I Am A Celebrity!: Cruising in Japan; Kobe

KOBE BEEF! Whenever we hear the word Kobe, it is what immediately comes to mind for most of us here in the U.S. The real Kobe, however, is a city in Japan, which is in the Hyogo Prefecture in south central Japan. It is on the coast of Osaka Bay, along a densely populated area along with Osaka which is Japan's third largest city (behind Tokyo and Yokohama). Kobe is the 5th and Kyoto the 6th, respectively. Kyoto is - of course - the "old capital" of Japan and is some 40-plus miles inland. We spent 3 very full days in Kyoto back in 2015. It is a city of wonders, with some of the most notable shrines in the country. This trip, we stayed closer to the ship, and spent our time in Kobe. It was a great decision. I probably made more images here than any other one of our cruise stops. Unlike the previous port (Omaezaki), which I characterized as "small," Kobe is a major port with a very modern and efficient cruise terminal.

BEFORE I talk more about Kobe, let's get back to Kobe Beef for just a minute. What is "Kobe" beef? It is a kind of charged word. "Kobe" is actually a specific variety of Japanese beef, which comes from a rather specific breed of cow and is only produced in the Kobe region. It is more of a "brand" than a type of beef. The broader - more generic term is "wagyu." Wagyu can be from one of a number of different prefectures, and specifically refers to meat from only four distinct breeds of Japanese cattle: Japanese Black cattle (Kuroge), Japanese Brown cattle (Akage), Japanese Shorthorn (Nihon Tankaku), and Japanese Polled (Mukaku). In order to be classified as Wagyu beef, cross-breeding wagyu cattle with other breeds is prohibited. Beef can only be considered Wagyu if it belongs to one of these four breeds and if the cattle are Japan-raised. The word, "Wagyu" is again, a bit of a charged word, as there seems to be little agreement from various sources about the literal meaning of the word, other than it means some kind of "Japanese beef." "Gyu" seems to pretty clearly mean beef from a cow. "Wag," is more elusive, with some sources saying it means "Japanese," and others saying it means "cow?" Either way, we had some Wagyu beef while in Tokyo, and I have also had so-called Wagyu beef in the U.S. a couple times. It is worth noting that USDA meat classification standards are sufficiently vague that meat that is labeled "Wagyu," or "Kobe" in the U.S. is likely suspect. There is also a U.S. "Wagyu" beef that is raised domestically and doesn't meet the breeding standards of the Japanese Wagyu. We are pretty certain that the beef we had in Tokyo was truly Japanese "Wagyu." We were only in Kobe for the day, so we didn't even try to sample it.

OUR EXCURSION this day was with a private guide, arranged by my wife, the "tour-organizer extraordinaire." We were to meet our guide in the city and had planned to take a taxi. However, as we came out of the cruise terminal, the subway was directly on our right, only a few steps away and up an escalator. It turns out our meeting point was very close to the subway stop just 2 stops from the cruise terminal. We still had our transportation cards we had purchased in Tokyo, but the others (we had 3 of our traveling group with us that day) had no problem. Japan is a pretty modern country - at least in her major cities - and it was easy to simply use a credit card to enter and exit the subway. We did that several times during the week.

OUR GUIDE was Eva. Friendly, enthusiastic, and attractive, Eva was actually from Southern Spain, having lived in Kobe for only about a year. Her goal is world travel but immersing herself in languages and cultures of cities around the world. Conversant in several languages already, the 22-year-old young woman was mature beyond her years, and we had a delightful day with her. The excursion was advertised as a walking tour, and walk we did! We saw much of the city. Eva's itinerary was a bit unorthodox from a typical tour, which will usual include the popular (and often famous) tourist attractions in a city. Eva's plan was to take us to some of her favorite spots that she had found and hoped that we would like them as much as she did. When you are in a new city, sometimes the best thing you can do is hook up with someone with local knowledge and just follow them around. It worked for us.

EVA MET us at the subway stop and we climbed some stairs and walked out across a bridge that crossed one of Kobe's main and busiest streets. She then walked us along one of the shopping areas off the main street that was full of more traditional Japanese shops and restaurants.

THIS AREA was what she described as "old" Kobe. Later, we would see a much more modern "indoor" shopping street. Here, there were the expected bright colors and colorful characters advertising different retail establishments.

EVENTUALLY, WE walked out onto one of the main streets, which eventually crossed the iconic Ikuta Road; well-marked by its distinctive green arches. Ikuta Road is noted for its robust nightlife, but more importantly, as the path to Ikuta Shrine. Ikuta is a Shinto Shrine, and we learned (according to Eva) to be just a little bit "Japanese," as we were taught to bow before the entry way Torii Gate, and then again at the stairs leading up to the shrine.

ACCORDING TO Eva, we were able to visit this beautiful shrine during one of only two days a year when a ceremony was being held: spring and fall (harvest). A unique opportunity for sure. The ceremony involved important Kobe officials and members of the Shinto religion giving thanks to nature for the bounties of the crops and asking for blessings. It was a very serious ceremony, and we were able to stand outside and watch for a while.

BEFORE LEAVING the shrine grounds, we walked through a "hallway" of multiple Torii Gates, to reach an altar on the exterior grounds that is said to be the place to pray for good luck. I found it very colorful and photogenic, as well.

WE MOVED on from Ikuta Shrine and its wonderful grounds and we came to another spot our guide thought was pretty special: Sorakuen Garden. We visited a few of these magnificent "gardens" (in my mind, I think of them more as a park) during our 15-day cruise around Honshu (Japan's main island). I am working on a serious of blogs on my LightCentricPhotography photographic blog, beginning with this one about Tokyo's Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, which I will be posting in the coming weeks. Sorakuen Garden will be next. Keep a lookout.

SORAKUEN GARDEN was originally part of the residence of a Kobe Mayor, built in the early 20th century, during the rule of the Meiji Empire. The garden was later acquired by the city of Kobe (and was named "Sorakuen" at that time) and opened as a public landscape garden in 1941. Today, this garden is a refuge from the noise and congestion of the city, often visited by residents to take in the beauty of nature. There is a small (3.00 yen) entrance fee.

THE GATE at the entrance is the original gate, dating back to the garden's beginnings. It is made from native zelkova wood (a relative of the Elm Tree). It is very traditional and ornate in an Asian manner.

IN ADDITION to a central pond and a stream running through the garden, the landscape includes walking paths, stone bridges, some old buildings, and other artistic ornaments like basins and lanterns. Flora includes not only pine, maple and azaleas, but camphor trees said to be as much as 500 years old. With its visual beauty, Sorakuen is an attraction for folks making portrait photos in a natural setting, like the young couple below who were probably taking wedding photographs.

WE FINISHED up our day with Eva with a visit to Kobe's very vibrant Chinatown. It seems that she is a fan and wanted us to sample some of their food which, according to her, is very authentic. Kind of ironic that we would be visiting Japan - and at that, one of its "food-famous" cities - and the only place we ate was Chinatown. It was good, though. It stands to reason that there would be a thriving Chinese population (even given the historical rancor between the two peoples). Kobe was one of the early-"opening" port cities at the end of Japan's Meiji Empire's isolationist policies. Many foreigners came into Japan at that time, and its proximity to China surely meant a substantial immigration of Chinese into that city.

I FOUND that although the art and architecture of the two countries, while containing many similarities, are also distinctly different. Like the Japanese, the Chinese have an affinity for bright colors and the shapes seen so often while we have been in Asia (we visited numerous Japanese cities and on South Korean city), with a lot of the shapes and forms, like arches and round shapes are also similar. But they are different. Colors vary slightly, and the Chinese decorative architecture seems more ornate to me. Not the simplicity that I equate with Japanese art and architectural design.

WE PARTED ways with Eva. She headed off to class at the nearby University. We headed back to our ship. One of the things that finally struck me about Kobe was (what I perceived anyway) lack of any quaintness or character - particularly in the port. I made numerous pictures of some very photogenic ports as we rounded Honshu (including our brief detour over to South Korea). Surprisingly to me, there was nothing really outstanding photographically to the Kobe Port. No Ferris wheel. No lighted tower. Not even any really colorful lighting on any of the buildings. My parting shot here was the best I could find from the ship. It would get better as the week went on.

I Am A Celebrity!

Sunday, May 26, 2024

Cruising in Japan; Kobe

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