KOBE –
Kobe is undergoing a sweeping transformation, with major redevelopment projects around Sannomiya Station, the planned closure and renovation of the Mosaic shopping complex at Harborland, and the international expansion of Kobe Airport raising hopes that the port city can attract more overseas visitors while improving everyday life for residents.
Despite its reputation as one of Japan’s most attractive cities, Kobe has struggled to turn its tourism resources into spending and overnight stays, with many visitors passing through on their way to Osaka, Kyoto and other destinations.
The city offers a distinctive combination of international heritage, shopping districts, waterfront scenery and natural attractions. The historic Western-style houses of Kitano, known as the Ijinkan, reflect Kobe’s past as an international trading port, while the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens provide a green retreat above Shin-Kobe Station. Farther south, Chinatown in Nankinmachi, Meriken Park and the Harborland waterfront are among the city’s best-known attractions.
However, these destinations are spread across a relatively wide area, with steep hills to the north and major roads dividing the central shopping district from the waterfront. Visitors who travel uphill to Kitano may be reluctant to make the journey back toward the sea, while those arriving at Sannomiya Station can find it difficult to navigate between the city’s attractions.
Kobe is attempting to address these weaknesses through a series of large-scale redevelopment projects designed to make the city more accessible, encourage visitors to explore different neighborhoods and increase the amount of time they spend in the city.
Among the projects already completed is GLION ARENA KOBE, a new venue for sporting events, concerts and other gatherings on the waterfront. Around Sannomiya Station, plans include a new station building and a major bus terminal on the eastern side of the district, designed to accommodate approximately 1,700 bus services a day.
The terminal is scheduled for completion in 2029, while redevelopment of Kobe City Hall will include a 29-story building incorporating hotel accommodation, commercial facilities and spaces that visitors can enjoy, extending its role beyond municipal administration.
At Harborland, Mosaic, a landmark shopping and entertainment complex overlooking the waterfront, has announced plans to close for renovation as parts of the facility age. The nearby Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum will remain, with the renewal intended to preserve the area’s family appeal while introducing new attractions.
The redevelopment comes as Kobe faces a significant gap between its tourism potential and its actual economic performance.
Tourism spending in Kyoto, a city with a population comparable to Kobe’s, reached approximately 2.0474 trillion yen in 2025, compared with just 361.3 billion yen in Kobe. The difference is particularly striking given Kobe’s extensive transportation network, which includes JR, Hankyu and Hanshin railway services, municipal subway lines and the Port Liner.
Kobe also trails its Kansai neighbors in overnight visitors, recording only around one-fifth of Osaka’s accommodation figures and approximately one-third of Kyoto’s. These numbers highlight the difficulty Kobe faces in persuading travelers to make the city a destination in its own right rather than a stop on a wider itinerary.
The challenge is complicated by Kobe’s history of urban redevelopment, which has produced both internationally recognized landmarks and costly setbacks.
Kobe opened its port to international trade in 1868, helping establish the foreign-influenced streetscapes that remain visible in the former foreign settlement and Kitano district. The historic Oriental Hotel, which stood near the port before World War II, symbolized the city’s early prosperity and international connections.
During Japan’s rapid economic growth, Kobe expanded through major land reclamation projects, including the construction of Port Island, using earth excavated from surrounding mountains to create new land along the coast.
However, some of these developments failed to deliver the anticipated economic benefits, including difficulties attracting companies and generating sufficient activity to sustain newly developed areas. These experiences have influenced the city’s current approach to urban planning, including efforts to reconnect established districts through projects such as its Reborn initiative.
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of January 1995 left another complicated legacy. In Nagata Ward, redevelopment undertaken as part of post-earthquake reconstruction accumulated losses exceeding 30 billion yen, exposing differences between government planning priorities and the needs of local communities.
A professor at Kindai University who specializes in urban development pointed out that reconstruction projects also weakened the traditional downtown culture that had characterized Nagata, making it more difficult to attract people back to the district.
The experience has reinforced concerns that redevelopment focused on constructing new buildings can undermine the distinctive qualities that make a neighborhood attractive in the first place.
Kobe’s current strategy therefore places greater emphasis on creating a city that people can comfortably explore on foot, rather than concentrating primarily on large buildings and transportation infrastructure.
One of the biggest obstacles around Sannomiya Station has been the layout of the surrounding roads. Major east-west traffic routes and the north-south Flower Road have historically separated the station from shopping streets, department stores and other destinations.
Under the redevelopment plan, a section of roadway connecting Sannomiya Station and the department store district will be reduced from 10 lanes to six. New pedestrian crossings will make it easier to move between the station and surrounding streets without relying solely on elevated pedestrian walkways.
Sidewalks will also be widened, creating additional space for people to gather, shop and spend time outdoors.
A senior Kobe city official involved in the redevelopment acknowledged that connections between the station and surrounding neighborhoods have been weak, saying the aim is to make Sannomiya easier to explore and encourage people to stay longer rather than simply pass through.
The city is also looking to Kobe Airport as a potential turning point in its efforts to capture international tourism.
International charter flights began operating at the airport in April 2025, providing a new gateway for overseas visitors and creating an opportunity to attract tourists directly to Kobe rather than relying on arrivals through Kansai International Airport.
Kobe Airport is connected to Sannomiya by the Port Liner, making it relatively easy for travelers to reach the city center. Officials hope this convenience will encourage international visitors to stay in Kobe and use it as a base for exploring Hyogo Prefecture and the wider Kansai region.
Overnight visitor numbers have already increased by around 50% following the introduction of international charter services, according to figures presented in the report.
The city is looking toward 2030, when it hopes international scheduled flights will replace or supplement the current charter operations, potentially providing a more consistent flow of overseas visitors.
Capturing this market will require Kobe to compete with the established tourism route linking Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, where visitors often spend most of their time before departing through Kansai International Airport.
Rather than trying to compete solely through large-scale attractions, the city hopes to capitalize on its accessibility, waterfront setting, international heritage and compact combination of urban and natural experiences.
Urban planning specialists emphasize that improvements to transportation and pedestrian access must be accompanied by opportunities for visitors to experience the character of individual neighborhoods. Creating places where people feel comfortable, safe and encouraged to explore is considered essential to attracting repeat visitors and extending their stays.
A similar approach is already producing measurable results in Hiroshima, where a major overhaul of the city’s streetcar network has improved connections between the main railway station, shopping districts and tourist attractions.
In August 2025, Hiroshima Electric Railway began operating streetcars directly into the second floor of JR Hiroshima Station, replacing an arrangement that required passengers to walk from the station to a street-level stop.
The new connection allows travelers arriving by JR trains to transfer directly to streetcars serving the city center, including commercial districts and attractions such as the Atomic Bomb Dome.
The network was further expanded in March 2026 with the opening of a circular streetcar route designed to improve connections between different parts of the city and encourage people to explore beyond individual destinations.
The improvements have reportedly helped increase passenger numbers at Hiroshima Station by approximately 20%, while pedestrian traffic toward the central shopping districts has grown by between 600 and 2,000 people per day.
Hiroshima’s experience illustrates how transportation improvements can contribute to economic activity by making it easier for visitors to move around a city and discover attractions beyond the immediate station area.
For Kobe, the broader lesson is that new buildings and improved infrastructure alone will not guarantee successful urban regeneration. The city must also establish a system in which businesses, residents and visitors continue to shape and support neighborhoods after construction is completed.
The challenge is particularly important for a city whose identity has been built around its international character, historic streets, waterfront scenery and distinctive local culture.
By making Sannomiya a more effective transportation and tourism hub, Kobe also hopes to encourage visitors to travel farther into Hyogo Prefecture, spreading the economic benefits of tourism beyond the city center.
The redevelopment projects represent a long-term effort rather than an immediate solution, with their success likely to depend on whether Kobe can combine improved accessibility and international tourism growth with the preservation of its distinctive character.
Ultimately, the city’s ambition is not simply to attract more visitors, but to create a more connected and appealing place where residents and tourists alike will want to spend time, ensuring that redevelopment strengthens rather than diminishes what makes Kobe unique.
Source: YOMIURI
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