Kobe, Japan. I currently live in in Tokyo but have visited Kobe many times and loved the more relaxed atmosphere and smaller size of the city compared to Tokyo

Kobe, Japan. I currently live in in Tokyo but have visited Kobe many times and loved the more relaxed atmosphere and smaller size of the city compared to Tokyo. You are also very close to Osaka and Kyoto and even getting back Tokyo is easy with the shinkansen.