Kobe Shinkaichi

Kobe Shinkaichi is a major commercial district in Hyogo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, with over 100 years of history. In its heyday, it flourished so greatly that it was compared as “Asakusa in the East, Shinkaichi in the West.” It was also famous as a city of cinemas and live entertainment, with as many as 20 movie theaters and vaudeville halls lining a shopping street of only about one kilometer. By the late 1960s, however, theaters and other venues closed one after another, and the commercial center shifted to the Motomachi and Sannomiya areas. In recent years, NPOs and others have been working on revitalization projects for the district. Access is about a 10-minute walk from JR Kobe Line Kobe Station, and it is right by Shinkaichi Station on the Kobe Rapid Railway, as well as right by Minatogawa Park Station on the Kobe Municipal Subway. Walking around the area, you can feel the atmosphere of good old days as if you had time-traveled, and you can also enjoy reasonably priced local food. A wide variety of events are held, drawing crowds, including the “Shinkaichi Film Festival,” “Kobe Shinkaichi Music Festival,” “Shinkaichi Saturday Marche,” “Shinkaichi Music Street,” and “Shinkaichi Yose (rakugo).