If it weren't for the museum dedicated to the devastating 1995 earthquake, you might never know that Kobe had suffered a natural calamity. Today this Japanese port town is a thriving metropolitan city with an international feel. The sake brewing season runs from October to April, and it's the best time to take a tour of a kura (brewery). Alternatively, the Hakutsure Sake Brewery Museum is open all year round. The nightlife is happening, and of course Kobe beef is celebrated worldwide.