As the Japanese saying goes, “If you can’t go to Paris, go to Kobe.” This southern coastal city is Japan’s fashion mecca and one of its more cosmopolitan cities. Tucked into Osaka Bay against the stunning backdrop of the Rokkō ranges, Kobe is also famed for its Kobe beef and its therapeutic Arima Onsen (hot springs), a magnet for many Japanese seeking tranquil refuge from the relentless pace of Japan’s corporate world. Until its devastation by the Great Han shin Earthquake in 1995, Kobe, like Nagasaki and Yokohama, was one of Japan’s busiest ports. These days, the city’s port is still the fourth busiest in Japan, prompting more than 100 multinational corporations to house their East Asia or Japan headquarters there. The foreign influence that trade brings is evident in the city’s European-influenced areas, such as the winding streets and cafes of the Kitano District, and Kobe’s China Town, the second-largest in Japan. The city still boasts a thriving expat community today. Overall, the region is very affluent; residents’ incomes in neighboring Ashiya are the highest per capita, earning the municipality the moniker "Beverly Hills of Japan." You will find a thriving business culture within a relatively balanced built environment. The city’s breathtaking views have prompted many to draw comparisons with San Francisco. You will also find some of the best drinking water in Japan. One of the more unexpected sights you may see in Kobe is herds of wild boars roaming the streets, mindless of cars and pedestrians. Milder winters resulting from global warming have lengthened the mating season for boars and deer, whose numbers are beginning to spiral upward. In one of the most densely populated regions of the world, Kobe's easy access to nature lends it an uncluttered air, while its entrenched international community lends a comforting familiarity to this city's ancient, esoteric culture.