Kobe, with a population of 1.5 million, is a historic port city and one of the three largest cities in the Kansai region. It enjoys a warm and mild climate year-round, even by Japanese standards. Flanked by the Rokko Mountains to the north and the Seto Inland Sea to the south, its compact cityscape blends modern urban architecture with stunning scenery provided by the surrounding mountains and sea.
As a port city, Kobe has long embraced diverse foreign cultures, fostering a cosmopolitan atmosphere where people who practice many different religions coexist. Cinema was one of the many Western influences that first arrived Japan via Kobe, which was founded as an international port.
Visitors can experience Kobe’s rich culture, which includes its world-famous Kobe beef, outstanding cuisine, and top-quality sake from one of Japan’s leading production areas. They can also enjoy bathing at Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s three most famous hot springs, or play golf, a sport first introduced to Japan right here in Kobe.
As the economic and cultural center of Kobe, the urban district combines the exotic allure of areas such as the historic Nankinmachi Chinatown and Kitano, with the sophisticated urban streetscape of the former foreign settlement. The urban district also serves as the main gateway to Kobe by land, sea, and air from other cities.
With two different types of hot springs, the Kinsen (golden hot spring) and the Ginsen (silver hot spring), Arima Onsen is one the oldest and most famous hot springs in Japan. The hilly streets are lined with traditional style architecture.
Rokko Mountains, close the city district, offer various activities and leisure facilities such as pastures, athletic facilities, botanical gardens, lakes for canoeing, and Kikuseidai Observation Platform on Mt. Maya, which is one of Japan’s Top 3 Night Viewing Spots.
The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge connecting Kobe and Awaji Island is one of the world's largest suspension bridges. At the foot of the bridge are parks and beaches. The recently redeveloped Suma Beach is also nearby.
A diverse range of locations, including urban cityscapes, modern architecture, Western-style buildings (ijinkan), the sea, mountains, hot springs, and rural areas, are concentrated in a compact area. Most locations within the city are within a 30-minute drive, which minimizes travel time. Our database is packed with a huge number of registered shooting facilities!
Kobe offers a wide variety of accommodation options, making it practical for production crews to remain for extended periods.
In addition to Kobe beef and sake, Kobe’s history of flourishing through trade since the port’s opening has nurtured a rich, cosmopolitan food culture encompassing Western-style confectionery, bread, European cuisine, Chinese food, and more.
You can enjoy relaxing holidays filled with experiences such as a visit to Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s three most famous hot springs, or a round of golf—a sport that first took root in Japan in Kobe.
Kobe boasts a highly developed transportation network, with airports and railways to get you where you need to go. Kobe Airport connects you to all the major cities in Japan and Asia, and Kansai International Airport (KIX) is just a 60-minute drive away. Access from other regions is excellent too! Tokyo is just two and a half hours away by Shinkansen, and it’s an easy one-hour drive from Kyoto’s Uzumasa Studios.
Access to the city center (Sannomiya) from both Kobe Airport and Shin-Kobe (Shinkansen station) is easy and quick.
| 30 min. by boat | 65 min. by airport limousine bus |
| 60 min. by car | 85 min. by train |
| Tokyo(Haneda) | 65 min. |
| Sapporo(Shin-Chitose) | 110 min. |
| Aomori | 95 min. |
| Hanamaki | 85 min. |
| Sendai | 80 min. |
| Ibaraki | 65 min. |
| Matsumoto | 60 min. |
| Niigata | 90 min. |
| Nagasaki | 80 min. |
| Kagoshima | 70 min. |
| Okinawa | 130 min. |
| Miyako | 155 min. |
*As of December 2025
| Tokyo | 170 min. |
| Nagoya | 65 min. |
| Kyoto | 30 min. |
| Shin-Osaka | 15 min. |
| Hakata | 135 min. |
*As of December 2025
| Tokyo | 6 hours |
| Nagoya | 3 hours |
| Kyoto | 60 min. |
| Osaka | 30 min. |
| Hiroshima | 4 hours |
| Tokushima | 2 hours |
| Hakata | 7 hours |
*As of December 2025
| Seoul | 2 hours |
| Taipei | 3 hours |
| Taichung | 3 hours |
| Los Angeles | 10 hours |
| Paris | 15 hours |
| Munich | 14 hours 30 min. |
| Dubai | 11 hours |
| Sydney | 9 hours 30 min. |
| Bangkok | 6 hours 30 min. |
| Shanghai | 3 hours |
| Hong Kong | 4 hours 30 min. |
*Flight times are approximate.
*As of December 2025