Japan

I Heart Kobe

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I arrived at Kobe’s Sannomiya Station early morning feeling a bit under the weather. The streets were damp, my backpack hung heavily on my back, and the city wasn’t yet awake. Clutching my umbrella in one hand and my phone in the other, I miraculously located rogue wifi in front of a convenience store and Beyang somehow found me. With a huge smile on her face, she took me inside a quaint bakery, where we loaded up a basket full of pastries. After a sip of my hot black coffee and a bite of the deep-fried curry donut, I realized it was going to be a really good day. We were chatting as old friends do, and I felt right at home, in Kobe.

Beyang, my good friend from college, had visited me both Mexico City and Seoul. In her home base for a day, I was very excited to be a visitor in her charming port city.

Come along on our adventure with these snapshots!

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Beyang, full of abundant energy!

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Kobe, one of Japan’s first cities to open its doors to the world, is home to architectural diversity and good international cuisine.

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How fun are these retro signs! I loved Kobe’s offering of themed restaurants.

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When in Kobe, one must try the namesake beef!

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After our delicious steak lunch, I somehow lost one of my contact lens and almost fell into a blurry funk. But then we stepped inside this lovely vegan cafe…

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Cake, hot drinks, and friends!

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Kobe’s Chinatown had so many cute goodies. We shared a pork bun and croquette.

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A tiny jar of Kobe’s specialty custard pudding! It tasted a bit like flan + creme brulee.

UntitledJust when it started raining, we caught this festival performance under a tented area. It reminded me of high school marching band competitions.

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Rain can’t stop us!

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Best of all, Beyang took me to meet Totoro!

Feeling re-energized, I hopped on the train to my final destination and the city where I learned to travel in 2006: Kyoto.

15 Comments

  • Reply
    Janis RoseAnne (@janisroseanne)
    December 2, 2013 at 6:56 am

    always enjoy reading your posts! traveling with a friend is so nice.

    • Reply
      Sewon
      December 3, 2013 at 11:04 am

      Thank you, Janis RoseAnne! You have a beautiful name 🙂

  • Reply
    Louise
    December 2, 2013 at 9:16 am

    Oh man, you made my heart grow even more fond of Kobe. I love that city, even though I’ve only been there a few days of my life. I’m happy you had such a fun day, everything looks wonderful, delicious and fun. Really hungry now too :p

    • Reply
      Sewon
      December 3, 2013 at 11:09 am

      I didn’t really know what to expect from my trip to Kobe, but it really was so charming. 🙂

  • Reply
    Rina
    December 2, 2013 at 12:46 pm

    Totoro!! Aw, so special to have your friend travel with you on new a new adventure, also sharing past travel memories. : )
    Mmm, so many delicious looking things. Each region of Japan has its own specialty regarding food, and I love it. Beef in Kobe, mondanyaki in Osaka, and in Kyoto, the wagashi! I hope you tasted some oh so lovely confectioneries in Kyoto, Sewon!
    ♥♥

    • Reply
      Sewon
      December 3, 2013 at 11:11 am

      Oh, the sweets! There were so many adorable little treats, I wished I had an extra duffle bag with me.

  • Reply
    Jane Y.
    December 2, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    totoro! i love these pictures. looks like you had such a wonderful time.

    • Reply
      Sewon
      December 3, 2013 at 11:13 am

      Thank you, Jane! 🙂

  • Reply
    Sara Martins
    December 2, 2013 at 5:28 pm

    Wonderful pictures Sewon 🙂

  • Reply
    Kat
    December 3, 2013 at 1:58 pm

    Love LOVE all the pictures! The food looks wonderful….Kobe is going on my must visit list!

  • Reply
    Veronica Fish
    December 5, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Kobe looks so charming! My sister in law asked if I wanted to go with her and I passed – now I’m really regretting that decision, haha

  • Reply
    Fenne
    December 5, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    It looks very nice and special over there!

  • Reply
    winnie
    December 9, 2013 at 4:40 pm

    Oh you make me want to visit Kobe! It looks like such a great day – thanks for documenting and taking us on your trip! I have to say that the panda mochi is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen!

  • Reply
    celsy
    December 11, 2013 at 12:15 am

    Awww these photos are so lovely, i love that photo of you and the totoro! Can’t wait to someday visit this place 🙂

  • Reply
    Eileen黃愛玲
    April 21, 2014 at 9:36 pm

    The last picture – you are so adorable!

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