Day Trips to Kobe

Kobe is a city that is perhaps underrated among tourists to Japan. People kept telling me it was a beautiful city, but all I knew about it was that it was famous for the 1995 earthquake, and beef... with the result that my image of Kobe was a mixture of rubble and cows.

After numerous day trips to Kobe, which is only a half hour train ride from Osaka, I can now say that it is one of my absolute favourite cities in Japan. This list is highly subject to change, depending on my mood, or who I'm talking to (tip: when talking to an Osakan, Osaka is without a doubt your favourite city). But Kobe is a city I could live in. It reminds me of New Zealand in many ways, and some areas and landscapes are so familiar that we would keep saying things like 'I feel like we're in Queenstown', or 'doesn't this remind you of Wellington?' Being able to see the mountains, as well as the gorgeous harbour, may be some reasons for these waves of sentimentalism for home.

Kobe harbour (complete with Kobe tower) on a sunny day

Ferris wheel at Kobe Harbourland 

It could just be that Kobe is something of a chameleon. During its history as a port and trade city, all sorts of foreign settlements were established in Kobe, leaving behind unique neighborhoods and architecture around the city. One example is Nankinmachi, Kobe's vibrant Chinatown. A walk down this street - marked by its golden Chinese lanterns, bright red restaurants and food stalls, and a distinct scent of dumplings - and it's easy to forget you're even in Japan.

Coke machine, Nankinmachi style 

The colours of Chinatown

For a European flavour, all you have to do is walk up the hill from Sannomiya Station, past an old-style Starbucks that looks like a home out of Anne of Green Gables, and you'll soon find yourself in Kitano-cho, a picturesque area that contains western-style houses, once the homes of foreign settlers. You can pay a fee to enter many of the houses, where they've restored some of the original interior designs. There are also a number of little cafes and restaurants. Best enjoyed on a sunny day, strolling lazily through the village with a purin (custard pudding) flavoured ice cream.

View of Kobe from Kitano-cho on the hill

The 'Austrian' house

Outside the Holland, Denmark and Austrian houses

A day trip to Kobe should be completed with a ride up the cable car to Mt. Rokko. Leave around 6pm, in order to catch the sunset, and one of the three best night views in the whole of Japan. Now, it should be mentioned here that the Rokko Cable Car has seen better days. I think they like to market it as 'nostalgic'... but better adjectives would be 'old, red, rickety little train of doom.' Somehow, we made it to the top, after ten minutes of the deadly incline. Through the cool evening mist (being on the top of a mountain somehow causes temperatures to plummet), the sprawling city lights of Osaka and Kobe provide a spectacular view, making the uphill trip worth it.

Inside the Rokko Cable Car

Dusk view of Kobe from Mt Rokko

So there we have Kobe, an exceptionally clean, glamorous and modern city. It's hard to believe that less than 20 years ago it was absolutely devastated by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake. I think that Christchurch can take hope from the Kobe example. A small tribute on the edge of the Harbour, in Meriken Park, where part of the damaged pier has been preserved, is now all that remains of the Kobe earthquake.

Tribute to the earthquake in Meriken park

Hanshin Tigers Baseball Game

When I spent time with one of my friends in Hiroshima, she told me I had to experience a baseball game while in Osaka. 'Hanshin Tigers fans are the craziest,' she said, despite being a staunch Hiroshima Carp supporter herself.

Last night, a group of us went to Hanshin Koshien stadium in Nishinomiya to watch the Tigers go up against the Yokohama DeNA Baystars. Arriving at the stadium, you got the feeling that this was serious business. Lining the path to the entrance were back-to-back street vendors selling Tigers merchandise, in addition to the two large official Tigers shops. Fans wandered around in a sea of white, yellow and black, wearing Hanshin Tigers towels tied around their heads to combat the sticky summer heat.

Tiger statue at Koshien Stadium

One of the official Tigers shops

We got the cheapest tickets (1900 yen) and were seated in the outfield, right next to a small but enthusiastic bunch of Baystar supporters dressed in blue. They had trumpets, and a catchy little chant that we couldn't help singing along to. We had to keep reminding ourselves what side we were on.

Ticket!

Yep, we visited the Tigers shop...

View of the field

I was sort of so busy enjoying my American hot dog that I missed the start of the game, and from then on I was a bit... lost. I'm not a very sporty girl, and baseball is non existent in New Zealand. But by the 4th inning I had figured out what an inning is, and I was then informed that the Baystars had scored (?) three home runs (?) and were winning easily. Probably should have paid more attention.
However, I can tell you that number 4 on the Baystars caught a lot of balls, and number 32 on the Tigers is my favourite player. His name is Ryota, and the crowd cheered his name a lot. I think that's probably the main reason he's my favourite.

The best part of the game was the end of the 7th inning, when all of a sudden everyone in the stadium started blowing up long balloons, which they then released into the sky. After that everyone started singing a song about the Hanshin Tigers, and from then on the chanting didn't stop until the end of the game, despite the fact the Tigers were losing. Apparently the balloon release and song is a Tigers tradition, and happens at every game. It was awesome.

Balloons starting to spring up towards end of 7th inning

Ready for balloon release

I read a funny story about how in 1985 the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan series, and in order to celebrate, fans who resembled each of the players jumped into Dotombori canal. The problem was, they couldn't find a person who looked like American player Randy Bass, so they ended up stealing a Colonel Sanders statue from a nearby KFC and throwing him into the canal. This incident is said to have cursed the team, and they would never win again until the statue was rescued from the water (which it was, in 2009). I think this proves that Hanshin Tigers fans are truly crazy. But it just makes me love Osaka a little bit more.

Favourite Japan Foods: Purin (custard pudding)

Eating purin (プリン) is what it must feel like to bite into an angel. There is no better pleasure than to sink your spoon into the sweet, wobbly custard, ensuring in the process you also scrape up a little of the slightly bitter caramel sauce that has collected at the bottom, and let it slither around your mouth so you can savour the texture and flavour. Purin is essentially just creme caramel, and can be found pre-packaged almost anywhere in Japan - supermarkets, convenience stores, train stations. A small cup of purin costs around 100 yen, which is a fantastic deal, considering we are biting into angels here.

Kandai Purin

Kansai University's cafeteria is known for its special homemade Purin, called 'Kandai Purin'. Differences to store-bought Purin include a dollop of whipped cream on top, a firmer 'shell' of caramel sauce, a smoother, creamier texture, and a noticeable addition of love and care in the making of it. It is so popular that several batches are required over one lunch period, and every time a fresh batch of Purin is put out (about once every 15 minutes), the lunch ladies will ring a bell, initiating a frantic Purin riot.

Puchin Purin Mushi Pan

I have recently discovered a new bread at my local Lawson convenience store that has turned into something of a love affair. It's called 'Puchin Purin Mushi Pan, and consists of soft, steamed, caramel flavoured bread (more of a cake than bread, really), with a surprise filling of custard. Purin in cake form is all right by me.

Kobe Purin KitKats

On a recent trip to Kobe, we picked up this cute box of specialty KitKats, which are Kobe Purin flavoured - Kobe is very famous for its Purin. I have been very restrained and have not opened them yet, as we have been collecting various Japan KitKat flavours that I will sample and review in a later post... but I can already tell that these Purin ones are going to be my favourite.