Kobe city has three main areas, near [Sannomiya Station](/link/station/sannomiya-station), its business downtown district, [Kobe Chinatown](/link/place/kansai/hyogo-prefecture/kobe/kobe-chinatown), as well as the port area. Throughout Kobe you can find many shops offering up [Kobe Beef](/term/food/kobe-beef), although you have got to be ready to pay a pretty penny if you want to try them. Outside of the main city, you can also find a museum dedicated to the [Great Hanshin Earthquake](/term/event/great-hanshin-earthquake), and an observatory on the [Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge](/link/place/kansai/hyogo-prefecture/kobe/akashi-kaikyo-bridge), the world’s second longest suspension bridge.

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Exterior of Kobe Earthquake Museum in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

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Steak being cooked atop a hot plate in Steakland Kobe in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

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Panoramic shot of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge from a beach in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

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People roaming around Kobe Chinatown in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

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Rare cheese and lava cake at Cafe & Bar Anthem in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

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Exterior of Kawasaki Good Times World in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

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Exhibit inside atoa in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

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Bowl of Kobe Beef Gyudon at Kobe Gyudon Hiroshige in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture

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The Great Hanshin Earthquake occured on 17 January 1995, and was a magnitude 7.9 earthquake. It was one of the deadliest earthquakes in Japan in the 20th century, after the [Great Kanto Earthquake](/term/event/great-kanto-earthquake), with over 6000 casualties. Its epicenter was on the north side of [Awaji Island](/link/place/kansai/hyogo-prefecture/awaji-island), only 20km away from the city center of [Kobe](/link/place/kansai/hyogo-prefecture/kobe), the result was devastating on the city with collapsed buildings, highways, and ports. A portion of [Meriken Park](/link/place/kansai/hyogo-prefecture/kobe/meriken-park) is preserved as-is after the earthquake to serve as a reminder for the devastation, and the [Great Awaji-Hanshin Earthquake Memorial Museum](/link/place/kansai/hyogo-prefecture/kobe/great-hanshin-awaji-earthquake-memorial-museum) was built to comemmorate the earthquake.

The Great Kanto Earthquake was a magnitude 7.9 [earthquake](/term/general/earthquake) that devastated [Tokyo](/link/place/kanto/tokyo-metropolis/tokyo) and the [Greater Tokyo Area](/term/place/greater-tokyo-area). Firestorms resulting from the earthquake damage caused massive damage to buildings throughout Tokyo. The day was designated in 1960 as the Disaster Prevention Day (防災の日, *Bōsai-no-hi*) by the Japanese government.

Kobe Beef is often thought to be the highest-grade and most premium type of [wagyu](/term/food/wagyu), and is one of the [Three Great Wagyu](/term/general/three-great-wagyu). It is prized for its marbling and melt-in-your-mouth texture. There are many Kobe Beef [teppanyaki](/term/food/teppanyaki) restaurants in the city of [Kobe](/link/place/kansai/hyogo/kobe), many of which command a significant price tag.

In Japan, the term Wagyu typically refers to domestically-produced beef. Wagyu beef tends to have a higher fat percentage, resulting in nicer marbling and a melt-in-your-mouth effect. 

Brand-name Wagyu are typically renowned for their quality including Kobe Beef, Matsuzaka Beef, and Ōmi Beef.

Teppanyaki generally refers to any sort of dishes that are cooked on a hot plate. It can also refer to a particular style of restaurant where customers sit around a giant hot plate, with the chef cooking dishes tableside atop the hot plate. 

Kuroge Wagyu is one of the four types of [wagyu](/term/food/wagyu) and is made from the *Kuroge Washu* (黒毛和種) cow, a native breed to Japan. Many of the highest quality brand-name wagyu use Kuroge Wagyu, including [Kobe Beef](/term/food/kobe-beef).

Matsuzaka Beef is commonly thought to be one of Japan's [Three Great Wagyu](/term/general/three-great-wagyu), and often domestically in fierce competition with [Kobe Beef](/term/food/kobe-beef) to be crowned as the "best" [kuroge wagyu](/term/food/kuroge-wagyu). It is produced in [Matsuzaka](/link/place/chubu/mie-prefecture/matsuzaka), [Mie Prefecture](/link/place/chubu/mie-prefectire). 

The Three Great Wagyu of Japan refers to three branded types of [kuroge wagyu](/term/food/kuroge-wagyu) that are commonly thought of as the "best" [wagyu](/term/food/wagyu). 

The three are [Kobe Beef](/term/food/kobe-beef), [Matsuzaka Beef](/term/food/matsuzaka-beef), and either Omi Beef or Yonezawa Beef.

Earthquakes are one of the most common natural disasters in Japan. 

The Greater Tokyo Area typically refers to the [Tokyo Metropolis](/link/place/kanto/tokyo-metropolis) and its neighboring prefectures typically including [Kanagawa Prefecture](/link/place/kanto/kanagawa), [Saitama Prefecture](/link/place/kanto/saitama), and [Chiba Prefecture](/link/place/kanto/chiba). It can also extend further to [Yamanashi Prefecture](/link/place/chubu/yamanashi), [Ibaraki Prefecture](/link/place/kanto/ibaraki) and [Tochigi Prefecture](/link/place/kanto/tochigi).

Best Things to Eat in Kobe