For generations of Japanese tourists, this pleasant, hilly neighbourhood is Kōbe, thanks to the dozen or so well-preserved homes of (mostly) Western trading families and diplomats who settled here during the Meiji Period. Its winding streets, nostalgic brick- and weatherboard-built ijinkan (literally 'foreigners' houses'), cafes, restaurants and, yes, souvenir shops are great for strolling. All lend a European-American atmosphere, though admittedly it's probably less intriguing for Western visitors than for Japanese.
