Kobe [koube]

She looks like a town rather than a city although the population is about 1.42 million and the area 548.21 km2. The following are some nice things I chose at random - as to the rest just come and see;

Cinema, jazz, golf, football, rugby, permanent wave, aquariums, butchers (tender Kobe beef's taste is very famous), Worcestershire sauce, and soda pop, etc. were all first introduced to Japan, in Kobe. It is also the place where the "karaoke" machine was invented.

It has the largest population of Indian people living in Japan. Kobe is also popular for other foreign people to live in (now 42 thousand foreign residents are living from 91 countries) because of its mild climate, and friendly and stylish atmosphere. You can enjoy having more than thirty countries' authentic foods and drinks.

It is the largest city for processing and distributing pearls in the world because of the sea and stable light from the north side of the Rokko mountain where Kobe water, also known as "Water of God", springs from. Naturally Kobe is famous for Japanese major sake breweries.

The night view of Kobe from the mountain is worth 10 million dollars - so I am told.

The longest suspension bridge in the world was completed April this year. The Beach Boys in America sang about the Suma hama or beach, which is close to the bridge's starting point.

The oldest hot spring in Japan, called Arima onsen, is famous for the colours; red, golden and silver. Shogun Hideyoshi loved the gardens and temples near there as well.

Kobe is the second largest port in Japan, and has the best port terminals in the East. Her sister ports are Seattle, Rotterdam and Tending. Shanghai may well be the next.

Kobe is one of the most exotic and fashionable cities in Japan in Japanese eyes because there have been many foreign residents there, mainly consuls or rich traders, for 130 years - from Western Europe, and then Eastern Europe, Asia and America.