Kobe
Between mountains and sea, we apply post-1995 seismic expertise to luxury homes in Mikage, Suma, and Kitano — the historic Hanshin-area villa belt.
Key districts
Climate & environment
Sea-cooled summers with high humidity. Cold winter winds from Rokko (rokko-oroshi). Coastal sites need salt-corrosion design; foothills need slope and ground-stability surveys.
Building considerations
- **Seismic design is paramount** — many isolation/damper systems installed since the 1995 quake
- Hillside retaining-wall, pile foundations, slope-stabilisation expertise
- Facade regulation in Kitano/foreign-quarter scenery zone
- Salt-corrosion and wind-load specs for coastal exteriors and fenestration
- Hyogo prefectural and Kobe-city building bylaw compliance
What we assess first before you build here
Common plot issues here
- Hillside plots assume slopes and retaining walls — site works can eat the build budget
- Verifying old terraced ground and existing walls is the first gate
- North-slope daylight versus the view needs deliberate design
Reading land prices here
Price structure differs entirely between the hills (Okamoto, Mikage) and the shore. Build a baseline from published standard-lot prices — we look up specific plots free.
Our first-pass check (free)
- Zoning, district plans and ordinances
- Road access and front-road width (effective FAR)
- Level differences and retaining walls
- Ground quality and improvement-cost risk
- Budget guide and schedule
Land prices can be checked against the official published prices (MLIT). We look up your specific plot free of charge.
Access & coverage
30 min by JR/Hanshin train from our Osaka office, 45 min by car. Full coverage of Kobe, Nishinomiya, Ashiya, Takarazuka. Multi-monthly site visits and milestone reviews available.