Japan Spring 2024 - Part 6 Kobe Chinatown And Port

February 06, 2025

Japan Spring 2024 - Part 6 Kobe Chinatown And Port

On our last morning in Kobe, we got up earlier than usual and headed out to Chinatown. You don’t see too many Chinatowns in Japan, but due to it’s role as an international port hub, Kobe attracted many Chinese merchants and they settled in an area now known as Nankin-Machi, or Chinatown.

On the way to Chinatown, we spotted a couple of interesting food store so we stopped to get some snacks to go. The first stop is a BBQ Pork shop, where we got a couple hundred grams of this delicious looking cut. The second one was Boulangerie Isuzu, where we got a long stick of sausage roll just to try.

BBQ Pork Store

BBQ Pork Belly

Sausage Roll at Boulangerie Isuzu

With our pockets loaded, we continued walking to Nankin Machi. The stores were just opening when we arrived, and we got to lineup and try the food before the crowd arrived. Overall, the Chinese snacks here were not that good, especially if you are accustomed to the tasty originals. We tried a pork belly bun, pork bun, and a couple of other things and they were all pretty bland to our tastebuds.

One of the gates of Nankin Machi

Love Kobe Manhole Cover

Pork Belly Bun

Food stall in Nankin Machi

Pork Bun

A row of shops in Chinatown

We spent about 20 minutes there and we decided to move on. Off to the port we went. The only time I’ve been to Kobe Port before was in 2016, but it was in the evening, in the rain, and it was partially closed for construction. This time, we were able to properly visit the site.

The Kobe Port is home to the Kobe Port Tower, Kobe Red Brick House, Meriken Park, and the Be Kobe sign. There is also a memorial site of the Great Hanshin Earthquake that shook Kobe in January 1995. We walked around, took pictures, and enjoyed the nice weather. Here we pulled out the BBQ Pork and sausage roll we bought earlier and shared with everyone as snack. They were delicious! It was such a nice day that many people came out to sit around and play at the park.

Be Kobe Sign

Meriken Park

After the port, the went to check out the nearby shopping arcade. We tried a musubi and also tried a variety of sakura themed pastries at Paul boulangerie. They looked so cute in pink! For lunch, some of us decided to have one last teppanyaki at Steakland, while others opted for Coco Ichibanya. Then it was finally time to leave Kobe and go to Nagoya (for the next post!).