Visited this gem of a place as part of my Kobe day trip from Osaka. Would I recommend this place? Yes! While it is not as iconic, it is a great place with lesser crowd to enjoy the view and pretty plants at own pace. It was sunny in June. At the ticketing counter, we had to redeem physical ticket from our online booking before we can enter the cable car. At the top, umbrella can be borrowed FoC. There were a cafe, souvenir, and perfume shop. It was fun to check out fragrances made from different flowers. I recommend taking the cable car up, and walking down to midway for the return trip. This way, you can see more plants on the way down including some of the prettiest photo spots, a glasshouse, and most importantly, lavender ice cream to battle the heat of the sun! We spent 2-3 hours before lunch time.

A wonderful, less traveled series of hikes and shops at the top of a mountain in Kobe! Went on a weekday in April and it was empty. All shops open, but no tourists or locals. Wonderful, and easy to get around by bus once up there.

Quiet and clean shrine in the heart of the city. Perfect for a peaceful afternoon walk or just to relax and clear your mind. A hidden gem worth visiting when you're in Kobe.

Beautiful waterfront, great for a walk. Plenty of shops and food selections. Kids will have fun at the Anpanman Museum. The Ferris wheel costs 400 yen, cash only. You only get one full turn on your ride.

Once in a lifetime experience to taste the finest beef worldwide! I‘d recommend you get the fillet, sure it costs the most but it’s worth every penny. We compared all the different cuts and the fillet is truly amazing in taste and texture! We got a full lunch course and the staff is very professional, kind and experienced. I’d recommend a reservation, we got lucky and got a table right away, but it was packed.

I would like to say that it was my best experience in Kobe! We were very lucky to have dinner here without a reservation. The beef was excellent; I wish I could eat it every day! The ambience was also very good. Chef Taguchi cooked for us, and he was incredibly professional and welcoming. The service was perfect!

If you are looking for the best, melt in your mouth Kobe beef around, the lunch menu may not be the right choice for that. But, their prices are very reasonable, the staff is exceptional and overall a great experience! We visited during lunch hours and there are only 3 types of beef to choose from. 2 Kobe beef and another Japanese wagyu. We ended up getting the "Marbled Kobe" beef round and the "Japanese Wagyu" as the B course, which include hors d'oeuvres, soup, salad and dessert. The chef correctly assumed that we wanted to try both and offered to portion the different meats evenly and of course we accepted. We were asked how would we liked it cooked, I asked the chef how he suggests it should be prepared and he mentioned "medium" so we went with that. The hors d'oeuvres comes out first. It was beautifully plated seared tuna with pickled vegetables. The soup was next. It was mushroom based and was very balanced and subtle. After that was the salad. Honestly, it's just a plain ol' side salad. Acts as a good palate cleanser and nothing more. Then the chef brings out the beef. They let you take a picture of if before it goes on the grill. Well, it's a tease because the vegetables get grilled first. Then the beef goes on with a short "fire show". And finally you get to enjoy the beef. No one really cares about the grilled vegetables and you aren't coming here for that. Now to the beef, well, it's real Japanese wagyu alright. It certainly tastes the part. There's no mistaking the very distinct, sharp umami of real wagyu. However, these cuts of beef do not melt in your mouth. There is a chew to this cut, but it is still tender. I feel like this is very important to keep in mind if this is your first time trying the "legendary" Kobe beef. While I do prefer the A5 "melt in your mouth" version, I get flavor/texture fatigue from that and can only eat small amounts. This version is closer to extremely good regular steak texture. I did not tire of this and kind of wanted more after eating the whole thing. As far as the difference between the Kobe beef and regular wagyu go, it was very hard to tell. It was subtle and I lost track of which cut was which. Ultimately, one was ever so slightly more tender and flavorful than the other. I don't think you can go wrong with either. Dessert is served with tea or coffee at another table. We physically moved for this. And it was just ice cream......a relatively normal but clean finish to a great meal. I can easily recommend Kobe Steak Sai if you are looking for a sit down meal to enjoy Kobe Beef or even just Japanese Wagyu. I don't believe the lunch menu includes the "melt in your mouth" A5 cuts of beef but the price reflects that. I would expect the meal would cost 3 times as much for that kind of meat. The staff here are friendly and attentive and there is an English Menu available. I'd return for dinner next time to try the "real menu" out but lunch was still excellent.

We waited 90 minutes to get a table, and it was worth it. The single menu item (thinly sliced Kobe beef and onions on rice) is perfect. You choose the size, and whether you want to add a raw egg, poached egg, or no egg. It came with a cup of soup and a side of pickled sweet potato. This is a one-man show. He greets guests, busses/cleans, cooks, runs the register. He was very warm and friendly, and never seemed in a hurry. That’s great once you’re inside eating (there’s only 10 seats, but I never saw more than 8 in use) but for those waiting in line, it definitely makes you wish he had some help to go faster.

Loved it. Rare find and absolutely locally authentic. Authentic Tajima Kobe Beef that melts in your mouth cooked with such detail and care. Lovely chef who is direct, speaks English and genuine. Fun fact: both his parents have samurai last name and he comes from this authentic lineage. I loved the sweet sake (they have both types one sweet and one dry), the lovely lady also helped share more of Japanese culture and the cups and significance and meaning. Chef is also a wine expert and collector. Food, drink and experience was incredible and lovely conversation. Highly recommend. Reservations only, do book in advance.