Job Discussion Forums

[EllBee]

What would I expect in Kobe? Are there alot of foreigners there, and fun places to go on the weekends? How does the experience in Kobe compare to Osaka?
How long of a ride is it to Osaka?
thx

[Brooks]

well, in Kobe you can get to places by walking but in Osaka you will need to take a train (or ride a bike).
Kobe has enough stuff to do.
Many foreign companies are there.

To get to Osaka you can take JR, Hankyu or Hanshin.
It depends where you are going. Do you mean from Sannomiya to Umeda?

[EllBee]

ummm..dont know...just mean generally 30 mins or so?

How far are beaches from Kobe?

[Brooks]

30 minutes or less.
For beaches, go to Wakayama.
Kobe has a busy port, so there isn`t room for beaches for swimming.

here are a couple sites:

www.kobecityinfo.com

www.city.kobe.jp/index-e.html

[canuck]

[Zzonkmiles]

Kobe is about half the size of Osaka, but it is still a large city.

It is a very artsy city with lots of bars and restaurants. There's a very active music scene in Kobe as well. If you're into jazz music, you will not be disappointed.

Kobe itself has about 1.3 million people and benefits from a subway system, a bus system, JR/Hankyu/Hanshin train lines, and a Shinkansen station. It takes about 25-30 minutes to get from Sannomiya to Umeda by the fastest train.

There's a lot of fun stuff to do in Kobe and good shopping there too, so don't feel like you absolutely have to be based in Osaka. Many foreigners seem to think that if you're not in Osaka, you're missing out on something, which is not necessarily true.

Last train from Umeda to Sannomiya leaves at about 12:30am.

[Zzonkmiles]

I would also add that the foreigner presence in Kobe is quite high. I actually think Kobe has a higher percentage of foreigners than Osaka does. The levels of English support are similar.

Regarding places to hang out, Kobe's main fun districts are Sannomiya and Motomachi. Osaka's main entertainment districts are Namba/Shinsaibashi and Kitashinchi/Umeda. You should be able to find whatever you need in both cities.

One last thing. Osaka is pretty spread out and has a huge variety of living conditions. There are some places in Osaka that are pretty far away from the main downtown area that you could never pay me enough money to live in (especially southern and southeastern Osaka). It really depends a lot on which neighborhood you're talking about. If it's a craphole like Shin Imamiya or Nagahara, then forget it.

Oh, and remember that there are many suburbs between Kobe and Osaka that also might be worth checking out, such as Itami, Kawanishi-Ikeda, Ashiya, Nishinomiya, Takarazuka, Toyonaka, and Ishibashi.

[Gordon]

I really like Kobe. It has pretty every thing you need. If I could choose anywhere to live in Japan, I'd live in Kobe.

[seanmcginty]

Yeah, Kobe is a great city. I lived in Himeji and Akashi, right next door for about 5 years.

About the beach, I hate to disagree with the above poster but do NOT go to Suma beach. Its the closest beach to Kobe but it is also about the filthiest place on the planet, absolutely covered with garbage and the water is made up of about 90% industrial solvents.

Other than that though Kobe is great. Great nightlife, great shopping, great mountains nearby. From Kobe's main downtown train station (Sannomiya) to Osaka station by JR takes less than half an hour, so that is quite convenient too. You are also less than an hour from Kyoto on the same train line.

[EllBee]

thanks for your replys, very helpful. Wheres the closest english-service church that I could attend (from kobe)?

[stillnosheep]

Seoul.

Christianity is forbidden in Japan and any attempt to meet up for Christian worship can lead to expulsion.

[G Cthulhu]

[Gordon]

[stillnosheep]

[Gordon]