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Japan's best display of lights. Large, flamboyant light displays. The lights and the event itself have a deeper meaning, having begun in 1995, after the Great Hanshin Earthquake devastated the city of Kobe. Each light is said to represent one life that was lost during the earthquake.
異人館
Kōbe's main attractions are the Ijinkan (foreign houses). These are 19th-century residences of Kobe's foreign traders, clustered in the Kitano area.
旧居留地
This is where foreign consulates and trading companies built their offices. Several 19th-century buildings have been converted into restaurants and shops. Notable buildings include Chartered Square, once the Chartered Bank branch and the 15th Building (十五番館), once the American consulate. The area is also packed full of high-fashion boutiques such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Fendi.
南京町, nankinmachi
The original settlement of Chinese merchants. Today, it is rather touristy though it offers some "Japanized" versions of Chinese food such as pork buns (豚饅頭 buta-manjū, more often buta-man). Its architecture is still rather pleasant though.
神戸華僑歴史博物館
A museum about the many Chinese merchants and tradespeople who settled in Kobe following the opening of the Port of Kobe to foreigners in 1868.
竹中大工道具館
A very nice exploration of hand carpentry tools, from the stone axes of Jomon age to the Western influenced tools of yesterday. Hands-on exhibits and English language descriptions make this a pleasant place to spend the afternoon.
Kobe project
A 18-m-tall statue of a manga robot that was built to help rebuild the Nagata ward of Kobe both financially and morally after the great earthquake. The Nagata ward was one of the worst-hit areas and the character of the statue has a long history to Japan as a whole and specifically this area.