I walked a little from business district of Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai.
≫觀光路綫
Kobe through the eye of Peter from PolandHow to enjoy a delicious and delightful Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai area
Good food and drink is a must have during a fun trip.
This time, we take advantage of the Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai information center Hatena.
Peter has been living in Kobe for many years now, so being very familiar with the area, he was the one to show us to many new places.
神戶三宮中心街
The nearest station to Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai is the biggest station in the city - Sannomiya.
The large arcade is always very busy.
Thanks to places like information center Hatena, it's a very convenient place for travelers.
The staff in the tourist information is always helpful to point you in the right direction.
Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street is full of various shops and You can find just about anything here. What's more interesting the bussinesses actually change a lot, so there's always something new to see.
神戶三宮中心街
It's a communication hub where all Kobe city transport networks cross over.
Many local people and tourists visit Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai.
There are numerous shops with all the latest fashion and trends.
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There are plenty of restaurants in the basement, during lunch hours it's not uncommon to see a long ques in front of some shops.
You might be overwhelmed with the selection of restaurants, but Peter will gladly show you his favorites.
My favorite part of Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street is by far its underground part. Hidden under the main shopping street is a labyrinth full of small restaurants and cafes, there's even a mini fish market. Not many foreign people know about this place but it’s actually really easy to access – just enter the Central Plaza building and find any escalator or elevator going down. Once You're underground stroll around and check out the countless restaurants – from small one dish shops to steak houses offering real Kobe beef. Many shops may not look very fancy but often offer great food for fair price. My favorites are: katsudon (pork cutlet and egg on rice) shop called Yoshibee, curry shop Savoy - one menu item only, small or large plate – price is the same, and lastly teishoku (various dinner plates) shop called Mori no nakama – among many they offer Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) set in different sizes – biggest one called Zou – Japanese for Elephant, which without exaggeration it's humongous.
Yoshibee Katsudon is one of the best katsudon shops in Kobe. You can see the food being prepared right in front of You.
Dear Old Cury Savoy has only one menu item – Curry plate. All you have to do is choose the size – small or large, price is the same.
Mori no Nakama has wide selection of dinner sets, most popular being Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) offered in three sizes – squirrel with one cutlet, bear with two cutlets and finally elephant with three giant cutlets.
Some shops don't have tables – only a counter. Here You can usually see the food being prepared right in front of You.
If You want to celebrate – there's even a Kobe Beef steakhouse, where you can get a slice of world famous Kobe-gyu.
If You don't feel like going out to a resteurant, there's a mini fish market where You can buy fresh fish and seafood to cook yourself at home.
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An underground shopping center accessible from each line of the Sannomiya Station with over 120 apparel, accessories and food shops.
One can get a good deal after applying for member's card. Admission costs and annual fee are free.
Also, many various events are held on the third avenue.
The road to Tokyu Hands and Ikuta Shrine
Near the Ikutha shrine is the largest Kobe red light district - Higashimon suji.
We were shown numerous bars that are popular among foreigners, so if you're interested in foreign countries we would like to recommend some of them.---
Going from Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street towards Kobe mountains, in the distance we can see Ikuta Shrine. On the way we pass next to popular department store called Tokyu Hands. They sell just about anything – being a designer I often visit the top floor with artists and design supplies. Stretching from the Tokyu Hands corner to Sannomiya station is a popular nightlife spot with many izakaya, karaoke and bars. Foreigners often gather in international bars and pubs – places like Iznt (next to Karaoke at the very beginning of Higashimon street), 1134 (located half way between Higashimon and Kitanozaka), English pub Hub (opposite to Tokyu Hands), Irish pub Averys (next to drugstore opposite to Tokyu Hands). If you're not afraid try speaking English it can be a fun experience. Remember that many foreigners living in Kobe speak Japanese quite well so even if you don't know any English you can try making some international friends.
Enlish pub Hub located underground, close to Tokyu Hands is one of the many places frequented by foreigners living in Kobe.
Irish Pub Averys is a good place to drink Guinness beer.
Iznt is a great place to meet new people and listen music. It often hosts live band performances and dance parties.
The road to Tokyu Hands and Ikuta Shrine
The road that connects Sannomiya city central area and Ikuta shrine is refereed to as “Ikuta road” or “Ikuta suji”.
Tokyu Hands department store, Juknkudo bookstore and numerous shops and restaurants are scattered on the both sides of the street.
Over the street there's an arch with “Ikuta Road” sign.
Peter’s comments:The Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street, which connects Sannomiya and Motomachi, is considered the main shopping street in Kobe. Besides many clothing and accessories stores there's an electronics department store, even a florist. There's a tourist information around the middle point, it might be a little hard to spot due to lack of eye catching sign, but the kind staff will provide assistance both in English and Japanese. Kobe Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street is interesting place to observe people, during business hours is always busy with young people and families shopping.