Latest openings, closings, relocations & renewals around Sannomiya, Motomachi and Kitano
A dated list of restaurant, café and shop openings, closings, relocations and renewals across Kobe, plus Akashi, Himeji and other parts of Hyogo. Every entry is checked against an official announcement or the shop's own notice, and updated as new information comes in. Shops we have covered link through to the full article.
Okaeri Gohan, a small eatery serving homemade side dishes and Japanese set meals, opened on October 15, 2026, in the Konan Hondori shopping arcade in Higashinada. There are seven set meals, from fried chicken (three pieces, ¥1,000) to braised pork belly (limited to 10 servings, ¥1,600), and every one comes with four or five small side dishes. It serves set meals at both lunch, 11:30–14:30, and dinner, 17:00–20:30 (both last order). Reservations are not being taken for now, and the kitchen may close early once ingredients run out. There is no bicycle parking.
PINE'S COFFEE ROASTER, a café-dining spot with its own in-house roaster, is set to open in April 2027 on the ground floor of edit x seven Awaji Island, a new hotel a 30-second walk from Ohama Beach in Sumoto. It serves specialty coffee and Hawaiian dishes such as garlic shrimp, from breakfast through to dinner and bar food at night, and you don't need to be a hotel guest to come in. The three announced breakfast dishes are ¥2,500 each. The exact opening date has not been announced.
ÉLUNE KOBE, a Korean-style photo studio from PLUSC, the company behind the Korean wedding photo service THE DAY, opens on October 25, 2026, inside RIN'S GALLERY, a 1982 Tadao Ando building in Kitano. Besides wedding portraits, it shoots couples, maternity, babies and kids, families and solo portraits. Bookings are taken through the studio's official LINE account.
Maneki Shokuhin, the Himeji company behind the station's famous ekisoba noodles, has turned its Ekisoba Otemae shop on Otemae-dori into a ramen shop, Kihachi Ramen, which opened on October 21, 2026. There are three ramen: pork-bone ramen with braised chashu, shrimp soba and tantanmen. Open 11:00–21:00 every day except New Year's Day.
Konnatokoroni Hamburg, a hamburg steak specialist that started in Tatsuno and now runs a shop in Shikama, Himeji, opened a franchise branch in Matsunouchi, Akashi, on October 20, 2026, five minutes on foot from JR Nishi-Akashi Station. The signature Banshu Hamburg Meshi set is a 250g patty of Japanese Kuroge Wagyu and domestic pork with rice, an egg yolk, miso soup and salad for ¥1,400; a double is ¥2,500, and a 125g kids' set (elementary school age and under) is ¥1,000. Beef tendon stew on rice is ¥1,400. Open 11:00–15:00 and 17:00–20:00, closed irregularly. Patties are made by hand each morning in limited numbers, so items can sell out. Cash only. Three parking spaces in front, plus a partner lot next door.
Mahiru Gohan Natona, a small lunch-only eatery on the second floor of a building in Kandacho, Tarumi, opened on October 20, 2026, one minute on foot from JR and Sanyo Tarumi stations. It is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:30), and closed Sundays and Mondays. There are 14 seats, eight at the counter and six at tables. Credit cards, e-money and QR payments are not accepted.
Harimaya Honten, the Hyogo rice-cracker maker behind Asahiage and Kareimangetsu, announced on Sep 18 that it will close all six shops and its mail-order business at the end of March 2027. The Kobe Motomachi shop (Sakaemachi-dori 1-2-7, 1F Daido Seimei Kobe Bldg) closes the same day. Open 10:00–18:00, closed Thursdays.
Chipao Maratan, a chain specializing in medicinal-herb mala soup with glass noodles, plans to open a shop on block 3 of the Motomachi shopping arcade on Tuesday, November 24, 2026 — its second Kobe location after Kitanozaka. It sits between Cotti Coffee and Omi no Yakata. A base bowl of soup and glass noodles is ¥620, and you add from 50+ toppings priced by weight at ¥3.1 per gram (tax included), choosing a spice level from 0 to 5. Everything is half price on November 24 and 25. Hours are 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:30); orders may close early when it gets busy.
Pizzeria NICOLA, a Neapolitan pizza restaurant near Hankyu Rokko Station, closes on Monday, November 23, 2026 (a public holiday). The restaurant says it is considering a move to Osaka from next season. In November it opens for lunch only, except on Saturday the 7th.
Dahlias, a combined pâtisserie and chocolaterie, opens at 12:00 on Friday, November 6, 2026, on the ground floor (south side) of the Hiramatsu Building Shimoyamate Mansion in Shimoyamatedori 4-chome, north of Motomachi Station. Its signature, shown on Instagram throughout the run-up to opening, is cakes decorated with dahlias and roses made from chocolate. From November 6 to 8, it sells limited opening sets — three fresh cakes, five baked sweets, or bonbon chocolates — and closes for the day once they sell out. Whole cakes are by reservation only. Open 12:00–19:00, closed irregularly. There is no dedicated parking, so use a nearby coin car park or public transport.
Gachagacha no Mori Kobe Motomachi, a capsule-toy store with 620 machines, opens on Saturday, October 31, 2026, in the first block of Motomachi Shopping Street. It takes over the former SKECHERS Kobe Motomachi space, below Hanamaru Udon.
Midnight Cookie Club By Zucca, a baked-goods shop in Mikage, runs a pop-up on the B1 floor of Daimaru Kobe from Wednesday, October 28 to Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (a public holiday), 10:00–20:00.
Ramen Taro's Himeji Shiomachi branch, part of the Kobe-born ramen chain, reopens at 19:00 on Monday, October 26, 2026 in Shiomachi, Himeji. From October 26 to 29 you get one free drink, and on October 30 and 31 any ramen is half price. Open Monday to Saturday 19:00–3:00 (last order); closed Sundays.
Kobe Beef Gyuniku-ju Kurosawa Hanare by Kisho Kichi
Kurosawa Hanare, a sister shop of Kobe Beef Kurosawa near Nankinmachi, opened on October 22, 2026 on Motomachi-dori 1-chome. Its signature is the Kobe beef steak ju: medium-rare Kobe beef laid over freshly cooked rice in a lacquered box, from ¥3,520 for lean cut with salad and soup. Open daily 11:00–21:30 (last order 21:00).
gannago, a small spot for weekly-changing lunches and deli dishes, opened on October 21, 2026 right by Hanshin Uchide Station in Ashiya. The weekly lunch starts at ¥1,300 and a deli platter from ¥1,000. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 11:00–18:00; closed Sunday through Tuesday.
Tenshinro, a neighborhood Chinese diner on Tsukamoto-dori just north of JR Hyogo Station, closes on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, after more than 45 years. A bowl of ramen was ¥500 and set meals ¥780. The closure is reportedly due to aging equipment.
KAMISAN, a renovated two-storey warehouse in Manamijo-kami, Tamba-Sasayama, opened its unmanned vintage clothing shop on October 18, 2026, with a spice curry counter planned for November. The clothing shop is open 9:00–20:00 almost every day; you scan barcodes and pay at a self-checkout.
Kobe Nikusho Ichiya, a Kobe beef and Wagyu restaurant in the annex of the Shimabun BB PLAZA building in Iwaya-nakamachi, Nada, reopened on October 18, 2026 after about two and a half years closed. The menu runs from a short steak (¥1,320 for 100g) and roast beef rice bowl (¥1,320) to Kobe beef sukiyaki (¥2,860) and Kobe beef yakiniku (¥4,180), and every dish comes with rice and soup. Open 11:30–15:30 and 17:30–21:30, closed Mondays. Five minutes on foot from Hanshin Iwaya Station, with parking for 9 cars.
STREET CHURROS, a churros specialist from Seoul, opens on October 17, 2026 in the first-floor Food Marche of Mitsui Outlet Park Marinepia Kobe, its first shop in Hyogo. The dough uses 16 grains including oats and lentils, giving churros that are crisp outside and chewy inside when fresh from the fryer. There are also churros paired with soft-serve ice cream.
Gohan Sakaba Fam, a small izakaya run by a mother and daughter, opened on October 16, 2026 in Shinden, Kawanishi, opposite Veritas Hospital. Lunch is set meals, and in the evening it serves home-style dishes and drinks, including food grilled over charcoal. Ingredients are bought fresh each day, so some dishes come and go. Lunch 11:00–14:30 (from October 19), evenings 17:00–23:00.
Baskin-Robbins opened a standalone roadside shop on National Route 2 in Kokubunji, Mikunino-cho, Himeji, on October 15, 2026. Open daily 11:00–21:00, and you can order ahead through the chain's mobile ordering service.
LOPIA, the supermarket chain known for bulk packs and in-store meat counters, opens inside the Blumer Maitamon shopping center on October 15, 2026, filling the gap left by Kansai Super, which closed there in April. It is the first LOPIA in Tarumi Ward. Highlights include the chain's first pork steak counter in the Kansai region, roast beef from Kuroge Wagyu sliced to order, and a seasonal fruit tart created by the store's own deli chief. Open 10:00–20:00. Take a bus about 4 minutes from Gakuen-toshi Station on the Kobe subway and get off at Maitamon-guchi.
Yilong, a Chinese restaurant with eight counter seats and one table, opened on October 15, 2026, on the fourth floor of a building on Hunter-zaka. The chef previously cooked at Fukujin Rairai in Sannomiya, which closed at the end of September. Lunch offers a shark fin set (¥3,500) and the Yilong lunch course (¥5,500), with a one-drink minimum; dinner is à la carte or omakase courses from ¥11,000. A Shanghai hairy crab course (¥22,000) started on October 15. Closed Mondays and Tuesday lunch. Book via Tabelog, by phone or Instagram DM.
A patisserie café specializing in flower-inspired rice-flour cakes and baked goods opened on October 13, 2026, on National Route 2 in Sumahonmachi, Suma Ward. The name means "favorite flower" in French, and cakes are picked from the showcase the way you'd choose flowers at a florist. For now it is takeout only, with no reservations or holds, and closes once sold out. There is no parking lot, but bicycles can be parked out front.
A lunch-only eatery serving homemade Japanese set meals opened on October 13, 2026, in an old house tucked down a back alley in Shin-Nagata. The tofu, yuba and soy milk come from the owner's family tofu shop, Mori Shokuhin, and the menu centers on tempura and yudofu (simmered tofu). The Wakkuwaku Gozen set is ¥2,300, the soy-milk yudofu set ¥1,100 and the tempura platter set ¥1,350. Open Tuesday to Thursday, 11:00–14:00 (last order 13:30); reservations via the shop's official LINE account. Note there is no restroom on site.
Inaho to Mochi no Ki, a Japanese lunch spot in an old house in Shijimi-cho, Miki, opened on October 13, 2026. The weekly Inaho Lunch (¥1,800) comes with a main dish, rice the owners grow themselves, soup, two small sides and coffee, limited to 20 a day. Open 11:00–15:00, closed Sundays and one other day a week (Wednesdays in October). Reservations by phone only; parking for 10 cars.
Nagi coffee., a café with an aquarium inside, opened on October 13, 2026 near Kakogawa Station, opposite Awazu Shrine. Waffles range from savoury loco moco and pizza to chocolate-banana and honey-lemon, alongside cream sodas in six colours, coffee soda and tea soda. Waffles are baked to order one at a time. Open 13:00–21:00, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Repos, a café three minutes on foot from Akashi Station, right beside the Akashi city parking garage, opened on October 13, 2026. Lunch plates (12:00–15:00) are ¥1,870 for demi-glace hamburg steak or mentaiko-cheese croquettes and ¥1,920 for garlic shrimp, served with salad, two deli sides, a gratin and soup; add a drink for ¥350. Apple pie or rum pudding with a drink is ¥1,350. No table reservations and cash only for now. Closed Wednesdays and some other days.
Sukkara Chokkara, a Korean restaurant in Shin-Nagata, opened its second location on October 13, 2026, in unit 107 of the same Astapia Shin-Nagata Esta Preciosa building as the original. The menu matches the main shop, with samgyeopsal at ¥1,900 per person and cheese dakgalbi at ¥4,200 for two. New for the opening are ganjang gejang and yangnyeom gejang (marinated raw crab), nakgopsae and haemul-tang, and the hot pots can be ordered for one. What sets the annex apart: cigarette smoking is allowed, no one under 20 is admitted, and it stays open later, 17:30–midnight (last order 23:00). Closed Mondays.
Pizzeria Dal cordaio, a wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria in Goshikiyama, Tarumi, opened in October 2026. The dough is 100% Haruyutaka wheat from Hokkaido at over 75% hydration, baked in a Stefano Ferrara wood-fired oven. At lunch four pizzas, including margherita and gorgonzola, are ¥1,800. In the evening pizzas run ¥1,700–2,400, alongside starters, pasta and oven-roasted Sanda pork or chicken thigh. Closed Mondays and Sunday evenings; book by phone.
Wazen Arima Hiyoshi, a restaurant serving simmered udon sets, opened on October 10, 2026, on the ground floor of the Arima Royal Hotel in Arima Onsen. The signature nikusui udon set (¥2,200) features thick udon simmered in a beef broth; the raw egg on the side can go into the pot, over rice, or into a rice porridge at the end. Opens at 11:00; no reservations. A 7-minute walk from Arima Onsen Station on the Kobe Electric Railway.
KOGASHI, a shop devoted to bite-size brûlée cream puffs with its main store in Motomachi, Kobe, opened an Akashi branch in Sakuramachi on October 10, 2026. It is about 280 m from JR Akashi Station, near the Aspia Akashi shopping building. Open 11:00–18:00, closing early once everything sells out. No reservations and no customer parking.
mitten, a café-diner in a former ski-area building on the Kannabe Highlands in Hidaka, Toyooka, began its soft opening on October 10, 2026. The main menu is pasta and bagels made with a house levain starter, served as lunch sets or on their own, plus coffee, cake and tea; a single drink is welcome. Open 11:00–17:00 (last order 16:00, lunch last order 14:00), closed Thursdays and Fridays. During the soft opening, bagels for takeaway are usually off on Mondays and pasta lunch on Wednesdays. The last stretch of road is a narrow uphill lane and parking is limited.
SHIN DONUTS., a weekends-only doughnut stand, opened on October 10, 2026 at Zappa Village, a cluster of shops and studios in Ishikura, Himeji. The doughnuts first appeared at a pre-opening during the village's Kujira Festival in September; freshly fried doughnuts and drinks are sold to take away. Open Saturdays and Sundays 11:00–16:00, until sold out. It sits next to the Lu.bande dog grooming salon.
SOU, an atelier for small, reservation-only workshops in Takatsukasa, Takarazuka, held its grand opening on October 10, 2026 after a pre-opening in August. The name combines three readings of 'sou': thinking of yourself, staying close to yourself, and creating yourself. The opening program was an early-morning autumn journaling session (8:00–10:00, four people per session, ¥3,500 including a seasonal breakfast plate and a drink), and in September it hosted a talk on coffee books by Shun Ogihara of WAKO COFFEE. Opening days are irregular and posted monthly on Instagram. Workshop bookings go through the online store of TOBERA, the coffee and cheesecake shop at the same address.
YUCCA cafe opened on October 9, 2026 on the ground floor of KOCO SQUARE in Noguchi, Kakogawa. Cakes and baked goods by the pastry chef are sold to take away, while the café serves limited eat-in desserts with a drink, such as an apple and sweet potato mille-feuille or a fig and black tea cream crêpe (¥1,800 plus tax each). Coffee comes in two house blends roasted by coffee up: the light 'mellow' and the dark 'mood'. Open 10:00–18:00 (last order 17:30), closed Tuesdays.
Janmen, a ramen shop born from the staff meal at Manshuken, a yakiniku restaurant in Shimanto, Kochi Prefecture, opened a branch on October 8, 2026, right by Itayado Station in Suma Ward. The signature Jan-men comes buried under a piping-hot thickened sauce of garlic chives, egg, offal and chili. Jan-men (regular) is ¥1,080, ¥1,230 with a small rice; Jan-meshi (rice version) ¥1,080; classic chuka soba ¥870. Open weekdays 11:00–15:00 and 17:00–23:00, weekends and holidays 11:00–23:00. No reservations.
Shinnen no Spoon, a spice curry shop on Route 176 in Obama, Takarazuka, opened on October 8, 2026. Choose two of the day's three curries for ¥1,000 or all three for ¥1,300; the opening lineup was pork and beef keema, pork vindaloo and spice chicken, with a yam and cucumber achar on the side. Homemade craft cola and coffee jelly round out the menu, and takeaway is available. Lunch only, 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:30), closed Saturdays; the shop closes early when the curry runs out. No parking.
cafe Utsuwa to Kome opened on October 8, 2026, next to the pottery school Togei Dojo in Kande-cho, Nishi Ward, Kobe. Seasonal vegetable side dishes, miso soup and rice are served on Shigaraki ware made by the owner. Lunch is a daily set meal for ¥1,700 with a choice of three mains. Café time starts at 15:00, and on Friday and Saturday evenings the kitchen also serves stone-oven pizza and drinks. No reservations; guests are seated in order of arrival. Open Wednesday to Saturday, cash only.
Yuzenbo, a Peking duck specialist, opened on October 8, 2026, on Kokutai-doro, northeast of Kanwaka Park. The owner was head chef at a well-known Kobe Peking duck restaurant from its opening day and serves the duck with an original sauce. A whole duck is ¥12,000, a single portion ¥4,500. At lunch, the Dim Sum Set B (¥1,380) gives a taste of Peking duck with dim sum, and a weekday daily set is ¥980. Dinner is à la carte or courses from ¥3,250. All prices exclude tax. Open 11:00–14:30 and 17:00–21:00, no closing days; 38 table seats. A 6-minute walk from Hankyu Kasuganomichi Station.
Kushikatsu no Daitoyo, a standing bar serving deep-fried skewers, opens under the JR Sannomiya Station tracks, across from Shokudo Mononoke, on October 7, 2026. The communal no-double-dipping sauce is blended with demi-glace, a nod to Kobe's Western-style yoshoku cooking. A Kobe-style beef cutlet skewer is ¥429 including tax, with Yebisu on draft and Daruma highballs. Counters are set up both inside and along the arcade. Open weekdays 17:00–23:00 and weekends/holidays 11:00–23:00, no closing days.
L'atelier Kobe, a bakery run by Seaside Hotel Maiko Villa Kobe, opens on the first floor of the hotel's main building on October 7, 2026. The bread previously served at the hotel's breakfast buffet and in-house shop now gets its own storefront. Baked in the on-site kitchen: croissants, seasonal Danish pastries, loaf bread and baguettes, curry bread and melon pan, plus cakes and baked sweets from the hotel's pastry chef. Within walking distance of JR Maiko Station and Sanyo Maiko-koen Station. Open 9:00–18:00.
THE CLUB HOUSE opened on October 6, 2026 in Asta Kunizuka Building 2 on the Taishosuji shopping street in Shin-Nagata. It serves tacos at lunch and turns into a public bar for watching sports at night, with its signature Wolf Chicken. The drinks list covers beer, whisky, cocktails, wine, shochu and sake. Open 11:30–14:30 and 17:00–23:00, closed irregularly.
Coffee to. Tsukue, a neighborhood kissaten, opened on October 6, 2026 in a residential part of Okamoto, Higashinada. Alongside its house blend, it serves a breakfast set of toast, eggs and bacon until about 11am, lunch dishes such as curry and spaghetti from 11:30 to around 2pm, and hot sandwiches from 2pm. Homemade cakes and coffee jelly are also on the menu. Open 9:00–17:00, closed Mondays and Saturdays.
Sakaba Towa Sannomiya, an izakaya on the 5th floor of a building on Kitanagasa-dori, opened on October 5, 2026, a minute's walk from the west exit of Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station. The menu centers on spicy miso motsu stew, grilled offal and offal yaki-udon, plus sashimi and karaage, with beer, highballs and lemon sours. There are counter and table seats, and heated-tobacco and e-cigarettes are allowed at every seat. Open 17:00–23:30 (last food order 22:30).
Wappa Gohanya En, a bento shop, opened on October 5, 2026 in Motomachi-dori 7-chome near Nishi-Motomachi Station, close to Hakuai Hospital. Rice cooked in a traditional hagama pot comes with homemade sides in boxes such as beef cutlet, fried shrimp and minced-meat cutlet, and ginger pork. Open 11:00–16:00 or until sold out, closed weekends. On Thursdays only, it operates from the shared kitchen Kiki in Motomachi-dori 5-chome.
Cha Cha Cha, a standing bar serving obanzai home-style dishes and drinking snacks, opened on October 2, 2026, on the ground floor of a building in Kotonoo-cho, northwest of JR Sannomiya Station's east exit. Try the sansho-pepper chicken wings (¥650), fried taro with crab sauce (¥550) or persimmon and cream cheese wrapped in prosciutto (¥550), each served in dishware chosen for the food. Shochu and sake such as Kuro Sasori and Tomino Hozan are ¥600. Open 17:00–24:00 (last order 23:00), closed Mondays.
KASAK, a standing bar pairing crab with sake, opened on October 2, 2026, on the sea side of Piazza Kobe 2 under the tracks between Sannomiya and Motomachi. It is run by Maruya Suisan, a crab dealer from Kasumi in Kami Town on the Sea of Japan coast. Expect shelled red snow crab (50g, ¥660), crab miso (¥480) and seared crab miso in the shell (¥680), with Kasumitsuru one-cup sake (¥600). The shop counter is open 11:00–23:00 and the standing bar 16:00–23:00. There is a ¥200 table charge.
nebi Arima, a six-room retreat, opens on October 2, 2026 in Arima Onsen. It is the third property from Mikoso, the company behind Hanamusubi and Kotori. Each floor holds a single 80-square-metre suite with its own indoor and open-air kinsen hot spring baths, a sauna and a mini kitchen, and the bath designs draw on the classic Six Views of Arima. Check-in is 2pm, check-out 11am; guests aged 12 and under are not accepted and all rooms are non-smoking. It is a 10-minute walk from Arima Onsen Station, with 50 free parking spaces. Three sweets shops open alongside it: Parfait Bar nebi, butter sandwich cookie shop Sotoka, and soft-serve stand SOW arima sweets stand.
Motomachi Stand Noroshi, a standing bar centered on charcoal grilling, opened on October 2, 2026, in a basement on Motomachi-dori 3-chome, southwest of the JR Motomachi Station west exit. Drinking starts at noon (11:30 on weekends). Try the Noroshi gochamaze-yaki, charcoal-grilled fresh chicken (¥429), the chef's choice of fresh fish (¥550), and the daily spring roll (from 15:00). Closed Wednesdays; 20 seats.
The fourth shop from Yuge Baisensho, a Nishinomiya coffee roaster founded in 2013, and its first in Kobe, opens October 2, 2026 near JR Konan-Yamate Station in Moriminami-cho, Higashinada. From October 2 to 4 it runs standing-only, selling limited opening bean sets that come with an original tote bag and one drink. Seating opens October 5. Hours are 10:00–17:00; October closures are the 6th, 7th and 13th.
Mavera, a bakehouse built around croissants, opened on October 1, 2026, by the Maikodai 5-chome intersection in Tarumi. Look for croissants (¥300), kouign-amann (¥180), scones (¥320) and oatmeal-raisin cookies (¥280). It opens at 6:30 a.m. and closes at 18:00 on Monday, Thursday and Friday, and at 15:00 on weekends; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Takeout only, and it has been selling out early.
Ryuen, a neighborhood Chinese restaurant that served Amagasaki for 70 years before closing in August 2025, reopened on October 1, 2026 in Minaminokita, Itami. The menu keeps the old favorites: liver and garlic chives stir-fry, Ama-champon noodles, mapo tofu, pork gyoza, chashu ramen with garlic chives and set lunches. Open for lunch 11:30–14:30 and dinner 17:00–21:00, with a small private car park.
Fukushindo, a wagashi shop founded in 1933, will close its Shinkaichi main store on September 30, 2026 and relocate. It is a move, not a closure: the shop is making a temporary relocation within Hyogo Ward, with the new address and opening date yet to be announced. September 30 is the last day to buy its hand-baked kawara senbei and kawara manju at the Shinkaichi storefront it has occupied for 78 years. Open 8:30am-7pm, no regular holidays.
Opened on September 28, 2026 on the ground floor of Hotel Livemax BUDGET Kobe in Mizukidori, Hyogo Ward, near Shinkaichi. This 24-hour coin laundry has a café-style seating area, cup-drink and frozen-food vending machines, smart lockers and capsule toys, and every machine, including the washers, takes cashless payment. The nearest station is Shinkaichi on the Kobe Rapid Railway, with Minatogawa-koen (subway) and JR Hyogo also nearby.
Xiao Nezha Malatang, a malatang specialist, opened on September 28, 2026 in Otsuwa, Nishi-ku, Kobe. Besides the spicy malatang broth, it offers a tomato soup version and malaban, a soupless mixed style. Open 11:00-22:00. There is no dedicated parking; use nearby coin parking.
Tamada Shokudo, a casual diner built around curry and kushikatsu, opened on September 28, 2026 in Nagasawa-cho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe. Lunch is the focus: plain curry (850 yen), curry topped with three kushikatsu skewers, katsu curry, a daily set meal such as karaage, and a small drinking set for a midday beer. The high counter is a holdover from the space's days as a standing bar, though stools are provided. Open 11:00-16:00, closed weekends and holidays. Evening service from 17:00 to 21:00 runs on select days announced on Instagram. Cash only.
Issyaku Maratang, a malatang specialist, opened on September 26, 2026, just by Hanshin Fukae Station. You pick your own ingredients from the display case and pay by weight (¥400 per 100g, tax included). Choose from three broths — pork bone, tomato, or hot and sour — and four spice levels from none to extra hot. Address: 3-8-12 Fukae-honmachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe.
Komewazurai, a shop specializing in bento and deli dishes, opened on September 24, 2026 in Levante Tarumi Building 2, a two-minute walk from Tarumi Station. It makes daily bento boxes and side dishes by hand using local Kobe ingredients. Open from 11:00 until sold out, closed on weekends and holidays. During the pre-opening period it offered four daily bento options at ¥700 each.
Osaka-based discount supermarket Sundi opened its Mikage store on Thursday, September 24, 2026. The address is 1-35-13 Mikage-Gunge, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, just north of Hanshin Mikage Station.
envy, a brand of silver jewellery made by artisans in Taxco, Mexico, opens its first physical shop in Kobe's Motomachi on September 22, 2026. Until now it has sold mainly online and at pop-ups; the shop carries Mexican jewellery the owner buys directly in Taxco alongside original silver pieces, and stocks silver only. It sits just south of Nankinmachi (Chinatown) beside the Kaiei-mon gate at 1-2-13 Sakaemachi-dori, Chuo-ku, about a 3-minute walk from JR/Hanshin Motomachi Station.
Chukasoba Tatsu, a ramen shop that operated in Sakaue, Tarumi-ku, reopened at a new location in Kande-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe on September 21, 2026. The new shop is inside the Big House in Kande-cho Tai. Its signature is a soy sauce-based chuka soba. Opening hours and days off are announced on the shop's Instagram.
China-born coffee chain Cotti Coffee opens its Kobe Motomachi shop on September 21, 2026—its first location in Hyogo. It sits in the Motomachi shopping arcade at 3-6-9-1A Motomachi-dori, Chuo-ku, a 4-minute walk from Motomachi Station. Opening promotion: 10% off all drinks from September 21 to October 4 (in-store and app orders; cannot be combined with other discounts or coupons).
Daikoku Ramen, founded in Fushimi, Kyoto in 1983, opens its second Kobe shop on Kitanozaka on September 21, 2026, following the Sannomiya-Higashi branch in July. The golden tonkotsu-shoyu broth simmered from pork and chicken bones is unchanged; alongside the regular ramen (600 yen) and fried rice, the menu adds sides such as gyoza and fried chicken. Every ramen order comes with a 100-yen-off voucher for next time. For the opening, all ramen is 200 yen off for three days, September 21–23 (regular 600→400 yen, large 750→550, chashu regular 750→550, chashu large 900→700). It sits on the 1st floor of the Goyo Building in Nakayamate-dori 1-chome, about a 5-minute walk up Kitanozaka from Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station. Open 11:00–14:30 (LO 14:00) / 17:00–23:00 (LO 22:30), closed Wednesdays (open September 23). No reservations, cash only.
Osaka-born coffee-house chain Cafe Eikokuya opens on the 6th floor (Sports & Wellness floor) of Mint Kobe on Friday, September 18, 2026, right by Sannomiya Station. A city cafe centered on coffee and sweets, open 11:00–20:00 with lunch served 11:00–14:00. Fully non-smoking; closed days follow the building.
Links cafe Harebare, a pancake and egg-sandwich café on Route 2 in Wasaka, Nishi-Akashi, opened on September 17, 2026. It's the second shop of Cafe and pudding Harebare, the pudding-and-egg specialist in Eigashima. Open 10:00–19:00, closed Wednesdays and some irregular days.
Ginduki opened on September 16, 2026, on the third floor (3E) of the Eito Building Kobe Ichibankan in Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo-ku, a short walk from Sannomiya and Motomachi. It is a small izakaya-style spot built around mamezara (small-plate) side dishes, pork miso soup and good white rice to go with drinks. The owner, a former office worker of 25 years running a restaurant for the first time, named it after two dogs, Gin (silver) and Luna (moon), who also appear on the sign. The drinks list runs six sakes served in dedicated cups, including Senkai and Hyakumoku from Hyogo, plus whiskies such as Yoichi and Taketsuru, gins like Roku and Kanomori, wine, and Sapporo Classic in a nod to the owner's roots. Coffee and soft drinks are also sourced from around Japan. Open Wednesday to Saturday, 15:00–22:00; closed Sunday to Tuesday with occasional irregular days off. Cash only for now. No pets.
Morisho, a sushi counter serving nigiri and small plates, opened at 4-1-15 Mizukasa-dori, Nagata-ku, Kobe on September 14, 2026, about a 5-minute walk from Shin-Nagata Station (JR and subway). It has just eight counter seats and is reservation-only: one omakase course of small plates and sushi at ¥8,800 (tax included), booked by phone (080-2512-3993). Open 17:30–22:00 (last entry 20:00), irregular holidays. Guests must be of high-school age or older and each order a full course. No parking.
Shiro or Pink Bby, a casual izakaya where everything on the menu costs ¥380, opened at 1-10-16 Hamanaka-cho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe on September 14, 2026, about a 5-minute walk from Misaki-koen Station on the Kaigan subway line. Daily obanzai side dishes, salads, tempura, sashimi, noodles and rice dishes, plus beer, highballs, shochu and sake, are all the same flat price. It runs Monday to Thursday, 17:30–23:30; from Friday to Sunday the same space operates as its sister bar Kuro Bby. Preview nights were held on September 2 and 3. No parking.
Bosogo, a Kyrgyz restaurant, opened on Rokko Island on September 11, 2026. It is the directly run restaurant of honey brand Arienta, which operated the official shop of the Kyrgyzstan pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai as Kyrgyz Expo Bazaar, and is the first Kyrgyz restaurant on Honshu. The name is Kyrgyz for the doorway of a yurt. Find it on the second floor of Rokko Island Konan Hospital, two minutes on foot from Island Center Station on the Rokko Liner. The opening menu, through September 21, offers Set A plov (Kyrgyz rice pilaf) at 1,690 yen and Set B chuchvara (dumpling soup) at 1,790 yen, each with shorpo soup and salad or bread and salad; ordering a set takes 150 yen off a drink. A la carte: samsa (lamb or chicken) and the Bosogo salad. The signature drink is a sea-buckthorn and Kyrgyz honey soda. Open 11:00–22:00, closed Mondays. Reservations by phone: 080-2590-5819. Address: 2-11 Koyo-cho Naka, Higashinada-ku, Rokko Island Konan Hospital 2F.
Kojun, a Chinese restaurant built around food-and-wine pairing, opened on the 2nd floor of the TAKAI Building at 1-21-2 Kitanagasa-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe on September 11, 2026, within walking distance of both Sannomiya and Motomachi stations. Owner-chef Takayasu Murakawa is a JSA-certified wine expert; the menu runs to dishes such as tiger prawns with mango mayonnaise, mouth-watering chicken and mapo tofu, served as courses or à la carte. Open 17:30–23:30 (food last order 23:00), closed Sundays. Reserve via TableCheck or by phone (078-384-1086); parties of seven or more should call the restaurant directly. No parking.
Due Pazzi, an Italian restaurant, opened on the ground floor of the Tenjiku Building at 2-20-6 Nakayamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe on September 10, 2026, within walking distance of Sannomiya Station. Alongside pizza and pasta, the menu includes burgers, carpaccio, fried seafood, a carbonara made with bamboo-charcoal pasta and tagliata of beef rump. Lunch runs 11:00–14:00 and the dinner and bar service 17:00–24:00, so it works as a late-night spot too. Closing days are not yet confirmed. Reservations and enquiries are handled through the restaurant's official LINE account.
Lien Bistro & Wine, a casual French bistro, opened on the ground floor of the Nishikawa Building at 3-2-5 Nakahara-dori, Nada-ku, Kobe on September 10, 2026, about a 6-minute walk from Hankyu Oji-koen Station and within walking distance of JR Maya Station. The cooking pairs seasonal produce and fruit with classics such as pâté de campagne, boeuf bourguignon and rump steak of Japanese crossbred beef. Open 12:00–22:00 (last order 21:00), closed Mondays. Reservations are taken through Tabelog's online booking.
Italian restaurant Cibo opened at 3-3-17 Kotonoocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe on September 7, 2026, on the ground floor of College Building. Dishes built on Hyogo-grown ingredients are paired with Japanese wines from Yamanashi and Nagano plus domestic gin and whisky. Open 17:00–24:00 on weekdays and 15:00–24:00 on weekends and holidays (food L.O. 23:00); closed Tuesdays and some irregular days.
Horumon Bonkura, a grilled-offal restaurant, opened at 1-2-27 Azumadori, Chuo-ku, Kobe on September 7, 2026, about a 3-minute walk from Hanshin Kasuganomichi Station. The offal is served pre-seasoned and spicy, so no dipping sauce is needed, and you can pick the meat-to-offal ratio (5:5, 7:3 or 3:7). There is also a hotpot version, highballs from ¥390, and courses by reservation for two or more. Open 17:00–26:00.
BonBon-do, a shaved-ice and galette shop, opened at 1-15-2 Nakayamatedori, Chuo-ku, Kobe on September 4, 2026, in room 401 of the Fuji Building. The lineup includes strawberry mascarpone milk, pistachio milk and fig gorgonzola cream. Hours are 12:00–17:00 for the time being, closed Mondays and some irregular days. Cash only; reservations and enquiries are handled by Instagram DM.
Izumi Noodles Duo Kobe, a curry-udon and curry-noodle shop, opened on September 3, 2026 in the Yamanote wing of Duo Kobe, the underground mall connected to JR Kobe and Kosoku Kobe stations. It is a joint venture between Osaka curry house Izumi Curry and Koran, a long-running restaurant in Kobe's Nankinmachi Chinatown. Curry noodles come with a choice of udon or Chinese-style yellow noodles, and there are beef-tendon curry, European-style curry rice, Japanese-style curry rice bowls and sides such as fried chicken. Hours are 11:00–21:00, but for now the shop runs 11:00–20:30 (last order 20:00) with a possible break between 15:00 and 17:00. Cash only.
Hatena Coffee, a cafe where the puzzles come with the drinks, opens on September 2, 2026 in Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe. It is the chain's first location in Hyogo, on the second floor of the A Building, a three-minute walk from Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station. Pricing is ¥1,650 for the puzzle plus ¥550 and up for a drink, with food from ¥550. Open 11:30-22:00 (last entry 21:00), closed the second Thursday of the month except on public holidays. Walk-ins are welcome, but reserved guests take priority when the cafe is full.
ATELIER AO, a Southern European restaurant with just six counter seats, opened at Kitanagasa-dori 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Kobe on September 1, 2026. Lunch is a 6-dish course for ¥1,500 or an 8-dish course for ¥2,000; dinner offers courses from ¥11,000 alongside à la carte, with dishes such as persimmon and burrata, chilled sea urchin fedelini, and grilled beef rump. Lunch 12:00–14:00, dinner 18:00–23:00. Reservations and closing days are posted on the official Instagram.
MAMEBACO COFFEE Hankyu Rokko, the cafe at the Rokko Tozanguchi intersection north of Hankyu Rokko Station, reopened on September 1, 2026 under a new name, Rokko Coffee. Alongside coffee, lattes and pudding, the menu now includes food such as pasta. Open 9:00-18:00, a five-minute walk from Hankyu Rokko Station.
WATSON Bakery opened on September 1, 2026 in Muroya, Nishi-ku, Kobe. Alongside fresh-baked breads, savory rolls and pastries, it serves espresso, cafe latte and teas such as Darjeeling and Earl Grey. Hours are 9:00-18:00 Monday to Wednesday and 7:30-18:00 on weekends and holidays, closed Thursdays and Fridays. Shared parking is available.
Bamboo kitchen opened on August 29, 2026 in Shikanoshita-dori, Nada-ku, Kobe. The menu ranges widely: ¥300 ramen, bento boxes of karaage or chicken nanban, spice curry made with wagyu, and sandwiches. Hours are 8:00-21:00, closing once dishes sell out, with Mondays off. There is a drive-through, and orders can be placed in advance by phone or Instagram DM. No parking on site.
BAKERY CAFE C, a bakery-cafe brand from the Saint Marc group, opens in the Santica 10-bangai Gourmet Square on August 28, 2026 — its third store nationwide and second in Kansai after Namba CITY. It is built around three Cs — croissant, coffee and cafe — with more than 40 kinds of bread on the shelves at any time. Four drinks are exclusive to this store: Matchai, a matcha-chai latte at 780 yen, and three smoothies themed on Santica's mascots, the 3 Kuma bears, at 880 yen each. Crotch, a croissant filled with rice cake, is 390 yen. A dedicated takeout window takes advantage of the direct station link, and the coffee is ARK-certified beans from Kyoto's Ogawa Coffee. Hours are 7:00–21:30 on weekdays and 7:30–21:00 at weekends and on holidays, with 75 non-smoking seats plus Wi-Fi and power outlets.
Choinomi Shokudo Nanatsuboshi, which pairs meat dishes with Japanese whisky, reopened on August 27, 2026 after moving to the ground floor of KOBE CONVEX SQUARE in 1-chome Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe. Whiskies such as Hakushu and Yamanashi are served alongside grilled meat and pasta. It trades evenings only, 17:00-24:00.
cafe 'u opened on August 25, 2026 on Kitanozaka in Sannomiya, run by the yakiniku restaurant Yakiniku Yu. It is on the ground floor at Kano-cho 4-9-9, about three minutes' walk from Sannomiya station. The headline dish is the two-cut wagyu set at 1,980 yen — mini wagyu hitsumabushi plus a choice of seared wagyu yukhoe or grilled wagyu over rice — while the single sets run 1,680 yen each. Avocado and cream cheese toast (1,450 yen) and a BBQ cheeseburger (1,650 yen) both include a drink. Ice cream comes in six flavours at 500 yen, and beer, highballs and shochu are all 650 yen. Open 12:00-17:00; closing days vary.
Mugi, an udon shop that turns into a small-plates restaurant at night, opened on August 25, 2026 in Hyuga, Tarumi-ku, Kobe. Lunch runs Monday to Saturday 10:00-15:00, and dinner is served Thursday to Saturday only, 17:00-21:00. Closed Sundays.
Mankichi Shokudo, a breakfast diner in a renovated old house, opened on August 24, 2026 in Futaba-cho, Nagata-ku, Kobe. It serves breakfast from 6:00 to 11:00 and lunch from 11:00 to 14:30, with a limited-time set of rice, soup and three sides at 500 yen. Closing days vary.
Asia Sakaba Roman, an izakaya serving small plates from across Asia, opened on August 23, 2026 in Higashikawasaki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, within walking distance of Harborland. It runs evenings only, 16:00-23:00; the regular closing day has not been announced.
Suzuran Terrace SOTTO, a community-oriented shared atelier, opens on August 22, 2026, near Suzurandai Station in Kobe's Kita ward. It offers a shared atelier for women creators, freelancers, and entrepreneurs, a multipurpose hall for workshops, exhibitions, and events, and a community space open to local residents. A grand opening event with owner-led tours and guest vendors runs 10:00–16:00 on opening day.
Gyoko Shokudo Sanpo, a chain known for all-you-can-eat sashimi, opens its first Kobe location on the 1st floor of Sannomiya Center Plaza at 11:00 on Thursday, August 20, 2026. Lunch offers 60 minutes of all-you-can-eat sashimi with eight or more varieties that change daily, including bluefin tuna and yellowtail, at 3,500 yen (3,850 yen incl. tax) for adults, 3,000 yen (3,300 yen incl. tax) for women on weekdays, 2,300 yen (2,530 yen incl. tax) for children aged 4-12, and free for younger children. Side dishes, tempura, oden and desserts are included. Dinner is course and a la carte, with a 4,980 yen all-you-can-eat sashimi course, and highballs and similar drinks at 198 yen including tax. Hours are 11:00-15:00 (LO 14:30) and 16:30-22:00 (LO 21:30), closed only over the New Year holidays. Online reservations via Hot Pepper are due to open on August 27.
VEGEONE, a soup specialty shop run by the student group Refarm, opened on August 20, 2026 on the second floor of a building in Kanocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe. It opens only around lunchtime.
Cafuné, a small coffee-and-toast kissaten, opened on August 17, 2026 just south of the red torii in Honjo-cho, about five minutes on foot south of Hanshin Fukae Station. It took over the former Karaoke Snack Hana as-is: the chairs and tables stayed, the counter was re-skinned in wood grain and the lighting replaced. There are no windows, so you cannot see in from the street. The menu is deliberately short — coffee, tea, café au lait, three juices and four kinds of toast (butter, jam, cheese, egg). The owner has a wheat allergy, so the bread is rice-flour loaf. Morning toast is a standard thick slice; after 11:00 it switches to two thinner, smaller slices. The name is Portuguese for the gesture of gently stroking a loved one's hair. Open 7:30–16:00 on weekdays and 7:30–11:00 (breakfast only) on Saturdays; closed Sundays. Rice-ball lunches are being considered. Address: 2-4-14 Honjo-cho, Higashinada-ku.
Beverage BULBUL, a drink stand, opened on August 15, 2026, inside Bakery BULBUL in Hiyodoridai, Kita-ku, so you can pick up a drink to go with the bread you just bought. Address: 2-1-2 Hiyodoridai, Kita-ku. Open 7:30–17:00, irregular holidays.
yu'lu', a small restaurant serving Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes built around seasonal produce, opened on August 13, 2026, in a quiet residential pocket about an 8-minute walk west of Hankyu Okamoto Station. Alongside the food are house-made soft drinks, Minoh beer and fruit liqueurs. Address: 3-12-11 Okamoto, Higashinada-ku. Lunch 11:30–15:00 (L.O. 14:30), dinner 17:00–20:00 (L.O. 19:30), closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Tel 070-8473-1239.
Teppanyaki Steak Mikinao, the third restaurant from Kobe's Mikinao group, opened on August 12, 2026 in the Kitanagasa-dori area of Sannomiya. It is on basement level 1 of the Jizo Building at 1-20-12 Kitanagasa-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, serving lunch from 11:00 to 15:00 (last order 14:30) and dinner from 17:00 to 22:00 (last order 21:00). Reservations are taken through Tabelog, Gurunavi and Hitosara, and the restaurant accepts credit cards, e-money and QR code payments. Phone: 078-600-9140.
Tacos and Tex-Mex specialist BUMPY WRAP opens in Kobe's Motomachi on August 10, 2026, on the ground floor of the Tairyu Building at 3-chome Kitanagasa-dori, about a 1-minute walk from the east exit of JR Motomachi Station. Classic tacos come in suadero and carnitas at 450 yen each, with combos from 1,200 yen. All nine tequila sours are 590 yen, alongside Mexican beers such as Corona and Modelo. Open 11:00-22:00 daily with 30 seats, and online reservations are being accepted.
Stern, a gluten-free baked goods brand in Kobe, opened a daytime cafe on August 9, 2026 on the third floor of the Tenten Building in Kitanagasa-dori, Chuo Ward. It shares space with Food Bar ENDS, using the room during the day before the bar opens at night. The signature item is a Basque cheesecake baked with rice flour instead of wheat, at 650 yen, made with free-range eggs from Tamba-Sasayama and Hokkaido beet sugar. A cake set with a drink is 1,200 yen, and Tamba-Sasayama black soybean tea is 600 yen. Keema curry and hayashi rice are 1,000 yen each. Hours are 11:00-18:00 (last order 17:00 for food, 17:30 for drinks), open most days with irregular closures, and the shop may close when ingredients run short. Cash, credit cards and e-money are accepted; QR code payments are not. About five minutes on foot from Sannomiya Station, with stairs only to the third floor.
Appare, an udon shop in Kobe's Nagata Ward, holds its grand opening on August 8, 2026 in Kubo-cho. The signature bowl is dashimaki bokkake udon at 500 yen, topping udon with rolled dashi omelette and bokkake, the local beef-and-konjac stew that Nagata is known for. The shop ran a pre-opening from June 17 and reopens after a renovation. Lunch runs Monday to Saturday 11:00-14:00, while dinner is Friday and Saturday only, 17:30-22:30; closed Sundays and the first and third Monday. A takeout dashimaki bokkake rice bowl is 400 yen and a beer set is 500 yen. Three minutes on foot from Komagabayashi Station, six from JR Shin-Nagata.
Minced-meat bowl specialty shop LOCO×MINCE opens in Itayado, Suma Ward, Kobe, on August 8, 2026. It's a 3-minute walk from Itayado Station, at 1-1-22 Hiratacho, Suma-ku. The signature LOCO MINCE BOWL (¥980 each) comes in three flavors: sweet-spicy, curry, or garlic.
Osteria Calimero, a Roman-cuisine restaurant, reopens on August 8, 2026 after moving to 3-3-15 Kitanagasa-dori in Kobe's Motomachi, on the ground floor of the Motomachi Mansion building. The move stays within the same 3-chome block; the previous location closed on July 5. The new space was home for 11 years to Espai Cuoch Kobe and Italia Gashi no Susume. The reopening date matches the day the restaurant first opened in 2019, marking its seventh anniversary. Lunch runs 12:00-15:00 and dinner 18:00-22:00, closed Mondays plus irregular days; lunch service starts on August 14.
BRISK STAND, a burger shop born in Kobe, opens at Mitsui Outlet Park Marinepia Kobe on August 7, 2026, in the first-floor Food Marche. Hours are 10:00-21:00 with last orders at 20:30. The shop builds burgers around Japanese ingredients and techniques under the slogan "take a bite out of washoku," and its signature is Kitta Yatsu, a burger halved and seared twice on the griddle. The company says this is its first location in a Mitsui Outlet Park.
Doutor Coffee Shop returns to Sannomiya's underground mall, opening in Santica Block 10 on August 7, 2026. The previous branch in the same spot closed at the end of February 2026, so this is a comeback after about half a year, now with a roomier 61 seats. Hours are 7:00-21:00 on weekdays and 7:30-21:00 on weekends and holidays. Seating is entirely non-smoking with a separate smoking booth, and free Wi-Fi and power outlets are available.
Dios Maratan, a mala tang specialist with five shops across Osaka and Kyoto, opened its Kobe Sannomiya branch on August 6, 2026. You build your own bowl by picking the soup, the noodles and the ingredients, and the spice level is adjustable. Find it at the Mitsui Building, 1-4-8 Kitanagasa-dori, Chuo-ku, a short walk from JR Sannomiya and Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya stations. Open 11:00–22:00.
Kobe Bussan, the franchise headquarters behind the Gyomu Super chain, opens the first location of its new restaurant brand "Korean Izakaya Hansan" in Torio East, Sannomiya, on August 6, 2026. The 48-seat, roughly 90-square-metre space serves signature dishes such as spicy nakgopsae and the house bossam in single portions. Grand menu items start at 290 yen (before tax) and weekday lunch sets run 980–1,480 yen, alongside more than 20 alcoholic drinks including Korean beer and makgeolli and 18 soft drinks. Located on the 1st floor of the Sanko Building at 2-8-6 Kitanagasa-dori, Chuo-ku, a 4-minute walk from the west exit of Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station. Open 11:30–15:00 / 17:00–23:00 on weekdays and 11:30–23:00 on weekends and holidays, no regular closing day. No dedicated parking.
HONU, an acai bowl and Greek yogurt specialist, opened its second shop in Kobe's Kitano district on August 6, 2026. It sits on Nakayamate-dori 1-chome next door to Peanuts Hotel, a six-minute walk from JR Sannomiya and midway between Kitanozaka and Fudozaka on the way up to the foreign residences. Hours are 11:00-18:00 with last orders at 17:30. The original shop opened in Akashi in November 2024; the name is Hawaiian for sea turtle. Everything on the menu was 1,000 yen from August 6 to 8 to mark the opening.
Roman, an abura soba and mazesoba specialist with 16 shops across Osaka and Kyoto, opens its Kobe Motomachi branch on Thursday, August 6, 2026 — its first location in Hyogo. The signatures are mazesoba, with thick wholegrain noodles tossed with spicy minced pork, garlic chives, spring onion, menma and egg yolk, and abura soba, a soy-based sauce you finish yourself with vinegar and house chili oil. For the first week (Aug 6–12), the shop hands out a sticker good for free toppings or a large portion for life. Located on Motomachi-dori 1-chome in Chuo-ku, a 2-minute walk from JR Motomachi Station. Open 11:00–23:00.
Tonkotsu ramen specialist Burin opens in Kobe's Motomachi on August 1, 2026, on the ground floor of the Koikawa Kohatsu Building at 3-chome Kitanagasa-dori, within walking distance of JR Motomachi Station. The shop is built around a rich pork-bone broth simmered daily and house-made chashu, with a lineup that includes Bu-Shiro, Bu-Kyoku, Bu-En, Bu-Kin, and Bu-Ran. Takeout and delivery are also available, with service starting at 11:00.
LOCAL FABRIC & COFFEE, a shop offering everyday clothing and household goods from textile-producing regions across Japan, holds its pre-opening on July 25, 2026, a 7-minute walk south of JR Sumiyoshi Station. Run by MILLE Inc., it carries maker-direct brands such as BLANKED, HUIS., and Kimura Soap, alongside a café serving lattes, drip coffee, pudding, and donuts. The grand opening is set for August 8. Hours vary by day during the pre-opening period; closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Niku no Esaka, a popular meat restaurant from Motomachi, opens its Center Plaza Sannomiya branch on July 25, 2026. Running its own meat-processing plant with no middlemen, the shop leads with a melt-in-your-mouth WAGYU steak and a butcher's special hamburg set. The hamburg is aged in a house sauce and comes with a choice of three sauces — demi-glace, white, or curry — with free large or extra-large rice. Find it at Unit 008, Center Plaza East, Sannomiya-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe. Open 11:00–21:00.
Liquor Mountain, a specialty liquor retailer known for rare whiskies, premium Champagnes, and limited-edition bottles, opens its first Sannomiya location on July 22, 2026. The store is at Kusunoki Building 1F, 1-5-11 Nakayamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe — about 3–7 minutes on foot from Sannomiya Station. Hours: 13:00–22:00, closed Tuesdays. Opening-day events include lucky bags and a tasting session.
Gyokoun, a gyoza restaurant, opens on July 19, 2026 at 1-1-6 Daikaidori, Hyogo-ku, Kobe. From July 19 to 21 the shop runs opening deals: a 700 yen lunch set, 290 yen draft beer in the evening, and 100 yen off other menu items. Cash only.
A small Italian deli opening in front of Taverna Mano in Minato-Motomachi — sell-by-weight antipasti, Florentine street food lampredotto, plus pasta and olive oil. Stand-up bar and takeaway.
BBQ DAYS, a hands-free barbecue chain, opens at the East Plaza of Kobe Renga Soko (Chuo Ward) on July 10, 2026. Just 8 minutes on foot from JR Kobe Station, you can grill with a view of the Harborland sea and cityscape without bringing any gear or charcoal. Bring your own food and the fee is just 1,800 yen per adult (gear included); food-set hands-free plans start at 4,900 yen, with a 3,500 yen student plan. Reservation required; open only through October 12.
Inoue Seikoen, an olive farm from Shodoshima island in Kagawa, opens its second Kansai location in Kobe Okamoto on July 10, 2026, a 2-minute walk from Hankyu Okamoto Station. The store offers olive oils, citrus products, tasting experiences, and soft serve. Opening special: 10% off all items through July 24, plus a free olive oil sample (30ml) with app registration.
stir, a self-roasting coffee shop and natural wine bar that also serves South Indian-style curry, opened on July 3, 2026 in Mikage-honmachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe. It occupies a former tobacco shop the owner's grandmother ran for over 50 years, a one-minute walk from the south exit of Hanshin Mikage Station. Cafe hours are 12:00–16:00 and the bar runs 19:00–23:00 from August; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The daily curry starts at 1,200 yen, coffee at 600 yen and wine at 800 yen a glass. Six house-roasted beans are sold in store and online.
Daikoku Ramen, a long-loved shop from Fushimi in Kyoto, opens its Sannomiya-Higashi branch — its first in Kobe — on July 1, 2026 at 11:00. The signature is a golden tonkotsu-shoyu broth simmered from pork and chicken bones for six hours: light yet rich. Thin straight noodles and a simple fried rice round out the reasonably priced menu, with ramen from 550 yen. Located on the 1st floor of City Tower Plaza in Asahi-dori, Chuo-ku. Open 11:00–14:30 / 17:00–22:00, closed Wednesdays (open on July 1). No reservations.
UCC Coffee Museum on Kobe's Port Island reopens on July 1, 2026, with a major renewal. New exhibits explore the science and future of coffee, and four hands-on paid experiences are now available: paper drip, blend making, roasting, and 3D latte art. Open Wed–Sun 10:00–17:00. Fully reservation-based; booking opens May 15 at noon.
Namakura, a cozy spot for Japanese obanzai dishes and drinks, opens in Shinkaichi, Hyogo Ward, Kobe on Saturday, June 27, 2026. Hours: 15:00–22:00. Currently walk-ins only; reservations not yet available.
AKINOEN, a Mont Blanc soft serve specialty shop by Potomak (the company behind TOOTH TOOTH), opens June 24, 2026 inside the TOOTH MART food hall on the 1st floor of Kobe Port Museum. Watch 1mm ultra-fine chestnut cream piped over soft serve right in front of you — six varieties (¥850–¥990) plus churros. Open 11:00–22:00 (last order 21:00), irregular holidays.
Heisei Coffee, which ran the Origin roastery in Hyogo-ku, opened its new roasting factory and cafe in Hontamon, Tarumi-ku on June 21, 2026. The opening was rescheduled after a delivery delay of its UG22 roaster, and Origin has closed with the move. You can drink coffee roasted on site or buy beans to take home.
A small cafe right in front of Minatoyama Onsen, serving coffee, sweets and light meals. Weekday evenings only, daytime on weekends and holidays. No parking or toilet.
HALOWS, a 24-hour supermarket chain, opens in Hontamon, Tarumi Ward on Thursday, June 18 at 9 a.m. — its 16th store in Hyogo and 115th overall. With free parking and round-the-clock hours, it's handy for late-night and early-morning shopping.
Cafe Grisé, a self-style cafe, opens on the hillside stretch of Koikawa-suji in Kobe's Motomachi on June 12, 2026. The name is French for both "grey" and "intoxicated," and the interior is fittingly built around shades of grey. Order at your own pace and pick espresso or latte alongside baked sweets from the showcase. Open 8:00–20:00 on weekdays and 10:00–20:00 on weekends and holidays.
Coffee and rice ball shop "misaki cafe musubi" celebrates its grand opening on Thursday, June 11, 2026 in Imadezaike-cho, Hyogo Ward, Kobe. The shop offers self-roasted hand-drip coffee, carefully crafted rice balls made with selected rice and salt, and seasonal side dishes. Open 11:00-17:00 (L.O. 16:30), closed Sundays and holidays. During the three opening days (June 11-13), enjoy 50 yen off coffee or one free rice ball (one per customer).
A small café run by a coffee-loving owner opens in June 2026 near Itayado Station in Kobe's Suma ward, in a renovated former izakaya space. Equipped with a La Marzocco espresso machine, it serves hand-drip coffee, lattes, homemade ginger ale, and lunch, plus carefully chosen beans including 100% Kona coffee. The space is designed as a relaxed spot to linger.
The new Kobe Historical Archives opens on June 1, 2026 in the Hyogo-tsu district, a historic port quarter of Kobe. The facility combines the preserved and renovated 'Former Okakata Club' building — a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in Hyogo Ward — with a new five-story annex. It houses 'specified historical official documents' from the city's archives and rare regional historical materials collected for compiling Kobe's history, opened to the public so anyone can trace Kobe's modern past through primary sources.
Kyoto-born natural lifestyle shop mumokuteki goods＆wears opens its Kobe Motomachi store on May 30, 2026. Under the "Meets KOBE" theme, it features products from Hyogo-based makers including Banshu textile brands and upcycled goods. Located on the 1st floor of San Apollo Building, 2-4-13 Motomachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe. Open 11:00–20:00, with irregular holidays.
Suii, a shaved-ice cafe run by a patissier, opens in Motomachi after preview days on May 30 and 31, 2026. The shop sits on the first floor of Sakaguchi Building at 3-5-9 Sannomiya-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, a two-minute walk from Hanshin and JR Motomachi Station and next door to onigiri shop Konga. Alongside shaved ice, baked sweets are also planned. During the preview, reserved guests are prioritised, with walk-ins seated only when space allows.
Lounge KOBE, a new international airline lounge, opens May 21, 2026 in the international departure area of Kobe Airport Terminal 2. The 154.12 m² space seats 40 and is designed around the port city's atmosphere — walls in the Kobe tartan pattern and carpet inspired by the sea. Food and drink feature ingredients and local dishes from Kobe and Hyogo. Open from 2.5 hours before the first flight to the final departure time of the day.
A boxing fitness gym opening 4 min on foot from JR Hyogo Station. Preview sessions from 5 May; grand open 19 May. Weekdays 10:00–22:00, Sat–Sun 9:00–20:00. Closed Mon & Thu.
AiMER, a new bakery in Tarumi Ward, Kobe, opens on Monday, May 18, 2026 at 7:00. Run by Hasegawa-san, a baker with over 18 years of experience, the shop also held a limited pre-open on May 13 (Wed) and 14 (Thu) from 10:00. Highlights include 60cm-plus baguettes made in the traditional method passed down by Raymond Calvel, croissants using Isigny cultured butter from Normandy, and pain au seigle with 40% rye. Breads are mixed and baked the same day with the straight dough method so they stay good the next day. The interior features black-iron flooring and a chandelier for a French-inspired feel. Closed Wed, May 20. Cash only and no parking — please use nearby coin parking.
A sister restaurant to the standing bar 'Yome no Mise', serving sashimi and grilled fish for lunch and daytime drinking. Inside Foresta Rokko, in front of Rokkodai Station. Open 11:00–20:00 (L.O. 19:45).
Opened on May 13, 2026 on the first floor of Hotel Livemax Kobe Sannomiya. This 24-hour coin laundry integrates a cafe-style space, with cup drink vending, frozen food vending, smart lockers, capsule toys, and cashless payment support across the laundry equipment and in-store facilities.
Inoue Seikoen, an olive and citrus farm from Shodoshima, opens its first Kansai directly-managed store in Kobe Motomachi on May 11, 2026. Enjoy olive oil tastings and soft-serve topped with flavored olive oil. Store-exclusive products also available. 10% discount on all items May 11–Jun 10. 2 min walk from Hankyu Hanakuma Station. Open 10:00–18:30, no regular holidays (except year-end).
A Kyoto-born bagel specialty shop is opening its first Hyogo location in Motomachi. Using domestically sourced wheat, the shop prepares and bakes its bagels in-store, offering over 15 varieties with a chewy, springy texture. It is a 3-minute walk from JR/Hanshin Motomachi Station and includes 3 eat-in seats.
A charcoal-roasted coffee cafe in a renovated historic soy sauce warehouse in Byobu District, Hata-cho, Kita-ku, Kobe. Certified as a Byobu Community Development Base with local support, it opened May 7, 2026. Open 10:00–17:00 (L.O. 16:30), closed Wed & Thu. No reservations.
Misago Coffee Kobe Kokusai Kaikan SOL opens on May 7, 2026 on B2F of Kobe Kokusai Kaikan SOL. After opening a retail shop in the same facility in February 2026, the brand is expanding into a cafe on the same floor. Guests will now be able to sit down and enjoy the coffee rather than just tasting samples, with curry and waffle-style sweets also on the menu.
Specialty coffee brand Beans. Coffee&Roasters from Rokkomichi opens its Motomachi shop on May 3, 2026. The store takes over the former GREENS COFFEE location at 1-9-5 Motomachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, and will be open from 11:00 to 19:00.
A specialist takkamari restaurant that opened in front of Shin-Nagata Station. Takkamari is a Seoul-style hot pot made by simmering a whole chicken — deceptively simple, which means the quality of the bird, the broth, and the cooking all show up directly in the bowl. The concept: no shortcuts, just a proper pot. The aim is to be the place in Shin-Nagata where people say 'let's go for takkamari tonight.'
Mira LABO, the sister brand of LUNA EARTH, opens its 3rd store at Sannomiya Center Street on May 1, 2026. The select shop carries affordable accessories including titanium-post earrings and resin piercing-free options for those with sensitivities. An opening novelty (drawstring pouch & magnetic earring set) is available for the first 50 customers per day over the first 3 days with a purchase of 3 or more items. Hours: 10:00–21:00.
Kansai Super's Maitamon store will close at 18:00 on Thursday, April 30, 2026. The supermarket had operated for 20 years since opening in 2006, and customers are being directed to the Myodani store afterward.
An authentic cocktail bar opening as the second venue of LEA FOR LIFE, reviving the beloved Bashaya name with the owner's blessing. 10 counter seats, 3 minutes from Ojikoen Station east exit.
Opening on April 28, 2026 on the 5th floor of Kobe Hankyu. The café will offer Kobe-exclusive items such as a Kobe beef meat pie set created with Juchheim, a mini baumkuchen parfait, and onion gratin soup made with Awaji onions. Hours are 10:00-20:00, with food last order at 19:00 and drinks at 19:30, and about 36 seats are planned.
A select shop specializing in 90s–2000s vintage gear and miscellaneous goods, opening in Aioi-cho. Offers vintage sport watches, audio equipment, records, CDs, cassettes, movie T-shirts, backpacks, and coffee. The shop is named after the small pocket-like fold found on a cat's ear known as "Henry's Pocket."
The Veranda Kobe opens on April 25, 2026 at the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens, perched roughly 400m above the city. Five zones — Garden Terrace, Emerald Lounge, Sky Bar, Hammock Sanctuary and Herbal Cafe — let you take in panoramic views from terraces that float above the forest and a hammock net suspended about 5m high. Open 10:30–16:30 (Herbal Cafe last order 16:00), with sunset and night hours planned for the summer season.
Torimaru Shokudo x Tanita Cafe Aeon Mall Kobe Kita
The first Hyogo location of Torimaru Shokudo x Tanita Cafe opens on the 3rd floor of Aeon Mall Kobe Kita on April 24 (pre-opening from April 20). The collaboration restaurant serves healthy set meals with chicken dishes and half a day's worth of vegetables. The first 3,000 customers receive discount coupons.
Opening on April 24, 2026. A new Tully's '&TEA' concept store built around the idea of connecting people to a richer world and relaxing moments through a cup of tea. Alongside coffee, it offers a broad tea menu for different times, moods, and occasions, presenting an authentic taste and a new world of tea. Following Itami and Corowa Koshien in Hyogo, this will be the first '&TEA' location in Kobe. Located on the 3rd floor, open 8:00-20:00.
A kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) and mamezara (small plate) restaurant opening in Motomachi Anamon Shopping Street, about 30 seconds on foot from JR Motomachi Station. Located on the 1st floor of Success Motomachi Building. April 20 is a reception with drinks only (15:00–23:00); kushikatsu orders available from April 21.
A table tennis facility 1 min from Hankyu Nishimotomachi Station. Membership (¥550/month) plus a lesson plan is required. First visit free, no equipment needed.
New facility adjacent to Goshikizuka Kofun, the largest keyhole-shaped burial mound in Hyogo. Features haniwa displays, AR terrace, and hands-on exhibits. Free admission.
FREAK'S STORE, the American-inspired select shop by Daytona International, opens its first Kobe location at Kobe Sanda Premium Outlets on Friday, April 17, 2026. Hours are 10:00–20:00. To celebrate, a 3-day 'ennichi' pop-up runs April 17–19, and a wall art by artist Tim Kojima comes with a tote bag novelty for purchases of ¥5,000 or more (with Daytona Park Club registration).
Rooftop Restaurant Bar S Kobe on the top floor of La Suite Le Pan Building resumes seasonal operations on April 16, 2026. Through May 31, it will offer the 'Meat Festival' plan featuring Japanese beef sirloin, Hyogo Tajima chicken, Kobe pork, and free drinks for ¥6,600.
Gong cha Plenty Seishin-Chuo opens on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in the Plenty specialty building No.1. It will operate as a 33-seat tea cafe from 10:00 to 20:00, adding a convenient new stop right by Seishin-Chuo Station.
A new sukiyaki restaurant opening on Yumotozaka in Arima Onsen. It will serve Kansai-style sukiyaki made with certified Omi beef and Kobe beef, along with dishes such as wagyu hitsumabushi. The restaurant appears to have a 10-seat counter, table seating, and a private room for up to 14 people.
The rooftop BBQ venue 'URBAN EARTH BBQ Kobe Hankyu' reopens after renewal on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, on the rooftop of Kobe Hankyu. A new VIP area has been added, while the easy access, hands-free BBQ setup, and weather-friendly layout remain. The season runs through September 30, with hours 16:30-22:00 on weekdays and 11:00-22:00 on weekends and holidays.
A new bakery near Hankyu Mikage Station. Grand opening is April 14, 2026 at 10:00, with a pre-opening from April 9 to 11 starting at 10:00. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, while supplies last.
A Chinese bar by a chef trained at a Michelin-listed restaurant. The signature is Sichuan mapo tofu loaded with Sichuan pepper. The hot-and-sour noodle soup is a personal recipe learned during Michelin training. Lunch 11:00-15:00 (LO 14:30), dinner 17:00-22:00 (food LO 21:00). Closed Thursdays. 5 min walk from Hanshin Iwaya Station.
Opened in Kobe Sannomiya on April 9, 2026. CHOOSY is an airport lounge-inspired buffet produced by travel and gourmet influencer duo 'Chobit Couple'. One-hour sessions: lunch (until 14:00) ¥2,000, cafe (from 14:00) ¥1,500, dinner ¥2,500 (junior high and above, tax excl.). Elementary school age and under half price; under 3 free. Add-on all-you-can-drink alcohol ¥1,000. Closed Mondays.
A new lifestyle shop in Shioya offering food and daily goods. Nearest stations are JR Shioya and Sanyo Shioya. Open Friday to Sunday from 9:00 to 16:00, and occasionally Monday from 9:00 to 12:00. Cash only for now and no parking available.
The tea house just steps from JR Konan-Yamate Station reopened on Friday, April 3, 2026 after a renewal. With a refreshed menu and service, it now offers in-house fruit sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and more than 30 kinds of tea.
Grand opened in Motoyama Kitamachi, Kobe on April 3, 2026. A sweets shop focused on Shanghai-style desserts such as rou song xiao bei and taro box, mainly for takeout. Open 10:00-16:00, closed Mondays and Sundays.
A Chinese restaurant specializing in dim sum, dumplings, and xiaolongbao opened near Kencho-mae Station on April 1, 2026. Open 11:30-20:00, with lunch from 11:30-14:00 and dinner from 17:30-20:00.
The second location of the popular somen noodle restaurant Kitasan Somen from Sannomiya has opened in Motomachi. Concept: "New Daily Somen." Enjoy affordable somen from under 500 yen and Japanese sake in a modern Japanese-style space. 5 min walk from Motomachi Station.
A charcoal yakitori restaurant near the Toa Road viaduct, a 5-min walk from Sannomiya. Binchō charcoal grilled yakitori using Yamato Niku-dori (Nara) and Sanuki Takumi Wakadori (Kagawa).
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