Nankinmachi (Chinatown)

One of Japan's three major Chinatowns, a compact square of food stalls, restaurants and grocers east of Motomachi Station. Smaller and easier to cover than Yokohama's, it is built for grazing, pork buns, dumplings and sweets from stall after stall.

Nankinmachi (Chinatown) is a Culture in Kobe. You will find it at Sakaemachidori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0023.

Central Kobe is compact and walkable, with Sannomiya as the transport and dining hub. The City Loop tourist bus circles the main sights, the subway and JR lines run east–west, and the Shin-Kobe Ropeway climbs to the Nunobiki Herb Garden.

Reaching Kobe: Kobe Airport sits on an artificial island about 7 km south of the city, the Port Liner reaches Sannomiya in about 18 minutes. Kansai International Airport is across the bay: the Bay Shuttle high-speed ferry takes about 30 minutes to Kobe Airport, and limousine buses take about an hour. Shin-Kobe Station is on the Sanyo Shinkansen, about 15 minutes from Shin-Osaka. JR and Hankyu lines connect Sannomiya with Osaka-Umeda in about 30 minutes.

Worth knowing: Sannomiya is the hub for transport, dining and shopping, most sights radiate from there. The Shin-Kobe Ropeway is the way up to the Nunobiki Herb Garden; no hiking required. Meriken Park's BE KOBE sign and the earthquake memorial quayside are free and open around the clock, dusk is the prettiest hour. One IC card covers JR, Hankyu, Hanshin, subway and the Port Liner.