched the center span by a meter. It stands today as a wonder of the modern age. On a clear day visitors can watch the bridge arch across the water to the far island. On days when the ocean fog rolls in, the bridge vanishes into the mist – quite possibly the world’s most impressive disappearing act.
Himeji Castle
Just 55km west of Kobe, 17 minutes away by bullet train, is Himeji-jo, Japan’s most famous castle. When shogun ruled Japan, and their samurai enforced their law with swords, castles were a common sight on the landscape. Small fortifications sat atop mountains while huge lowland castles offered protection to entire cities. History has been less than kind. Those that survived combat were destroyed as a result of political decree, lightning strikes or earthquakes. Many of the remaining few were flattened by allied bombing in World War II. Himeji-jo is one of the few remaining original castles, and for that reason it is a designated national treasure and a UNESCO world heritage site.
The castles white walls and distinctive shape give it the nickname Shirasagi-jo or the white egret castle. It is heavily fortified with a five-story main tower plus four smaller towers. The central structures are surrounded by a double moat along with inner and outer walls. The castle was never used in battle, but remains as possibly the best example of Japanese castle design.
Getting to Kobe
Kobe’s own airport opened in 2006, and has regular flights from most major Japanese cities with either JAL or ANA. The airport is located on an island of reclaimed land in the bay and connected to the city by the PortLiner monorail.
Kobe’s proximity to Osaka means that many visitors fly into either Osaka’s Kansai International Airport (KIX) or, for domestic flights, Itami Airport. Train and highway ｂus services connect the two airports with Kobe City. It is also possible to take a ferry from KIX to Kobe’s Port Island and then a local bus into the city center.
Kobe’s Shin-Kobe Station is on the Shinkansen bullet-train route that connects all the major cities on the southern coast of Honshu including Tokyo (157 minutes), Osaka (13 minutes) and Himeji (17 minutes). Regular trains stop at Sanomiya Station or Hakyu Station located in the city centre, and provide slower but much cheaper transport options than the bullet trains. Kobe to Himeji by Shinkansen costs ¥3340 and takes 17 minutes, the limited express train takes 37 minutes and is only ¥950.
Getting Around
It is possible to get around most of Kobe on foot. The zoo is a little further out, but easily accessible by taxi, or a couple of stops on the local train. The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution is a 10 minute walk south from JR Nada Station.
More Information
To find out train times and fares use hyperdia.com
View all Kobe images at Alamy.com
