Kobe Beef Dining Local Food Tour with Licensed Guide
October, 2026
Tour Itinerary
- 13:45 Meet at Kobe Port Terminal
- 14:15 at Nunobiki Herb Garden
- 15:45 at Kitano Ijinkan-gai (Foreign Residences) (Moegi House, Weathercock House)
- 16:45 Disband at JR Sannomiya Station
Title: What's a Private Tour from a Cruise Port Near Kobe Like in Bad Weather? A Licensed Guide's Report The guests were visitors from North America. The tour started in poor weather conditions. At the very beginning, the guests informed me that they had canceled the dinner at a Kobe steak restaurant, which had been the main purpose of the day (they said it was because they had already eaten steak at the previous port of call, though from the conversation it seemed that price may also have been a significant factor). At the first spot, around Nunobiki Herb Garden, we were met with heavy fog, and it was almost impossible to see the surrounding scenery. On the way to the next spot, we also encountered rain, and both of the guests appeared quite tired. In the end, due to the bad weather and fatigue, they decided to return to the cruise ship, and we parted ways with about one hour and fifteen minutes remaining. I suggested options such as a sheltered shopping area where they could avoid the rain, but there was a strong wish to return to the ship. From the start, I did not feel much interest in the spots from the guests. In addition, honestly, it was a little difficult to understand that the reserved steak restaurant, which had been the original purpose, was canceled on the day itself. However, I was very interested to hear detailed stories about their home region. When I presented a handmade drawstring pouch, I later received a message of thanks through a messaging app expressing great delight after the tour. A notable stop on the tour was Nunobiki Herb Garden in Kobe. Nunobiki Herb Garden is one of the largest herb gardens in Japan, accessible by ropeway from near Shin-Kobe Station, and it offers seasonal flowers and herbs across terraced slopes overlooking the city and the sea. The ropeway ride also passes near the Nunobiki Falls, which are counted among the most famous waterfalls in Japan and have long been admired in Japanese poetry. On clear days, the garden provides sweeping views of the Kobe cityscape and the harbor below.
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Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Port Terminal～Sannomiya | 210JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Sannomiya～Shin-Kobe | 210JPY |
| Total | 420JPY | ||
Dear my guests,
This is (Mr.) Yama, greeting from Kobe, Japan.
I would like to warmly welcome you to Japan this time. I am from the city of Kobe, which is of course, well-known for very tasty Kobe Beef . You can taste
real genuine Kobe Beef here. Kobe is also called “Home of Japanese Sake” with lots of Sake breweries, and I recommend you would visit those breweries
if you have any interest in Japanese Sake as well as one aspect of Japanese cultures. Of course, you can have tastings of various kinds of Sake there.
Whenever during the tour, I always try to make it safe, pleasant and comfortable for all of the guests, which is my first priority. I am very much confident
that you can have a pleasant and unforgettable experience in Japan. Just tell me about your preference; what you would like to like to see, have, know
and eat and so on. Particularly, I hold the license for cooking qualified by the government here and maybe, I can reply you for questions related to the
foods here. In this respect, I strongly recommend you would try not only famous Japanese cuisine such as Sushi, Tempura or Suki-yaki but some
Japanese traditional local foods, like Tako-yaki, Okonomi-yaki and Kushkatsu. They are sometimes called the soul foods of Japan. Here is the brief
explanation for these three foods.
1) Tako-yaki
Tako-yaki is a snack filled with pieces of octopus in a batter of flour , egg and soup stock. You can call them octopus dumplings or balls. “Tako” means
octopus and “yaki” means grilled or broiled.
2) Okonomi-yaki
This word Okonomi-yaki means “cook just as you like” and you can use whatever you like as toppings, such as beef, pork, shrimp, squid and octopus.
Okonomi-yaki is round shape and just like pancakes or pizza in shape mainly made from egg, flour and water.
3) Kushi-katsu
Kushi-katsu is skewered cutlet or deep-fried foods on a stick. “Kushi” means skewer and “katsu” means cutlet. Various kinds of foods are used for
ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, squid, octopus and lots of kinds of vegetables.
Actually, the western Japan including Osaka, Kobe and Himeji is called as “Home of such local soul foods”. You should give it a try and I am sure
that you like them very much.
I sincerely hope that I can be your tour guide this time in Kobe, Osaka and Himeji. If my guests said to me after the tour, “I have had a very good
and pleasant time with you today. I hope I can come here again and name you as our guide”, which is my great pleasure. Moreover, I would be
great honored if they say “I like Japan now thanks to you”.
Looking forward to meeting you soon here.
Doomo Arigato Gozaimasu!
Yama
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