Just An Ordinary Girl

Photo By: Elinchow

Rise and shine! We started our fifth day of our 7D6N Japan Trip in Osaka early this morning. Our plan for the day was to visit the cosmopolitan port city of Kobe. Kobe is the sixth largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture, famous for its Kobe Beef and crisp pure Sake. To be honest, Kobe Beef was also the main reason why we decided to include Kobe into our travel itinerary.
Before setting off, we dropped by the Lawson store below our Airbnb apartment to grab some quick breakfast.

Tuna Onigiri

Price: 108 Yen

Tuna Sandwich
Hokkaido Yogurt Drink


We bought Tuna Onigiri, Tuna sandwich, Hokkaido yogurt drink and Premium Boss Latte from Lawson and went back to our apartment to eat them. I became addicted to Onigiri, or Japanese rice balls because they are just so delicious! Furthermore, they are really filling and cheap.

After a simple and quick breakfast, we headed out to Osaka-Namba Station, to take a train to Kobe city. There are three main train stations in Kobe - Sannomiya Station, Kobe Station and Shin-Kobe Station.


Surprisingly, the busiest train station in Kobe is not Kobe Station but Sannomiya Station, which is conveniently located right at the center of the city. Most of the attractions in Kobe are located near Sannomiya Station. It is a main terminal for people visiting Kobe city as it provides immediate access to Kobe's main business, shopping and entertainment areas.

Sannomiya Station is served by five different railway companies, consisting of several stations. Some stations are simply named Sannomiya and others are named Kobe-Sannomiya Stations. However, both Sannomiya and Kobe-Sannomiya Stations are located in the same location.


The most direct way to get from Osaka-Namba Station to Sannomiya station in Kobe is by the Hanshin Namba line operated by the private Hanshin Electric Railway. At Osaka Namba Station, the Hanshin Railway share the same ticket gate with the Kintetsu Railway and departs from Platform 3.

The Hanshin Electric Railway will arrive at Kobe-Sannomiya Station not Sannomiya Station. By Rapid Express train, it will take 44 minutes to get from Osaka Namba Station to Kobe-Sannomiya Station. Please note that the Hanshin Electric Railway is not covered by the JR Pass. The one way fare from Osaka Namba Station to Kobe-Sannomiya Station is 410 Yen.


Arriving at Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Station, we headed straight to Nankinmachi, which is Kobe's Chinatown. Nankinmachi is located 10 minutes walk away from Kobe-Sannomiya Station and 5 minutes walk away from Motomachi Station.


Sannomiya is the largest commercial and shopping district in Central Kobe. It is a popular place for shopping, dining and entertainment. Most of the attractions in Central Kobe are located within close proximity to each other, so it is possible to cover them by foot.

Nankinmachi is one of the three largest Chinatown in Japan, along with Yokohama's Chukagai and Nagasaki's Shinchi Chukagai. Just like any other Chinatown in the world, Nankinmachi is a popular tourist attraction, famous for its shopping and dining.


Nankinmachi is made up by four main streets converging at a small central plaza. Hundred of shops, restaurants, food stalls and Mahjong clubs lined both sides of the streets, most of them with facades and architecture reflecting traditional Chinese style.


Most restaurants and food stalls in Nankinmachi serve traditional Chinese food like dim sum, dumplings and buns. Besides Chinese food, you will also find several restaurants serving Japanese and Western cuisines in Nankinmachi.

There is always a queue in front of a famous restaurant or food stall. But ironically, the most delicious food found in Nankinmachi is probably not from China. Located in the central plaza, there is a food stall selling the legendary Kobe Beef. We did not get to taste the Kobe Beef here because we were saving our stomach space for a more expensive Kobe Beef feast later. But if you are traveling on a limited budget, this is probably the cheapest way to sample this wonderful meat in Kobe.


Actually, truth be told, most of the dishes found in Nankinmachi are not authentic Chinese dishes. Most of them have often been Japanized to suit local tastes. But even so, they still taste delicious.

Nankinmachi is fairly compact and you can actually walk through the streets in an hour or two. Enjoy strolling down while you grab a bite from the many food stalls along the streets. The atmosphere is lively, with the streets packed with both Japanese and Chinese. But it was not overly crowded, probably because we visited on a weekday. So I really recommend visiting on a weekday if you can as it can be extremely crowded on weekend.


Price: 300 Yen

We bought steamed pork bun or simply known as Bao from the store. The Bao was served fresh and piping hot from a steamer. It was steamed until puffy filled with aromatic pork and is best to be enjoyed warm from the steamer.

Peking Duck Wrap
Price: 500 Yen

We also bought Peking Duck Wrap from the same store. This is basically just Peking duck, vegetables and sweet sauce wrapped in a rice paper wrapper. The duck meat is roasted to prefect crispiness with most of the fats rendered out during the roasting process. It was delicious and my husband love it very much. However, I did not like it as much as my husband. I actually find the sauce a little too sweet for my liking.


Please note that there are no rubbish bins in Nankinmachi, so make sure you bring your trashes with you before you leave this place.


In the center of Nankinmachi, you will find a small plaza decorated with colorful chinese lanterns. Sitting in the middle of the plaza is a pavilion and a Chinese temple dedicated to Guan Yu. Surrounded by stone cravings of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, the pavilion is a popular place for tourists to take a souvenir photo.

The small plaza is a popular meeting place for both locals and tourists. You can take a seat and enjoy your food in the pavilion, but it is always crowded with people. It is not easy to find a seat in the pavilion unless you are really lucky.


There are three archway in Nankinmachi. You will find Chang'an Gate on the East entrance, Xi'an Gate on the west entrance and Nan'lou Gate on the South entrance. The North entrance has no gate and is guarded by a pair of lions.



Established in 1874, the entire street is 1.2 kilometres long and has a fairly relaxed atmosphere.


It is one of the best place to get some gifts and souvenirs for yourself and your family and friends back home. If you interested to know what I bought at Motomachi Shopping Street, please read my "Huge Beauty + Snacks Shopping Haul" post.
If you are interested to know more about our trip, you may want to check out our 7D6N Osaka - Kyoto - Nara - Kobe Trip Itinerary + Overview for the list of attractions that we had visited during our 7 days in Japan. For anyone planning your first trip to Japan but have no idea where to start, you should read my "How To Plan A Trip To Japan" post.
Be sure to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for the latest updates on my 7 days adventures in Japan! You might also want to check My Wanderlust page for some of my other travel adventures.

Price: 162 Yen

Premium Boss Coffee

Price: 122 Yen

I got Tuna Mayo onigiri and my husband got Salmon Roe onigiri and a can of Premium Boss coffee. Both were satisfying delicious and affordable.


After a quick breakfast, we headed down the main street from the train station, which is lined with hotels, restaurants and shops, leading to Nara Park.


The ancient capital of Nara is home to eight Unesco World Heritage Sites, along with several fine gardens, museums and traditional neighbourhoods. If you only have one day to spend in Nara, I would recommend you to focus your trip on Nara Park. Most of the main attractions in Nara are concentrated in Nara Park and can be easily accessible by foot. This would mean that you can visit most of the attractions in a day.

Nara Park is a public park located at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, just 5 minutes walk from Kintetsu Nara Station and 20 minutes walk from JR Nara Station. Covering an area of 660 hectares, extending 4 kilometers wide and 2 kilometres deep, it is known to be the oldest and largest park in Japan. The vast park is renowned for its free roaming deer and world famous temples and shrines. It is open all year round and entry is free.


Deer are the major tourist attraction of Nara Park. They are the most recognizable symbol of Nara and also the reason why tourists flock to Nara.

It was not long before we get to encounter a deer, just at the entrance of the park. In fact, there were a few of them resting under the shade of trees. Most of the Sika deer are reddish brown with a white tail and less visible white spots.


Excitedly but carefully, we approached one of the deer,  hoping to get a closer look of the adorable creature. We squatted down and pat it gently on its back. Surprisingly, the deer sat frozen still, as if waiting to be pet and fed. Most of them have grown so accustomed to the presence of humans that they are completely unafraid of humans.
Kofukuji Temple

Continuing down the cobbled stoned path, we arrived at Kofukuji Temple, which is located around 10 minutes walk from Kintetsu Nara Station.


Kofukuji Temple is a Buddhist temple that is registered as one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list. The temple is established in 710 by Kagami-no Okimi, the wife of Fujiwara no Kamatari. Originally, the temple consisted of over 150 buildings, many of which were destroyed by civil wars and fires for multiple times.


Today, only a couple of the buildings remain, including a five-storey Pagoda. Standing at 50 metres, the five-storey pagoda is known to be the second tallest pagoda in Japan. First built in 730, it is a now landmark and symbol of Nara.


Even though the official opening hours is from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, the general temple grounds can be visited at any time of the day. Entrance to the temple grounds is free except two areas: Kofukuji's National Treasure Museum and the Eastern Golden Hall. Admission to these two areas will cost 300 Yen.


Right behind the five-storey pagoda, you will find a paved path leading to Nara Park. The park is best experienced by walking, with several walking paths that leads through many historic and nature areas, dotted with shrines and temples.



The deer of Nara Park are usually very gentle and tame and can easily be photographed. They are scattered, walk through every corner of the park with confident, oblivious to the large crowds surrounding them. But once they spotted food in your hand, they will start flocking to you, trying to get your attention.