Kobe

Advantages: For a newly rebuilt city it is remarkably pretty
Disadvantages: There isn't a great deal of history left and the reconstruction was only recently finished

Kobe is primarily famous for the earthquake that devastated the city on 17 January 1995, killing 6,000 people. Fortunately the city has managed to rebuild itself over the past nine years, with some of the final rebuilding only being completed last year. As a result Kobe does look new and fresh. Although it is not a must see city, it is somewhere that is incredibly pleasant place to spend the day. GETTING THERE The nearest airport is Kansai International ...
...GETTING AROUND Most of Kobe can be reached on foot, although you may need to take a train out to the Port area. Be careful not to take the express train, as this will go straight through your stop. ATTRACTIONS - Phoenix Plaza/Earthquake Museum (500 Yen) This museum is interesting, but in many ways frustrating. On entry to the building you should wait for the next tour to begin. You'll be taken into a room where an audio-visual cacophony assaults ... Read review

Advantages: New,lots to do.Not too westernised
Disadvantages: Helps to be able to speak Japanese

...To get to Kobe flying into Kansi is the easiest route from the West. The Airport is very user friendly and easy to navigate.Never seems busy within the terminal although immigration can take a while. Customs are always polite but be prepeared to be searched if flying in from Schipol :). Buses are available to take you into Kobe or Osaka and the bus station attendants all speak english.As with most things in Japan helpfulness extends to baggage handlers to load your suitcase onto the buses. Kobe was flatten in the ninties by an Earthquake. Today building still goes on in the recovery process. Kobe looks new because of this . There are few buildings that are old. For the westerner Kobe offers a good insight into Japan but is not as westernised as say Tokyo.There is a youth movement there that is in some ways like Osaka but more... Read review

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Advantages: easy to use, use as many time as you want during valid day
Disadvantages: limited location to exchange voucher

.... You should know (once again) the Green pass allows you so called the best accommodation but this situation only applies to specialty trains. None of the local trains have Green compartment… so unless you have a whole a lot of Green card use… I think it is simply the waste of money. 4. 7/14/21 days: JR pass is particularly useful if you are traveling a great distance, like Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe, to the island of Kyushu (southern island) to Hokkaido (northern island). Round trip of Tokyo/ Kobe will cost more than the 7day ordinary pass. Riding only locally (ie. Tokyo) alone typically would not pay for itself. So if that is your case, don't bother with JR pass. What I typically do is to plan my trips around Japan and decide which duration will best cover my trips and purchase a voucher based on that. I want to make sure I can... Read review

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Advantages: A great adventure
Disadvantages: Leave that handkerchief at home!

...that it is truly delicious. You may also come across the sashimi known as sakura (Japanese for cherry blossom), which is not fish but raw horse meat. It's also possible to find restaurants in Japan that serve their sashimi rawer than raw - yes, the fish is so fresh that it's still moving when it reaches your plate. **Kobe Beef** Japanese beef, or wagyu, is reputed to be the best in the world and Kobe beef is the finest wagyu, the best of the best. The secret lies in the way the cattle are reared and it really is a secret, a closely guarded one. What is known is that the cattle lead a pampered life and they are said to be fed with beer and regularly massaged with sake (rice wine) as part of the rearing process. The happy and contented cattle end up as the most succulent, tender and delicious beef in the world, not to mention the most expensive... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful