Exploring Kansai - Kobe

When most people hear the name Kobe, the thought of Kobe beef immediately comes to mind, but there's so much more to experience than just the amazing beef!

If you're looking for a fun, quick trip to do on a weekend, Kobe can be reached by train in as little as an hour from the Makino station for around ¥830 - ¥1000 one way.


Kobe Beef

If you're really only after slab of the world renown beef, well, you've come to the right place. One very popular Kobe beef restaurant frequented both by the locals and tourists is called Steakland Kobe. (See on google maps). Literally, just a short walk from the stations North exit. Sometimes there can be a short line up but since they have two locations side by side, it usually doesn't take long to get a table.

Upon ordering, there's a few different general set menus for Kobe beef. Be prepared, this steak is not cheap but well worth it. I mean, where else better then Kobe to experience true, genuine Kobe beef? In North America, it's nearly impossible to find true Kobe beef. Many restaurants simply rip off the name and market their Kobe/Wagyu "Style" beef as the real thing. Only until recently, the beef was rarely exported, and even now in very minimal quantities, which is why I had no problem paying for the real thing, just to try it once.

Port of Kobe

Kobe's other iconic half, welcome to the famous Port of Kobe. Not only a hub for major world wide shipping but the Port of Kobe contains a bustling shopping and entertainment district popular among the locals and tourists alike.

One of the first things you'll see as you enter Kobe Port is the Kobe Port Tower. A 108 meter, lattice tower. One of the famous icons of Kobe, you've likely seen pictures of it around Japan. There's also an observatory deck just over 90 meters up the tower with astonishing views of the coastal city.

Aside from the scenery, the port offers plenty of other exciting activities to make for a great day trip! There's of course a Ferris wheel on the port side, a huge mall with tons of stores and some great restaurants in the area as well. I particularly loved visiting this city around Christmas time as the many of the streets were decorated with lots of lights, it had a really charming feel. Comforting perhaps even. Kobe has a very western feel to it as you'll notice when you see all the western style "churches" which are in fact mainly wedding chapels. In Japan today, it's becoming increasingly popular to have a western style wedding and Kobe is one of the more popular places for this.

Also, just a short walk from the port we found an awesome mini China town!


Tea Houses / Japanese Gardens

In Kobe, you can find many traditional Japanese Tea Houses. This one in particular was located inside a beautifully landscaped Japanese Garden with large Koi pond! We found Sōraku-en (相楽園) by a bit of an accident, just wandering around at random.

The Japanese Garden itself only cost ¥300 to enter, and I believe ¥500 do take part in a traditional tea ceremony that included a traditional Japanese dessert.

The garden is open between 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (17:00). Plan carefully though as it is closed Thursdays between January 4 - December 28, or the following day when there is a national holiday.

Often there are a variety of exhibitions taking place here. When we went, there was a Bonsai exhibition taking place which was quite amazing to see. This was all included in the general entrance fee to the garden.

You can find a link to the Gardens English pamphlet HERE

Exploring Kansai - Osaka

As a student and resident of Kansai Gaidai, or for those of you wondering where to study in Japan, living in the Kansai region provides you with immediate and excellent access to many major cultural, historical, and tourist locations. Take a moment to just look at where Hirakata is located; almost smack dab in the middle of Osaka and Kyoto, two of some of the most culturally rich and historically significant cities in all of Japan. This article will be broken up between the next few posts detailing some of the most noteworthy and recommend places to visit within the Kansai Region including Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe.

Naturally, I'll start with Osaka. For many of you, you would have arrived at KIX, or Kansai International Airport. Welcome to your new home for the next 6-9 months. Osaka is a culturally rich city with many characteristics and customs unique specifically to the Kansai region. For instance, did you know that each are of Japan has their own dialect? In and outside of Osaka, the local dialect is referred to as Osaka-ben or Kansai-ben. The difference in dialects can range between anything from slight variations in the pronunciations of words to completely different words for certain objects or greetings altogether. While it's specific to the Kansai region, Japanese from other areas can quickly pick up on the regional dialect of others. If you're travelling to Tokyo, Sapporo, or even Okinawa, don't be a afraid to use a little Kansai-ben to let them know where you're from! Here's a few notable words and phrases specific to Kansai-ben/Osaka-ben that you can easily start using:

• Ōkini - おおきに: Thank you        (Tokyo-Ben: ありがとう)
• Honma - ほんま: Really              (Tokyo-Ben: ほんと)
• Meccha -   めっちゃ: Very            (Tokyo-Ben: とっても)
• Nande Ya Nen - なんでやねん: What the heck/hell (You got to be kidding me)

There are so many more phrases used in everyday Kansai-ben but these are just a few you'll here almost everyday if you're regularly interacting with your Japanese friends. I'll leave the rest up to you to learn. There's plenty of sites available online you can use to brush up on your Osaka-ben.

Going Out

There's several clubs in Osaka you'll likely visit or at least hear about for those of you looking to go out on weekends. Most of the more popular clubs are in the entertainment district of Osaka known as "Namba"on the Dotonbori Canal. There's one particular club popular among students called Giraffe Osaka (ジラフ大阪). When I used to go, if you arrived before a certain time, admission was free and women received free drinks for the whole night. It appears now that ladies still enter free before 9 PM, while men pay 1500 and receive one free drink upon entry on Fridays and Saturdays. This entrance fee increases significantly however to 1500 for women and 2500/3000 (Fri/Sat) for men after 9 PM. I can't say if women still receive free drinks for showing up early but if they do please comment below to let us know! You can find more information about Giraffe Osaka here. 

Be aware, going out in Japan usually results in all-nighters. A typical weekend night of clubbing usually goes as follows:

• 5 PM - Meet up with friends. Catch train to Namba, Osaka.
• 6 PM - Find a Nomi/Tabehoudai (All you can eat/drink). Fuel yourself for the evening.
• 8 PM - Buy liquor from a Konbini to sustain your buzz. I'm still convinced drinks in Japan are watered down.
• 9 PM - Arrive at Giraffe early to avoid the ridiculous entrance fees.
• 12:30 AM - If you're still at the club, you might as well stay, you've just missed the last train home (終電, Shuuden).
• 1 AM - Some clubs have started to close down between 1 and 2 AM, ushering you over to their sister bar. Though many stay open until 5 AM. If you're tired of clubbing but have missed your last train home, go here to see what else you can do.
• 5 AM - The first trains start running again (Shihatsu). Catch the local train home when you're ready to call it a night. The first Keihan train makes every stop on the way back to Hirakata.
• 6 AM - Arrive in Hirakata; the buses have not started yet. Take cab or a refreshing 20-30 minute walk home. For a shorter walk, I recommend you get off at Makino station and make a pit stop at the Lawson Konbini for hangover supplies.

Things to See & Do

Osaka has endless amounts of activities, places, and things to do on any given day of the week. Here's a brief list of recommend ways to spend an afternoon.

Temples/Shrines:

• Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine
• Daianji Temple
• Hokoku Shrine
• More Here

Shopping:

• HEP Five Tower: A major shopping and entertainment centre located in the commercial district known as Umeda. Many large retail chain stores and boutiques are located here. I recommend the HEP Five Ferris wheel during the evening hours for fantastic and/or romantic view of the city.
• Shinsaibashi: A major shopping area located just north of Namba, across the famous Dotonbori bridge. A covered street complete with any kind store you can imagine from clothing (H&M, Uniqlo), electronics, to pet shops and many others.

Attractions:

• Osaka-jo (Castle): An obvious must-see when in Osaka on a beautiful day. Definitely recommended during cherry blossom season.
• Nekko Cafe / Owl Cafe: The Namba and Shinsaibashi districts are filled with these, and many other variants. They're pretty self explanatory, upon entering you purchase a drink then you get to spend time with kitties, owls, puppies or even maids ;).
• Umeda Sky Building: One of the most recognizable buildings in Osaka, the Sky Building is complete with a market in the bottom, a rooftop observatory and large garden observatory with an amazing view during the sunset.
• Osaka Aquarium: Recommend purchasing an Osaka Kaiyu Ticket from any JR station Midori No Guchi.

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Check out our next post covering the best of Kyoto!