An historic port and distinct city in its own right, KOBE , the capital of Hyogo-ken, now seems more like the fashionable western suburb of sprawling Osaka, 33km east around Osaka Bay. You don't visit Kobe for the sights, which are of limited interest, but more for its human scale, dramatic location on a sliver of land between the sea and Rokko-san, its cosmopolitan atmosphere and great range of food.

Although Kobe has almost totally recovered from the 1995 earthquake , it has far from forgotten this horrific event; one of the city's most interesting new "attractions" is the Kobe Phoenix Plaza , which documents the quake and its aftermath. The nearby Kobe City Museum , covering the port's earlier illustrious history, is also worth a look, as is the space-age Fashion Museum on the man-made Rokko Island, east of the city harbour.

Heading into hills, you can relax at Arima Onsen , one of Japan's oldest spa resorts. West of the city is the Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi , the longest suspension bridge in the world , linking Kansai directly with Shikoku via Awaji-shima. Continue some 55km further west along the coast and you'll arrive at Himeji , home of Japan's best original castle Himeji-jo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.