Day 2 - Japan Trip 2008 - China Town at Kobe

Busy street in small China Town, Kobe.

Day 2 - Japan Trip 2008 - Lunch - Kobe Beef (神户牛肉)

Kobe beef (神戸ビーフ, Kōbe Bīfu) refers to beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle, raised according to strict tradition in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Kobe beef is renowned for its flavour, tenderness, and fatty well-marbled texture. Kobe beef can be prepared as steak, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, sashimi, teppanyaki, ground hamburger patties and more ~ extracted from wikipedia.

Back to Kobe for our lunch - Kobe beef was sliced into pieces and served in teppanyaki style with mushroom, japanese cucumber, miso soup as pictures below. Hmm... Yummy!

Day 2 - Japan Trip 2008 - Himeji - On our way to Himeji, 姬路城

We took Kōbe Himeji Electric Railway (神戸姫路電気鉄道, Kōbe Himeji Denki Tetsudō) to Himeji.
Outside JR station at Himeji.

Lots of this kind of sculptures along main street towards Himeji Castle.

Day 2 - Japan Trip 2008 - Kobe - More flowers along streets at Kitano

During our morning walk surronding Kitano, there are various type of flowers planted along the street as photos shown. Lovely and colourful ...

Day 2 - Japan Trip 2008 - Kobe - Early morning at Kitano

There are lots of attractive advertisement signboards around Kitano mostly on restaurant.

blowfish/pufferfish, 河豚 (Tetraodontidae)

Puffer Fish are the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world after Golden Poison Frog. The skin and certain internal organs of many Tetraodontidae are highly toxic to humans, but nevertheless the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in both Japan (as fugu) and Korea (as bok-uh) and the meat has to be prepared by a valid licenced chef.

Day 1 - Japan Trip 2008 - Kobe Port - Night scene

Closer shot on ferris wheel, it's freezing when i captured these shots.

Day 1 - Japan Trip 2008 - View from Kobe Port Tower

View from Kobe Port Tower over Kobe Maritime Musuem.


Ferris wheel (摩天轮) at Mosaic Garden - A shopping, dining and amusement complex built in 1992 on the land-filled Kobe Harborland. The mall has three floors and is designed like an open street in a southern European town. Besides the many boutiques and eateries, there are also Cine-Mosaic, which has four movie theaters, and Mosaic Garden, an amusement park with an all-weather ferris wheel

Day 1 - Japan Trip 2008 - Kobe Port - Kobe Port Tower

Kobe Port Tower 神户港湾塔 A sightseeing tower built on the waterfront in 1963, it is designed like a tsuzumi, a traditional Japanese hand drum. Its earthquake-proof design was tested and validated during the Great Hanshin Earthquake. It is 108 meters high, and from its observation decks and revolving lounge, visitors can see the city of Kobe and its port, as well as the Rokko mountains to the north and as far as Kansai International Airport to the south on a clear day.

This shot was taken underexposed intentionally as well as the photo below.

Day 1 - Japan Trip 2008 - Kobe Port - Meriken Park and its surrounding

Meriken park is a waterfront park, in Kobe Port area. The park was destroyed in 1995 by the Great Hanshin Earthquake, but is now fully restored and has become a major attraction of the city for tourist, as well for local people.

Japan coast guard cruise embarked at Kobe Port.

Kobe was Japan's busiest port and one of Asia's top ports until the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred. Kobe has since dropped to the fourth in Japan and thirty-eighth busiest container port worldwide (as of 2005).Lots of interesting sculptures and monuments here.

Day 1 - Japan Trip 2008 - Kobe Port - Kobe Maritime Musuem 神户海洋博物馆

Upon checked in, we took a afternoon nap in the hotel after a busy and tiring day. At 4.45 pm, we took a bus to Kobe Port. It's getting colder around 15 degree celcius and below 10 at night.

Kobe Maritime Musuem 神户海洋博物馆

Hovercraft

Day 1 - Japan Trip 2008 - On our way to Sannomiya (三宫)

Outside Kobe ferry terminal, it was around 9.25 am. Ten minutes walk from here to Kobe Domestic Airport/Kobe LRT station heading Sannomiya via Port Island Line under Kobe New Transit.

Kobe LRT station is located on first floor of Kobe Airport building. The bridge is linked between man-made island to mainland, Kobe.

Note: Kobe LRT station, airport, ferry dock is built on man-made island.

Arrived at Sannomiya (三宫) at 10.10 am.

Day 1 - Japan Trip 2008 - Ferry ride to Kobe

We took ferry from Kansai ferry terminal to Kobe. It tooks us 45 minutes ride.

Inside view of ferry