A Travel Guide to Kobe Kitano Ijinkan-Gai, a District with International Charm and Retro Atmosphere

Among the more than 30 former foreign residences that still remain today, Uroko House was the first to be opened to the public.
It is said to have been built in the former foreign settlement in the late Meiji period and relocated to its current site in the Taisho era. It is a nationally registered Tangible Cultural Property and is also selected as one of Hyogo Prefecture's 100 best residences.
As its name suggests, its exterior walls are covered with Approx. 4,000 pieces of natural stone shaped like fish scales. Its beauty makes it look like an old Western castle.

This Western-style house was built in 1903 as the residence of Hunter Sharp, who served as the U.S. Consul General.
True to its name, its most striking feature is its bright light green exterior.
This two-story wooden clapboard building has a light colonial-style exterior with a charming appearance that looks as if it belongs in a fairy tale.
It has projecting bay windows of different shapes on the left and right, with a brick chimney rising in the center.

England House is a colonial-style Western house that still retains its original appearance from when it was built in 1909.
The interior is decorated with fabrics by William Morris, known as the father of modern design, and furnished with luxurious antique furniture and decorations from the 17th to 19th centuries. It also faithfully recreates the room of Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective who lived at 221B Baker Street, and visitors can walk through the house wearing Holmes's trademark cape and hat.

This Starbucks is located in Kobe Kitano Ijinkan-Gai, an area dotted with residences once inhabited by Europeans and Americans.
It is one of the Starbucks Regional Landmark Stores, designed in locations that symbolize different areas of Japan and intended to share local culture with the world.
The store uses Kitano Monogatari, a two-story wooden Western-style house built in 1907. It was once dismantled, then rebuilt and relocated to its current site in 2000, and is also registered as a Tangible Cultural Property.

Known for the weathercock standing on its spire, this is one of the area's most iconic former foreign residences.
It was built around 1909 as the private home of German trader Gottfried Thomas.
Its most distinctive feature is its brick exterior, the only one of its kind among the former foreign residences still standing in the Kitano-Yamamoto district.

Fragrance House Dutch Museum in the Kobe Kitano Ijinkan district is an interactive Western-style house centered on the themes of fragrance and culture.
Inside, highlights include a dining room furnished with French furniture and a living room with British-made furnishings.
In the original perfume-making experience, a skilled blender creates a fragrance suited to your personality based on a scent questionnaire, choosing from dozens of fragrance ingredients.

Kitano is home to Kobe's former foreign residence district, an area full of international charm.
At its gateway stands Wakoku Kitanosaka Branch, a long-established restaurant where you can enjoy teppanyaki Kobe beef with a blend of Western atmosphere and Japanese hospitality.
Every seat is at a counter with an iron griddle, so you can watch the cooking right in front of you. It offers a dynamic and immersive dining experience.

A bar where you can enjoy okonomiyaki and Spanish cuisine.
The restaurant is a small space with around 10 counter seats and one table in the back.
With Latin music playing, it has a fun atmosphere that makes it easy to drop in even by yourself.
The recommended dish is the pork okonomiyaki called Butatama. It has a neat round shape and is an impressive 5 centimeters thick.

A popular Western-style restaurant in the port city of Kobe. You can enjoy classic Japanese yoshoku dishes such as hamburger steak, fried shrimp, and croquettes.
The carefully prepared dishes are all excellent, made with demi-glace sauce using plenty of fresh local vegetables and fruit, along with carefully selected ingredients sourced daily from the market.

Sannomiya Center Street is where Kobe's transportation networks come together, serving as a central hub of the city.
The name Sannomiya comes from Ikuta Shrine's third shrine building (the area was located on land belonging to Ikuta Shrine, and the village was called Kanbe, which is also said to be the origin of the name Kobe).
Sannomiya Center Street is a large covered shopping arcade stretching almost east to west from Flower Road to Koikawa-suji Street, lined with shops in a wide range of categories including fashion, interiors, miscellaneous goods, and gourmet food.

Kobe's Nankinmachi is counted as one of Japan's three major Chinatowns, along with Yokohama Chinatown and Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown.
With more than 100 Chinese restaurants as well as Japanese and Western eateries, food shops, and variety stores, the lively streets are perfect for enjoying authentic Chinese street food such as pork buns, shark fin, grilled soup dumplings, and Peking duck.

Kobe opened its port in 1868 and became a center of trade with foreign countries.
Within that history, Kobe Motomachi, which was designated as a residential area for foreign residents staying in the city, is lined with impressive modern Western-style architecture, allowing visitors to enjoy a European atmosphere while still in Japan.
The area is dotted with historic and culturally valuable buildings, luxury brand stores, unique overseas shops, as well as many cafes and variety stores.

A city resort hotel located on Port Island, close to Sannomiya, the center of Kobe.
With more than 700 guest rooms across the Main Building and South Building, the hotel offers a wide variety of options, including an executive floor on the top level, standard rooms, spacious deluxe rooms with balconies, and distinctive concept rooms designed for a comfortable stay.

A small luxury hotel located in Harborland overlooking Kobe Port, featuring ocean-view guest rooms, all with terraces.
With just 70 rooms, the hotel offers a spacious and luxurious layout, and every room is at least 70 square meters, with sweeping night views of the port city of Kobe from the terrace.
All guest rooms are equipped with large Jacuzzi baths, allowing for an elegant stay that feels like a private spa.

A striking hotel in the Kobe bay area, notable for its curved design inspired by white waves.
Located on Naka Pier in Kobe Port, the hotel is surrounded by the sea on 270 degrees and is proud of its four different views to the east, west, south, and north.
The guest rooms range from standard to suite types. All rooms come with wood-deck balconies, letting you enjoy an elegant hotel stay reminiscent of a sea voyage.