Located less than half an hour from Osaka, we decided to go to Kobe for a day trip. So, after our regular MOS burger breakfast at Dotonbori, we took the JR train from Osaka train station.
It was both exciting and calming to explore the sixth-largest city in Japan. I have heard enough about Kobe, especially Kobe beef, that it strangely felt familiar.
Our first stop in Kobe was the famous Ikuta Shrine. Noted as one of the oldest shrines in the world, the serene shrine is decorated with many small-sized red tori gates. It’s also where one learns about their love fortune by getting a paper and wetting it in the stream to reveal what’s written.
A few Japanese teenagers and I did precisely that. But I was too embarrassed to ask them to read my fortune amongst their giggles, so I just took a picture and asked a Japanese friend to translate its meaning.
From there, we went to eat Kobe beef. Happy an hour or so later, we stepped out and were immediately caught in the snowstorm (it was Fafa’s first snow), so we took shelter in a Starbucks nearby, where I journaled, and Fa played with his phone until the snow calmed down.
On the train ride back, I told Fafa that I felt like I belonged in Kobe, but he ignored me completely, as I have said in almost every city we visited in Japan.
By late afternoon, we were back in Osaka.
Even though it was just half a day, I had a great time in Kobe. I wish we had gone to Little India there, which I only learned about after the trip. Maybe it could be a reason to go back there. I am sure Fafa could be easily enticed with another slice of Kobe beef. And perhaps this time, I will have the courage to approach the Japanese girls to read my fortune.
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