Two must-do things in Kobe is to visit Kobe Harbourland at the waterfront and to eat Kobe beef. I arrived in Kobe late in the evening but I managed to do both. If you have more time, visit Kitano Ijinkan (former residence of foreign merchants and diplomats) and take the cable car to the top of Mt. Rokko and enjoy the panoramic night view of Kobe there.
Getting there:
JR Kobe Station is close to Kobe Harborland on the JR Kobe Line. Alternatively, you can take Kobe Subway Kaigan line to Harborland station from Sannomiya station.
Area map of Kobe Harborland. As you can see, the area is quite big.
The Umie Shopping Mall has three distinct areas: Mosaic, North Mall and South Mall.
I was heading to Mosaic where I can enjoy the night view of Kobe waterfront.
Umie Shopping Mall is open from 10am to 9pm. It has everything you will find in a typical shopping mall.
The Ferris Wheel at Mosaic can be seen from a distance.
Arriving at Mosaic. It was a cold and windy night. So there was few pedestrian in the area.
In case you don't know who is Anpanman, it is one of the most popular anime series among young children in Japan. It is so popular that it has its own Anpanman Children's Museum & Mall in several locations including Kobe, Sendai, Yokohama, Nagoya and Fukuoka.
The museum is where children can play in the world of Anpanman and meet the characters in Anpanman. It is open from 10am to 6pm (last admission is 5pm).
A giant Ferris Wheel is located just in front of Anpanman Children's Museum & Mall.
Kobe Harborland is an entertainment and shopping area on Kobe waterfront. The waterfront of Mosaic has views of Meriken Park which is home to Kobe Port Tower, Kobe Maritime Museum and Kawasaki World (on the left) and Oriental Hotel (on the right).
We were cold and hungry. So when we saw a restaurant offering grilled Kobe beef, we did not hesitate to go in.
Ryu-en restaurant has a nice view of the waterfront.
Entrance to the restaurant.
Interior of the restaurant. It was quite late. Maybe that's why the restaurant seemed quite empty.
We got a window seat, overlooking the beautiful night view outside.
We ordered Kobe beef and Wagyu beef. Both were delicious. The Kobe Beef is distinguished for its fatty and well-marbled texture. It literally will melt in your mouth.
Menu of the restaurant.
A cruise ship stopping at the harbor.
It was late, almost all the shops were closed. Time to head back to the hotel.
My sister and I were staying a night at APA Hotel Kobe Sannomiya. It is only a 5 minute walk from the Sannomiya station.
The hotel's cafe near the reception area.
The room was quite small. But what I dislike most is that the hotel staff have assigned us a smoking room without asking for our preference when checking in. We were both tired, so we didn't ask for a change of room.
Area map around Sannomiya station. The Hankyu Kobe Sannomiya station (marked in yellow) is within walking distance to JR Sannomiya station (marked in red).
Kobe Harborland
Website: http://www.harborland.co.jp/en/
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