Kitano-cho is a place with Western type dwellings and a popular tourist spot near the foot of the Rokko/Maya hills in Kobe. The old western houses, which served as consulates and mansions for expatriates are now thrown open to public and the illumination around Christmas gives a romantic setting on Kitano street. With jazz clubs, cafes and picturesque landscape, Kitano-cho offers a European feeling right here in the land of the rising sun.