#gallery-1 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 100%;
}
#gallery-1 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
DISCOVER: Kobe, an ANA Mini Guide
Nestled on the north shore of Osaka Bay, home to
Japan’s famous marbled-beef and surrounded by picturesque mountains, Kobe is a
vibrant city well worth travelling off the beaten path for. One of the first
cities to open for international trade following the end of Japan’s
self-imposed national isolation, Kobe has since become known as a dynamic,
open-minded port city.
Read on for our mini guide to Hyogo Prefecture’s
cosmopolitan capital.
DRINK: In Kobe’s Coolest Coffee Shop
Every
city has its destination coffee shop, and for Kobe, it’s the newly-opened Voice
of Coffee, located in the city’s Chuo Ward. Renowned
interior designer Yusuke Seki has transformed a former barbershop into a raw industrial
space – inviting customers to sip flat whites, perched on polished concrete amidst
exposed breezeblock walls. Stripping back the building to expose its basic
elements, Seki hopes to make the history of the space visible, as well as echo
the aim of the café – to serve uncomplicated but perfectly crafted coffee,
using regionally-sourced beans.
Voice of Coffee: 3 Chome−1−17, Sakaemachidori, Chuo
Ward, Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Photographs: Takumi Ota
STAY: At the Peanuts Hotel
Hotly anticipated, the world’s first Peanuts
Hotel opened its doors in Kobe this summer. An ode to Japan’s Snoopy affair,
the new hotel was conceived by the same team behind the beautifully designed
Peanuts Café and Peanuts Diner in Tokyo. Carrying a manifesto lifted straight from the comic “IT’S NICE TO HAVE A HOME WHERE YOUR GUESTS FEEL COMFORTABLE”,
the new destination hotel is set to become a magnet for Peanuts fans everywhere,
with six floors of comic-themed rooms and restaurants. The hotel highlight is
the 18 individually designed bedrooms, each themed around a different Peanuts
story.
Rooms start at ¥30,000 per
night – head to the hotel website to book.
Peanuts Hotel: 1 Chome-22-２６ Nakayamatedori,
Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture 650-0004, Japan
Images: Peanuts Hotel
EAT: Kobe Beef in
the Home of Teppanyaki
Any meat-eating visitor to Kobe will no doubt be looking to try
the city’s most famous culinary export, and where better to sample Kobe Wagyu
beef than at the restaurant that
invented teppanyaki. Established in 1945 as a humble
okonomiyaki restaurant, Misono boomed in popularity following the war as
officers of the occupation flocked to try proprietor Shigeji Fujioka’s unique
style of cooking over a hot iron plate. In particular, Fujioka’s steak became
locally renowned, and today Misono is a destination restaurant for those
wanting to try Japan’s best teppanyaki, using Kobe’s famous marbled beef.
Misono Kobe: 1-1-2 Shimoyamatedori, Chuo-Ku, Misono Building 7. 8F,
Kobe 650-0011, Japan
Images: Hypebeast
DISCOVER: Takenaka Capentry Tools
Museum
Most visitors will head straight for the Kobe City Museum or Hyogo
Museum of Art, but those wanting to dive into the history of everyday life in
Japan, should make their way to the Takenaka Tools Museum. Home to over 30,000
pieces, Kobe’s best speciality museum is the only one of its kind in Japan –
documenting and preserving Japan’s cultural heritage through the tools used to
build the country we see today. Explore the permanent collection, or look out
for temporary exhibitions celebrating Japanese design, architecture and
construction.
Takenaka Capentry Tools Museum: 7-5-1 Kumochi-cho,
Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0056
Images: Takenaka Capentry Tools Museum
DO: Watch Dan
Carter play for the Kobelco Steelers
Dan Carter, the highest
point scorer in test match rugby, transferred this year from France to Japan to
play for the Kobelco Steelers. Considered by
many to be the greatest fly-half in the history of the game, a trip to Kobe is
a great opportunity to watch him play in the city’s Noevir Stadium. And if you
plan on travelling through Kobe in 2019, be sure to check the match schedule
well in advance, for the chance to catch one of the big international
show-downs.
