I explored the city of Kobe, which served as the setting for the 1980s adventure game The Portopia Serial Murder Case. Since it’s an old game, the graphics are quite limited and the city isn’t recreated with high accuracy—but I figured it would be enough just to experience the atmosphere, so I decided to go.
Kobe is also known for its beautiful night views, so I planned the trip to arrive in the evening on the Shinkansen and spend the night enjoying the scenery. I took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Kobe Station. Since Shin-Kobe does not connect directly to JR lines, I transferred to the municipal subway and headed to Sannomiya.
Kobe Port Tower and the Night View
I tried walking from Sannomiya, but later regretted not getting off at a closer station. As I walked toward Kobe Port Tower, the beautifully illuminated tower came into view. Kobe Port Tower is open until 11:00 p.m., which is great—you can arrive a bit late and still fully enjoy the night view.
From the observation deck of Kobe Port Tower, you can see Rokko Island, the Ferris wheel, and nearby buildings such as Hotel Okura Kobe.
Staying in a Suite at Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers
After enjoying Kobe Port Tower, I headed straight to the hotel. I stayed at the Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers, located at Island Center on the Rokko Island Line. I had booked a twin room through an online reservation site, but was upgraded to a Hollywood Suite.
The suite was very spacious and well equipped. The hotel also has hot spring facilities, and guests can access them via a dedicated elevator while wearing a yukata.
Visiting the Locations from The Portopia Serial Murder Case
The next morning, I left the hotel and visited the locations featured in The Portopia Serial Murder Case: Shinkaichi, Hanakuma, and the port area. The first stop was Shinkaichi, and the building that appeared on the game screen as “Shinkaichi” still exists today. Hanakuma felt a bit different from how it appeared in the game. The port area is very close to Kobe Port Tower, where I had enjoyed the night view the previous evening.
Lunch at “Meriken,” a Kobe Beef Steak Restaurant
Kobe is famous for Kobe beef, so when I spotted a restaurant called “Meriken” while walking around, I decided to stop in for steak. I ordered the Kobe beef steak lunch, which cost 4,600 yen. The Kobe beef steak was outstanding.
Chinatown and Kitano Ijinkan
With the departure time of my return Shinkansen approaching, I thought about squeezing in both Chinatown and Kitano Ijinkan, but time was running short, so I ended up just passing by. Chinatown was crowded with tourists and not really suitable for casual food hopping. I tried walking to Kitano Ijinkan, but the steep hills were exhausting, so I took a break at a Starbucks Coffee along the way. This Starbucks is housed in a renovated building that was originally part of the foreign residential area. You can enter the Kitano Ijinkan buildings, but since they were also crowded with tourists, I just admired them from the outside before taking a bus back to Shin-Kobe Station.
