Miscellaneous

As the seventh-most populated city in the country, it should come as no surprise that Kobe is made up of many neighborhoods, each of which has its own characteristics. If moving to Kobe, it’s worth knowing something about each neighborhood to decide in advance where to search for your home. Sannomiya The heart of Kobe is Sannomiya. Sannomiya is the perfect place to be surrounded by activity day and night, and the neighborhood is particularly popular with young people. There’s a great variety of shopping options (including three large arcades) and numerous restaurants, cafés, gyms, and bars. Residents in Sannomiya live in high-rise apartment buildings. If you find a unit on an upper floor, you’ll have great views — of the mountains if your windows face north or the sea if they face south. Nankinmachi Chinatown in Kobe is called Nankinmachi, and it’s one of Japan’s most important Chinatowns. Nankinmachi is another busy neighborhood, although the environment is quite different from Sannomiya. Nankinmachi, with its tremendous selection of restaurants and many traditional festivals, is a top choice if you want to eat out often. In particular, the Chinese–Japanese fusion dishes are delicious. Harborland Kobe has the second-largest port in Japan.…