What to see in Kobe, Japan?

"LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com" (limitedtimeonly) 01/23/2019 at 11:03 • Filed to: Travel, Japan

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Oppos with knowledge of Japan, please let me know what a person might enjoy about visiting Kobe, Japan (and/or surrounding areas). I have an opportunity to visit there this spring, and other than getting to experience a different culture in general, I need specifics to motivate me to deal with the logistics.

Ideas include art, gardens, food and (guess what?) cars.

However, my spouse is gluten-free, which means staying fed becomes a chore when neither of us knows the local language. And she isn’t as into cars as I am, but I may have times to explore on my own.

Thanks, hive-mind.

[Try again on Oppo instead of my own “blog”]

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 11:08

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I hear they have beef in Kobe.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/23/2019 at 11:10

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And that is gluten-free!

No kidding, we even watched a show on Kobe beef and said that we need to try it, and it wasn’t even on my mind when I asked for input. Whoops.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 11:16

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Flavian Vidal is in japan, I believe outside of Tokyo.

DipodomysDeserti > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 11:19

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All meat is gluten free?

I would post this question earlier or later so that our Japanese based Opponauts can chime in.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 01/23/2019 at 11:23

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Yes, I’m hoping to hear from Flavian .

Plus, there is the teacher who hasn’t posted for a while, Ka t Callahan . There may be others, I suppose, or people who have spent time there.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti 01/23/2019 at 11:25

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Well, it depends on how the meat is prepared, of course, to really be gluten-free . The best is the rural Carolina restaurant known for steaks, but they grill them on a grill where they ALWAYS grill buns to go with the steaks . . . cross-contamination is hard to manage as a diner.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti 01/23/2019 at 11:26

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I’m hoping that they will skim through posts and see this. I may repost later if I get the chance.

M.T. Blake > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 11:48

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Figure out a way to drive a GTR across the Akashi Kaiky Bridge. We will need some excellent photographic evidence of course. 

DipodomysDeserti > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 11:53

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You can’t have any gluten in the resturaunt at all if you really want gluten free (my wife used to work at a gluten free cafe).

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 12:59

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Don’t know Kobe specifically. Osaka is known for their okonomiyaki (stuffed savory omelette- like pancake). And Kyoto isn’t too far away for all the history and stuff, highly recommended . Day trips in Japan are pretty easy with the train system - look in to the math to see if a JR rail pass makes sense for you.

Is the GF restriction super strict (i.e. even trace amounts are a no go)? Because otherwise sticking to sushi and rice based dishes (which are plentiful) shouldn’t be that tough?

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > M.T. Blake 01/23/2019 at 15:24

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Of course.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 01/23/2019 at 15:28

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Fairly strict. After years of her eating sushi and usually being okay, we thought occasional problems were bad fish, but just recently found out that sushi rice is commonly made with a wheat-based vinegar . Sashimi only for her, now.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > DipodomysDeserti 01/23/2019 at 15:32

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Her favorite restaurant is one that is high-end and completely gluten-free, even though they don’t make a big deal out of it. Unfortunately it is 2 hours away in Asheville.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 15:48

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Yeah, which is why I was asking...vinegar can have gluten in them sometimes. It’s rough being having to be so strict about food for health reasons. I t’s really eye opening seeing all the unexpected ingredients you find in stuff when you have to track ingredients seriously (like soy is in EVERYTHING...including canned tuna, wtf).

Hope the trip isn’t too tough to figure out foodwise - really nothing is in English but google translate does work pretty well.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 01/23/2019 at 16:00

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This is really my biggest block to doing the trip to Japan . When we visited Paris last fall, worrying about her food and trying to communicate about that definitely diminished the joy of travel for me. She did tons of research on London restaurants , so that helped a lot, and there was no language barrier, but in Paris we only had two meals figured out, and the rest were a lot of work to feel okay.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 16:16

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I’d bet that was tough. A huge part of travel is being able to try things and just wing it while not completely understanding things 100%. Is it an option to at least stay someplace you can have a kitchen to cook – at least then you can still explore local foods at the markets and buy stuff (including all the fish and kobe beef you want) and cook it yourself. Takes away the stress of needing to eat but not being able to make something yourself as a backup too.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 01/23/2019 at 18:10

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That is a great suggestion about a place with a kitchen. We will have to look into it. I can imagine grocery stores being a challenge, but should be able to overcome that. Thanks!

Actually, one of our favorite vacations was one where we had a kitchen, made breakfast and lunch, but experimented with dinner spots.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com 01/23/2019 at 18:28

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Be prepared for tiny Japanese kitchens, but better than nothing I’d say. And agreed – it’s a great way to change your perspective and get more of a local feel for what life is like too, instead of hopping from one restaurant to the next. Agreed – one of our favorite vacations was spending Christmas in La Paz, Mexico in a condo by the beach. Wandered the town and bought all kinds of fresh seafood just by pointing and grilled it all up on the deck. We also get really sick of eating out for every meal after a few days – so having your own space to just have something simple or have a night in after running around all day is strangely amazing.