Kobe Favorites

Favorite thing: Just walking on the street in Sannomiya District in Kobe, you will encounter art on the street, there are statues in every corner but one thing that amazed me is the artwork even on the manhole. It is no big deal actually, but this simple art also attract my attention. Do you see the difference with other manhole in other countries?

Fondest memory: I miss the atmosphere and the feeling of a warm welcome from every local person.

Favorite thing: there are few PCs connected, which you can freely use to surf internet at the "Hyogo International Plaza" in Kobe.
10 minutes from JR Nada station, check the website for more details:
http://www.hyogo-ip.or.jp/hiaf/eg/index.htm

Favorite thing: The Kobe Muslim Mosque is the oldest mosque in Japan, built in 1935 in the former foreign residents' quarter of Kobe. There are many Muslims in Japan (about 50,000?) & in Kobe & they do have services here for those who are interested. Please remember to dress appropriately.

Address:
Nakayamate Dori 2-25-14, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0004. 078-231-6060.
In Kitano, between Motomachi & Sannomiya Stations, towards the mountains. You can see the mosque if you ride on the JR, on the ride from Akashi to Sannomiya, on your left side.

Favorite thing: The Awaji Island is located between Honshu Island and Kyushu Island and connects both with the bridges Awaji in the north and Bes in the south. The Bes bridge allows to see a famous natural scenery, the water circles between the streams of the west flow and east flow, and the sensation is beautiful...and dangerous, because the boats cannot approach if they are small.

Fondest memory: The world's longest suspension bridge opened to traffic on April 5, 1998. The 3,911-meter (12,831-feet) Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is 580 meters (1,900 feet) longer than the Humber Bridge in England, the previous record holder.
The bridge across Akashi Strait connects Tarumi Ward in the city of Kobe with Awaji Island, both part of Hyogo Prefecture. Construction began way back in 1988, and it cost nearly 500 billion yen to complete.

Although both Kobe and Awaji were severely damaged in the January 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, the new bridge will be able to withstand even bigger quakes--up to magnitude 8.5 on the Richter scale. It's also built to resist winds as strong as 288 kilometers (179 miles) per hour.

The bridge is part of an expressway link connecting Honshu, Japan's main island, with Shikoku by way of Awaji Island.

A ceremony attended by hundreds of school children was held in mid-March to mark the completion of the bridge. Initially, school kids from both sides of the bridge were supposed to walk across and meet halfway, but this had to be cancelled because of strong winds.

Around 300 students from Higashi Maiko Elementary School in Kobe did get a chance to walk on the bridge for about 500 meters (1,640 feet), though, and kids representing schools in the town of Awaji traveled aboard a bus to meet them. The students shook hands and exchanged gifts.

Tomonori Tamura, a sixth-grader at the Ishiya Elementary School in Awaji, said, "Crossing the bridge was a bit scary because it felt like walking along the edge of a cliff. But I had a great view of the sea."

Fondest memory: Nunobiki Herb Park can be reached via the cable car. You can have the view of the Kobe city and harbor on the cable car. There are many plants in this garden with the beautiful scenes.

Open hour: 10:00 - 17:00 (20:30 on Saturday)
(Closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday)

Favorite thing: There is an information center right outside of JR Sannomiya Station. Here you can get information about current Kobe events & maps of Kobe in English. Some staff members speak English as well. Open daily 9am-7pm. 078-322-0220.

Favorite thing: After walking around Kobe & Sannomiya all day & needing a place to rest your tired feet, go over to Kobe Port & sit beside the waterfront overlooking the water. The best time to go is right before the sun starts to set. It`s a magical time to reflect about your travels & collect your thoughts. I always get such a sense of peace & calm when I look out towards the horizon.
Serenity....bliss.....

Favorite thing: Shopping: I really enjoyed shopping in Kobe. You have so much things one cannot find back in Europe. Well I guess they can say the same thing about us. But be carefull with your wallet, everything is so expensive there. Don´t overspend!
A terrible thing about Japan is that they hardly speak other languages but their own. Even in Famous hotel chains, you´ll find it not easy to get something explained or done. Quite tiring! Same counts for the local Mc Donalds??? I thought that was American territory?? I did manage to take a train during morning traffic. Although this might not sound impressive, arriving at the right destination (without being able to understand the signs) was.