Nankinmachi, Kobe's Chinatown

Near the center of Kobe is Nankinmachi, the city's Chinatown, a fun, lively place to eat and hang out. There are lots of restaurants offering a range of Chinese cuisines, but it's most fun after dark, when the streets are lined with stands selling cheap and tasty goodies; you can take your pick of steamed buns and dumplings, barbecued skewers of meat, bowls of soup and rice dishes, and take them to the relaxed central plaza to watch the people while you munch away.