Sightseeing Kobe, Chinatown

In Kobe, south of Motomachi Station, you can visit one of the three Chinatowns from Japan (the other two are in Yokohama and Nagasaki), the Nankinmachi, "Nanking town".

In 1868, after the Kobe Port was opened for foreigners, Chinese emigrants settled in this area. At the time, the Japanese people were calling them "people from Nanking", hence the name Nankinmachi. Destroyed by the bombings from 1945, Kobe Chinatown was rebuilt, but it was damaged again in 1995, by the Great Hanshin Earthquake - that's why everything here looks new.

It is a very fun and lively place, and in my opinion, if you visit Kobe, this should be a must see. Here is one of its landmarks, located right in the middle of the Chinatown - this pavilion surrounded by sculptures representing the 12 animals from the Chinese Zodiac.