11 Best Things to Do in Kobe

Kobe Port Tower has been a seafront landmark for Kobe since it was erected in 1963. The 108-metre-high red lattice tower features an observation deck with views across the bay and out to the Rokko mountain range. Kobe's airport and the Hanshin Expressway can also be seen. Night-time views are particularly dazzling with the nightly "light show" on nearby Ashaki Kaiko Bridge.

Kobe Port Tower's curved tube-like shape is called hyperboloid in architectural terms, but its design was inspired by the tsuzumi traditional drum instrument used in kabuki plays. The unusual design proved to be sturdy as well as attractive when it held firm during Kobe's great earthquake of 1995. Many other buildings in the port area collapsed. The tower is set in Meriken Park, site of the first American Consulate, where there's a small earthquake memorial as well as a launching point for harbour cruises. If you have time, the Kobe Maritime Museum nearby is worth a visit.

A few minutes' walk down a pathway from Kobe Port Tower and Meriken Park is Kobe Harborland, one of the city's most popular destinations for visitors and locals. Watch the ships coming to and fro in the busy port or grab a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants and cafes. Harbor Circus and Kobe Hankyu department store are great places to shop, or stop by Mosaic, a shopping and dining complex with a relaxed Mediterranean ambiance. Mosaic Garden next door is a small amusement park with a Ferris wheel and other rides and games.

Just a short walk away from Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial, the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is a stunning building that contains a vast collection of art from Japan and around the world. Designed by the famed architect Tadao Ando, the museum is a good example of his skills, blending indoor and outdoor spaces together.

Permanent exhibitions feature the works of two painters from Kobe, Ryohei Koiso and Heizo Kanayama, who were acclaimed for their Western-style paintings. Exhibitions of modern and contemporary art include Goya, Manet, Klinger, Picasso, Kandinsky, Warhol and Jasper Johns. There is also an extensive Japanese woodblock print display, as well as sculptures by a range of well known Japanese and Western artists.

Maiko Park is a seaside recreational area near the base of Akashi Kaiko Bridge - the world's longest suspension bridge. Connecting Kobe to Awaji Island, this engineering feat spans 3,911 metres and its two main towers are 300 metres high, only 33 metres shorter than Tokyo Tower. The centre span alone is 1,991 metres long.

See the bridge up close in the observatory halls at Maiko Marine Promenade, under the bridge's platform. Some 50 metres up and reached by elevator from the base of the bridge, the observatory area also offers nice views across Akashi Straight and Osaka Bay. The promenade's Observation Lounge has a café, restaurant and shop selling bridge memorabilia. The Bridge Exhibition Centre nearby provides a full spectrum of information on the Ashaki Kaiko Bridge and other suspension bridges around the world. 

A quick and peaceful excursion from the bustling city, the Nunobiki Falls in Mt Rokko have been inspiring poets and writers for many generations, first appearing in Japanese literature in the 10th century. The Japanese consider Nunobiki one of the country's "divine falls" together with Kegon Falls and Nachi Falls. Nunobiki is a set of four separate cascades: the 43-metre Ondaki (male), Mendaki (female), Tsusumigadaki (drum), and Meotodaki (couple). The cave behind the waterfall is known as the Palace of the Dragon.

From the falls you can catch the nearby Shin-Kobe Ropeway, which leads further up the hills for even more impressive views of the city and to Nunobiki Herb Garden, or if you have time to wander, simply hike along the scenic pathways nearby and enjoy the fresh air. The closest subway station is Shin-Kobe, which is around a 20-minute walk from the base of the waterfalls. 

Unlike many other Japanese castles, Himeji Castle was never destroyed in wars, earthquakes or fires and survives in its original form. It is both a national treasure and a UNESCO world heritage site. Many locals and visitors come in early spring to admire the cherry blossoms in the surrounding grounds and to picnic and spend the entire day in this pleasant location.

Many people hold cherry blossom viewing parties under the bright and colourful perimeter of trees that ring the Sannomaru Hiroba field just outside the paid area of the castle. However, if you head up the steps towards the Senhime Peony Gardens you'll find a less crowded area covered in a canopy of cherry blossoms that is a better place to picnic. Himeji City is around 60 km west of Kobe.