Kobe - WikiHQ

Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in the Kansai region, which makes up the southern side of the main island of Honshū, on the north shore of Osaka Bay. It is part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kyoto. The Kobe city centre is located about west of Osaka and southwest of Kyoto.

The earliest written records regarding the region come from the , which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in AD 201. For most of its history, the area was never a single political entity, even during the Tokugawa period, when the port was controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate. Kobe did not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Its name comes from . Kobe became one of Japan's designated cities in 1956.

Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the 1853 end of the policy of seclusion and has retained its cosmopolitan character ever since with a rich architectural heritage dating back to the Meiji era. While the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake diminished some of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth-busiest container port. Companies headquartered in Kobe include ASICS, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Kobe Steel, while over 100 international corporations have their Asian or Japanese headquarters in the city, including Eli Lilly and Company, Procter & Gamble, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Nestlé. The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kobe beef, the home of Kobe University, and the site of one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, Arima Onsen.

History

Origins

Tools found in western Kobe demonstrate that the area was populated at least from the Jōmon period.

The natural geography of the area, particularly of Wada Cape in Hyōgo-ku, led to the development of a port, which has remained the economic center of the city. Some of the earliest written documents mentioning the region include the , which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in AD 201.

It was not until the abolition of the han system in 1871 and the establishment of the current prefecture system that the area became politically distinct.

Meiji period

Hyōgo Port was opened to foreign trade by the Shogunal government at the same time as Osaka on January 1, 1868, just before the advent of the Boshin War and the Meiji Restoration. At the time of the opening of the city for foreign trade, the area saw intense fighting resulting from the civil war in progress. Shortly after the opening of Kobe to trade, the Kobe Incident occurred, where several western soldiers sustained wounds from gunfire by troops from Bizen. The region has since been identified with the West and many foreign residences from the period remain in Kobe's Kitano area.

File:Shinkaichi.jpg|Shinkaichi theatre street in Kobe (Taisho era)

File:Viewofkobe.PNG|Hyōgo Port in the 19th century

File:Sesshu Kobe coast prosperity view.jpg|This nishiki-e (colored woodcut) shows a foreign steamboat entering Hyōgo Port shortly after its opening to the West in the late 19th century.

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Modern era

Kobe, as it is known today, was founded on April 1, 1889, and was designated on September 1, 1956 by government ordinance. The history of the city is closely tied to that of the Ikuta Shrine, and the name "Kobe" derives from , an archaic name for those who supported the shrine.

On January 17, 1995, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred at 5:46 am JST near the city. About 6,434 people in the city were killed, 212,443 were made homeless, and large parts of the port facilities and other parts of the city were destroyed. The earthquake destroyed portions of the Hanshin Expressway, an elevated freeway that dramatically toppled over. In Japan, this earthquake is known as the Great Hanshin earthquake (or the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake). To commemorate Kobe's recovery from it, the city holds an event every December called the Luminarie, where the city center is decorated with illuminated metal archways.

The Port of Kobe was Japan's busiest port and one of Asia's top ports until the Great Hanshin earthquake. Kobe later dropped to fourth in Japan and, as of 2025, was the 72nd-busiest container port worldwide, as ranked by Lloyds.

File:KobeFormerSettelment Map JapDirectory (1905).tif|Map of the Foreign Settlement

File:Kobe after the 1945 air raid.JPG|View of Kobe after the bombing in 1945

File:Hanshin-Awaji earthquake 1995 337.jpg|Damage in Sannomiya after the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995

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Geography

thumb|260px|View of Kobe from an airplane

Wedged between the coast and the mountains, the city of Kobe is long and narrow. To the east is the city of Ashiya, while the city of Akashi lies to its west. Other adjacent cities include Takarazuka and Nishinomiya to the east and Sanda and Miki to the north.

The landmark of the port area is the red steel Port Tower. A ferris wheel sits in nearby Harborland, a notable tourist promenade. Two artificial islands, Port Island and Rokkō Island, have been constructed to give the city room to expand.

Away from the seaside at the heart of Kobe lie the Motomachi and Sannomiya districts, as well as Kobe's Chinatown, Nankin-machi, all well-known retail areas. A multitude of train lines cross the city from east to west. The main transport hub is Sannomiya Station, with the eponymous Kobe Station located to the west and the Shinkansen Shin-Kobe Station to the north.

Mount Rokkō overlooks Kobe at an elevation of . During autumn, it is famous for the rich change in colors of its forests.

Wards

Kobe has nine wards (ku):

Nishi-ku: The westernmost area of Kobe, Nishi-ku overlooks the city of Akashi and is the site of Kobe Gakuin University. This ward has the largest population, with 247,000 residents.
Kita-ku: Kita-ku is the largest ward by area and contains the Rokko Mountain Range, including Mount Rokkō and Mount Maya. The area is well known for its rugged landscape and hiking trails. The onsen resort town of Arima also lies within Kita-ku.
Tarumi-ku: Tarumi-ku is a mostly residential area. The second-longest suspension bridge in the world, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, extends from Maiko in Tarumi-ku to Awaji Island to the south. A relatively new addition to Kobe, Tarumi-ku was not a part of the city until 1946.
Suma-ku: Suma-ku is the site of Suma beach, attracting visitors during the summer months.
Nagata-ku: Nagata-ku is the site of Nagata Shrine, one of the three "Great Shrines" in Kobe.
Hyōgo-ku: At various times known as Ōwada Anchorage or Hyōgo Port, this area is the historical heart of the city. Shinkaichi in Hyogo-ku was once the commercial center of Kobe, but was heavily damaged during World War II, and since, Hyogo-ku has lost much of its former prominence.
Chūō-ku: literally means "central" and, as such, Chūō-ku is the commercial and entertainment center of Kobe. Sannomiya, Motomachi and Harborland make up the main entertainment areas in Kobe. Chūō-ku includes the city hall and Hyōgo prefectural government offices. Port Island and Kobe Airport lie in the southern part of this ward.
Nada-ku: The site of Oji Zoo and Kobe University, Nada is known for its sake. Along with Fushimi in Kyoto, it accounts for 45% of Japan's sake production.
Higashinada-ku: The easternmost area of Kobe, Higashinada-ku borders the city of Ashiya. The man-made island of Rokko makes up the southern part of this ward.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="810px"

! colspan="7" | Wards of Kobe

! rowspan="2" |

! colspan="2" | Place Name

!Map of Kobe

! style="width: 190px;" |Rōmaji

! style="width: 190px;" |Kanji

!Population

!Land area in km2

!Pop. density

per km2

| style="text-align: center;" "width: 20px;" | 1

|Nishi-ku

|西区

|240,386

|138.01

|1,742

| style="text-align: center;" | 2

|Kita-ku

| 北区

|212,211

|240.29

|883

| style="text-align: center;" | 3

|Tarumi-ku

| 垂水区

|216,337

|28.11

|7,696

| style="text-align: center;" | 4

|Suma-ku

| 須磨区

|158,196

|28.93

|5,468

| style="text-align: center;" | 5

|Nagata-ku

| 長田区

|95,155

|11.36

|8,376

|Hyōgo-ku

|兵庫区

|107,307

|14.68

|7,310

|Chūō-ku

|中央区

|142,232

|28.97

|4,910

|Nada-ku

|灘区

|136,865

|32.66

|4,191

|Higashinada-ku

|東灘区

|214,255

|34.02

|6,298

Cityscape

File:Meriken-boat.jpg|View of MOSAIC and Meriken Park from ferry at dusk (2022)

File:Kobe unterwegs in Kobe 3.jpg|Meriken Park (2018)

File:151003 Port of Kobe Japan01s3.jpg|Skyline of Kobe from Kobe Bridge (2015)

File:Twilight view of Kobe, from a point near Shin-Kobe station.jpg|View of Sannomiya from Shin-Kobe Station (2009)

File:121208 Nunobiki Herb Garden Kobe Hyogo pref Japan09s3.jpg|Nunobiki Herb Garden (2012)

File:Kobe Kobe Port Tower Panoaramablick 03.jpg|Kobe central business district (2018)

File:Kobe Meriken Park area at night 2016-06-14.jpg|Kobe central business district at night (2016)

File:Kobe Chuo and Suma at night.jpeg|Downtown at night

File:View of Kikuseidai from Mount Maya Kobe.jpg|Night view from Kikuseidai

File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 001.jpg|alt=|Sunset from Mt. Suwa (Suwayama) observation deck

File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 003.jpg|Chūō-ku, seen by night from Mt. Suwa observation deck

File:Views from Venus Bridge in Kobe 002.jpg|Panorama of Kobe from Mt. Suwa observation deck

</gallery>

Climate

Kobe has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with hot summers and cool to cold winters. Precipitation is significantly higher in summer than in winter, though on the whole lower than most parts of Honshū, and there is no significant snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kobe is . The average annual rainfall is with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Kobe was on August 5, 1994; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on February 27, 1981.

Demographics

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; max-width:22em;"

|+Foreigners in Kobe

! Nationality || Population (2018)

| ||17,175

| ||13,205

| ||5,955

| ||1,309

| Others ||8,974

thumb|200px|The Kobe [[Urban Employment Area|Metropolitan Employment Area]]

As of September 2007, Kobe had an estimated population of 1,530,295 making up 658,876 households. This was an increase of 1,347 persons or approximately 0.1% over the previous year. The population density was approximately 2,768 persons per square kilometre, while there are about 90.2 males to every 100 females. About thirteen percent of the population are between the ages of 0 and 14, sixty-seven percent are between 15 and 64, and twenty percent are over the age of 65.

Approximately 44,000 registered foreign nationals live in Kobe. The four most common nationalities are Korean (22,237), Chinese (12,516), Vietnamese (1,301), and American (1,280).

, the city's total real GDP was ¥6.3 trillion, which amounts to thirty-four percent of the GDP for Hyōgo Prefecture and approximately eight percent for the whole Kansai region. Per capita income for the year was approximately ¥2.7 million.

The GDP in Kobe Metropolitan Employment Area (2.4 million people) is US$96.0 billion in 2010.

Major companies and institutes

Japanese companies which have their headquarters in Kobe include ASICS, a shoe manufacturer; Daiei, a department store chain; Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co., Kinki Sharyo, Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (ship manufacturer), Mitsubishi Electric, Kobe Steel, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Sysmex Corporation (medical devices manufacturer) and TOA Corporation. Other companies include the confectionery manufacturers Konigs-Krone and Morozoff Ltd., Sun Television Japan and UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.

There are over 100 international corporations that have their East Asian or Japanese headquarters in Kobe. Of these, twenty-four are from China, eighteen from the United States, and nine from Switzerland. Tempur-Pedic, Boehringer-Ingelheim, and Toys "R" Us. In 2018, April, Swift Engineering USA, an American aerospace engineering firm established their joint venture in Kobe called Swift Xi Inc.

Kobe is the site of a number of research institutes, such as the RIKEN Kobe Institute Center for developmental biology and medical imaging techniques, and Center for Computational Science (R-CCS, home of the Fugaku supercomputer), the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) Advanced ICT Research Institute, the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center.

International organizations include the WHO Centre for Health Development, an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Organization. The city is also home to specialized medical institutions such as KUMA hospital, which is internationally recognized for its expertise in thyroid treatment and research. The Consulate-General of Panama in Kobe is located on the eighth floor of the Moriyama Building in Chūō-ku, Kobe.

File:Kobe crystal tower01 2048.jpg|Kawasaki Heavy Industries headquarters on Harborland

File:Kobe Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co02ds3200.jpg|Kawasaki Shipbuilding Co. headquarters on Kobe Harbor

File:P and g02 1024.jpg|Procter & Gamble Asia headquarters on Rokko Island

File:Kobe Nestle Japan HQ01ss3200.jpg|Nestlé Japan Ltd. headquarters on Sannomiya

File:UCC Ueshima Coffee Company02s3872.jpg|UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. headquarters on Port Island

</gallery>

Transportation

thumb|200px|[[Kobe Airport]]

thumb|200px|[[Shin-Kobe Station]]

thumb|200px|[[Kobe Municipal Subway]]

thumb|200px|The [[Akashi Kaikyō Bridge extends from Kobe to Awaji Island.]]

Air

Itami Airport, in nearby Itami, serves primarily domestic flights throughout Japan, Kobe Airport, built on a reclaimed island south of Port Island, also offers mostly domestic and charter flights, while Kansai International Airport in Osaka mainly serves international flights in the area.

Rail

The JR West Sanyō Shinkansen stops at Shin-Kobe Station. Sannomiya Station is the main commuter hub in Kobe, serving as the transfer point for major intercity rail services: the JR Kobe Line connects Kobe to Osaka and Himeji, while both the Hankyū Kobe Line and the Hanshin Main Line run from Kobe to Umeda Station in Osaka. Sanyō Electric Railway trains from Himeji reach Sannomiya via the Kōbe Rapid Transit Railway. Kōbe Electric Railway runs north to Sanda and Arima Onsen.

Kobe Municipal Subway provides connections to Shin-Kobe and Sannomiya stations from Kobe's western and eastern suburbs. Additionally, Kobe New Transit runs two lines serving Kobe Airport and Rokko Island.

Ropeway

Over Mount Rokkō, the city has two funicular lines and three aerial lifts as well, namely Maya Cablecar, Rokkō Cable Line, Rokkō Arima Ropeway, Maya Ropeway, and Shin-Kobe Ropeway.

Road

Kobe is a transportation hub for a number of expressways, including the Meishin Expressway (Nagoya – Kobe) and the Hanshin Expressway (Osaka – Kobe). Other expressways include the Sanyō Expressway (Kobe – Yamaguchi) and the Chūgoku Expressway (Osaka – Yamaguchi).

The Kobe-Awaji-Naruto Expressway runs from Kobe to Naruto via Awaji Island and includes the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, the second longest suspension bridge in the world.

Maritime

The Port of Kobe is one of Japan's busiest container ports and also offers ferry services to Kansai International Airport, Shikoku and Kyushu. Sub Area Activity Hanshin of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces provides monitoring across Osaka Bay and Harima Sea.

Education

thumb|200px|[[Kobe University main building]]

The city of Kobe directly administers 169 elementary and 81 middle schools, with enrollments of approximately 80,200 and 36,000 students, respectively. If the city's four private elementary schools and fourteen private middle schools are included, these figures jump to a total 82,000 elementary school students and 42,300 junior high students enrolled for the 2006 school year.

Kobe also directly controls six of the city's twenty-five full-time public high schools including Fukiai High School and Rokkō Island High School. The remainder are administered by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education. In addition, twenty-five high schools are run privately within the city. The total enrollment for high schools in 2006 was 43,400. The biannual fashion event Kobe Fashion Week, featuring the Kobe Collection, is held in Kobe. The jazz festival "Kobe Jazz Street" has been held every October at jazz clubs and hotels since 1981. It also hosts both a Festival, as well as a statue of Elvis Presley, the unveiling of which was heralded by the presence of former Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi. Kobe is well known in Japan as being a city for the affluent, as many high-end stores and mansions line its streets.

Kobe is the site of Japan's first golf course, Kobe Golf Club, established by Arthur Hesketh Groom in 1903, and Japan's first mosque, Kobe Mosque, built in 1935. The city hosts the Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club, founded in 1870 by Alexander Cameron Sim, and a prominent foreign cemetery. A number of Western-style residences – – from the 19th century still stand in Kitano and elsewhere in Kobe. Museums include the Kobe City Museum and Museum of Literature.

The city headquarters the professional wrestling promotion Dragongate, established in 2004 as an offshoot of Último Dragón's original Toryumon system.

The dialect spoken in Kobe is called Kobe-ben, a sub-dialect of Kansai dialect.

Sports

{| class="wikitable"

! scope="col"| Club

! scope="col"| Sport

! scope="col"| League

! scope="col"| Venue

! scope="col"| Established

| Kobe Storks

| Basketball

| Japan Professional Basketball League

| World Memorial Hall

| 2011

| Orix Buffaloes

| Baseball

| Pacific League

| Kobe Sports Park Baseball Stadium Osaka Dome

| 1938

| Vissel Kobe

| Football

| J. League

| Noevir Stadium Kobe Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium

| 1995

| INAC Kobe Leonessa

| Football

| L. League

| Noevir Stadium Kobe Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium

| 2001

| Deução Kobe

| Futsal

| F. League

| World Hall

| 1993

| Kobelco Steelers

| Rugby

| Top League

| Noevir Stadium Kobe Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium

| 1928

| Hisamitsu Springs

| Volleyball

| V.Premier League

| 1948

Kobe hosted the 1985 Summer Universiade as well as the 1991 Men's Asian Basketball Championship, which was the qualifier for the 1992 Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament.

Kobe was one of the host cities of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosting matches at Noevir Stadium Kobe (then known as Wing Stadium Kobe), which was renovated to increase its capacity to 40,000 for the event.

Kobe was one of the host cities for the official 2006 Women's Volleyball World Championship.

Kobe also hosted the World Darts Federation World Cup in October 2017. The event was held in the Exhibition Hall in Port Island with over 50 countries competing.

Notable people

The Georgian-born Australian ocean rower and Soviet defector Michael 'Tarzan' Fomenko (c.1930–2018) lived with his family in the city for a period during the 1930s

International relations

Sister cities

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Note to editors: This list is for sister cities of Kobe, but not included fictional sister cities like:

Hamburg, Germany (1966)
Vancouver, BC, Canada (1990)

Please do not add any of them to this list. -->

Kobe's sister cities are:

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (1993)
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (1985)
Incheon, South Korea (2010)
Genoa, Liguria, Italy (1963)
Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France (1961)
Riga, Latvia (1974)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1969)
Seattle, WA, United States (1957)
Tianjin, China (1973)
Aberdeen, Scotland (2022)

Friendship and cooperation cities

Kobe also cooperates with:

Sister ports

The Port of Kobe's sister ports are: