You might wish to drop by City Hall on Flower Road, where on the 24th floor there's an observatory (tel. 078/331-8181) open free to the public Monday to Friday 8:15am to 9pm, Saturday 10am to 10pm, and Sunday and holidays 10am to 9pm.

Evidence of the damage wrought by Kobe's horrific earthquake can be found at Meriken Park, a 10-minute walk south of Motomachi Station or a minute's walk from the Meriken Park stop on the City Loop bus. On its eastern edge is the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial, dedicated to the thousands of people who lost their lives in the tragic 1995 earthquake. Established with the intent of preserving some of the quake's horrific force (240,000 buildings and homes were destroyed), it shows unrepaired damage, including tilted lampposts and a submerged and broken pier.

A Garden Retreat -- If you're a gardener, want a respite from city life, or simply want to spend an hour in a cooler climate, take the Shin-Kobe ropeway located next to Shin-Kobe Station for a 10-minute ride to the Nunobiki Herb Garden (tel. 078/271-1160), with its lovely, meandering, fragrant gardens planted with various flowering shrubs and herbs and offering great views over Kobe. Be sure to take the ropeway to the end (don't get off at the first stop) and then walk downhill past gardens planted with sage, mint, lavender, roses, seasonal herbs, Japanese plants, and a greenhouse. The garden opens daily at 10am, closing at 5pm on weekdays and 8:30pm on weekends, holidays, and peak season (mid-July to Aug). From December to March it closes daily at 5pm. It's closed for 2 weeks in January. Admission, including round-trip by ropeway, is ¥1,200 for adults, half-price for children.

Silver & Gold -- On the opposite side of Mount Rokko is Arima Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot-spring spas. Two public baths here are the Kin-no-Yu (tel. 078/904-0680), or Gold Spring, with copper-colored waters that have twice the salinity and iron of seawater; and the Gin-no-Yu (tel. 078/904-0256), or Silver Spring, with transparent water rich in carbonic acid. It's said that if you bathe in both these waters and drink carbonated water, you'll be cured of all ailments. The Kin-no-Yu, open daily 8am to 10pm (closed the second and fourth Tues of every month), charges ¥650, while the Gin-no-Yu, open daily 9am to 9pm (closed the first and third Tues of every month), charges ¥550. A combination ticket to both is ¥1,000. Buses from Sannomiya Station reach Arima Onsen in 40 minutes and cost ¥680 one-way. You can also travel by train to Rokko Station, followed by a trip via cable car, bus, and ropeway. For more information, contact the Kobe Tourist Information office or the Arima Onsen Tourist Information Office (tel. 078/904-0708; www.arima-onsen.com).

Kitano

When Kobe was chosen as one of five international ports following the Meiji Restoration, foreign traders and diplomats who settled here built homes in much the same style as those they left behind in their native lands. Approximately 30 of these Western-style homes, called ijinkan, remain on a hill north of Sannomiya Station called Kitano-cho, along with a surprising number of churches, synagogues, and other religious centers to serve Kobe's international community. Because the area seems so exotic to young Japanese, this is the number-one draw for domestic visitors, who come also to shop the area's many boutiques, including its many bridal stores (there are also many wedding venues in Kitano).

Approximately 20 Victorian- and Gothic-style homes are open to the public, many with lovely views of the sea from verandas and bay windows. Although you may not be interested in visiting most of them, Kitano is very pleasant for an hour's stroll. It's located about a 15-minute walk north of Sannomiya Station (via Kitano-zaka) or a 10-minute walk west of Shin-Kobe Station. Or take the City Loop bus to Kitano Ijinkan. For orientation purposes, there's the Kitano Tourist Information Center, across from the Weathercock House (tel. 078/251-8360; daily 9am-6pm), with maps of the area.

Two of the more interesting homes open to the public are the Moegi no Yakata, 3-10-11 Kitano-cho (tel. 078/222-3310), a pale-green, 107-year-old home built for a former American consul general, Hunter Sharp, and filled with antiques; and Kasamidori-no-Yakata, 3-13-3 Kitano-cho (tel. 078/242-3223), popularly referred to as the Weathercock House because of its rooster weather vane. This 1909 brick residence was built by a German merchant and is probably Kobe's most famous home if not its most elaborate. Admission to either home, located across from one another, is ¥300, or purchase a combination ticket for ¥500. Children enter free. They're open daily April to November from 9am to 6pm and December to March from 9am to 5pm (Weathercock House closed the first Tues in June and Feb).

Another home of note (because it contains porcelain, glass, and art, not because of its historical value) is Uroko no Ie, 2-20-4 Kitano-cho (tel. 078/242-6530; daily 9am-6pm in summer, to 5pm in winter), which has a castlelike exterior and is nicknamed the Fish-Scale House because of its slate walls. It contains lovely antiques, including Meissen porcelain and Tiffany glass, as well as a small private museum of Western 18th- to 20th-century art, with a few works by Andrew Wyeth, Utrillo, and others. Admission is ¥1,000 for adults, ¥300 for children.

Chinatown

Like the Kitano-cho area, Chinatown (called Nankin-machi), a 3-minute walk south of Motomachi Station (or to the Sakaemachi 1-chome stop on the City Loop bus), is worth a walk-through for its lively street scene, with sidewalk vendors selling snacks and with open-fronted souvenir shops and produce stands. If the sidewalk vendors tempt you, eat your snack in the central square called Nankin Park, adorned with statues representing the animals of the 12-year Chinese astrological calendar. Chinatown's public restroom, called Garyoden, which means "palace of a secluded wise man," is certainly one of Japan's most colorful -- its outer wall is decorated with five-clawed dragons and is based on a famous Chinese epic about a dragonlike hero; it's located a block off the main street. You may also want to come to Chinatown for a meal in one of its many restaurants.

Kobe Harborland

Kobe Harborland is a leisure center that's fun to stroll and browse. It's a few minutes' walk from either Kobe Station or Meriken Park, or you can take the City Loop bus to Harborland. For shopping, stop by Kobe Hankyu department store or Promena Kobe mall, but best is Mosaic, a restaurant and shopping complex designed to resemble a Mediterranean village. Through the use of varying architectural and color schemes, it avoids the generic mall atmosphere, and with a diversity of ethnic goods and foods, it mirrors Kobe's international roots. Shops here are open daily from 11am to 8pm.

Beside it is Mosaic Garden, a small amusement park for younger children complete with kiddie rides, carousel, roller coaster, enclosed Ferris wheel, and games arcade. It's open daily from 11am to 10pm, with rides costing ¥300 to ¥600. For older kids, there's the Museum games arcade inside Mosaic.

Ships Ahoy -- What better way to see this port town than by sea? A variety of sightseeing boats depart from Naka Pier Central Terminal, between Meriken Park and Kobe Harborland (take the City Loop bus to Nakatottei Pier). They range from Luminous Kobe 2 (tel. 078/333-8414), known for its French cuisine and departing three times daily for 2-hour cruises costing ¥2,100 (not including food), to Villaggio Italia (tel. 078/367-2651), mock pirate boats that depart hourly and cost ¥1,000. Children pay half fare.

Museums Worth Checking Out

If you're on your way to the Disaster Reduction Museum, below, it might be worthwhile to check out what's being shown at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art practically next door (tel. 078/262-0901; www.artm.pref.hyogo.jp). Designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, it displays contemporary art, prints, sculpture, and other works produced by artists with connections to Hyogo Prefecture, as well as temporary exhibits from around the world. It's open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm and charges ¥500 for adults, ¥400 for high-school and college students, and ¥250 for children; special exhibits cost more.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.