Kobe (神戸市) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1.5 million. The city is located in the Kansai region of Japan to the west of Osaka. Kobe is classified as one of Japan's fifteen designated cities and is a part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan sprawl.

It was one of the first cities to open for trade with the West, in 1868, and as such it is known as a cosmopolitan port city. Consistent with this reputation, Kobe has a population of 45,000 foreign residents from more than 100 countries.

The city was severely affected by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, in which over 6000 residents lost their lives. Kobe has largely recovered from the damage.

HISTORY
Kobe's history dates back to the 8th century when the area was known as Ōwada Anchorage (大輪田泊, Ōwada-no-tomari). The city was briefly the capital of Japan in 1180 A.D. at the end of the Heian period, when Taira no Kiyomori moved his grandson Emperor Antoku to Fukuhara. The exact location is not known for certain, but is probably the neighborhood of the same name in Hyōgo-ku. The Emperor returned to Kyoto after about five months. As the port grew, it became an important hub for trade with China and other countries, and in the 13th century, the city came to be known by the name Hyōgo Port (兵庫津, Hyōgo-tsu).

During this time, Hyōgo Port along with northern Osaka composed the province of Settsu. Later, during the Edo period, the eastern parts of present-day Kobe came under the jurisdiction of the Amagasaki Domain (尼崎藩, Amagasaki-han) and the western parts under that of the Akashi Domain (明石藩, Akashi-han), while the center was controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate. 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.

Following the Meiji Restoration and the end of the policy of seclusion, in 1868, Hyōgo Port was one of the first ports to open for trade with Western countries. The region has since been identified with the West, and many foreign residences from the period remain in Kobe's Kitano area.

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 Kobe is closely tied to that of the Ikuta Shrine, and in fact the name "Kobe" derives from "kanbe" (神戸), an archaic name for those who supported the shrine.

During the course of World War II, Kobe was bombed with incendiary bombs by B-29 bombers on March 17, 1945, causing the death of 8,841 residents and destroying 21% of Kobe's urban area. It is this incident that inspired the well-known Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies and the book by Akiyuki Nosaka on which it was based.

Following continuous pressure from citizens, on March 18, 1975, the Kobe City Council passed an ordinance banning vessels carrying nuclear weapons from Kobe Port. This effectively prevented any U.S. warships from entering the port, policy being not to disclose whether any warship is carrying nuclear weapons. This nonproliferation policy has been termed the "Kobe Formula".

On January 17, 1995 an earthquake measuring at 7.3 on the Richter Scale occurred at 05:46 am JST near the city. 6,434 were killed, 300,000 were made homeless and large parts of the port facilities and other parts of the city were destroyed. It was one of the most costly natural disasters in modern history. The earthquake notably destroyed the Hanshin Expressway, an elevated freeway which dramatically toppled over. Within Japan, the earthquake is known as the Great Hanshin Earthquake (or the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake). To commemorate Kobe's recovery from the 1995 quake, the city holds an annual event called the Luminarie, where every December the city hall is decorated with illuminated metal archways.

Kobe was Japan's busiest port and one of Asia's top ports until the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred. Kobe has since dropped to the thirty-second busiest port worldwide (as of 2004). In spite of the earthquake, Kobe remains Japan's third busiest port (as of 1999).

GEOGRAPHY
Wedged in 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.

The landmark of the port area is the red steel Port Tower (hyperboloid structure). A giant ferris wheel sits in nearby Harborland, a notable tourist promenade, and offers spectacular views of the surroundings including the bay area, especially at night. Two artificial islands, Port Island and Rokko Island, have been constructed to give the city room to expand. The city serves as one of the most important seaports in Japan.

Away from the seaside at the heart of Kobe lie the Motomachi and Kokashita districts as well as Kobe's Chinatown Nankinmachi, 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 Rokko overlooks Kobe at an elevation of 931 meters. During the autumn season, it is famous for the rich change in colors of its forests.

CULTURE
Kobe is famous for its Kobe beef and Arima Onsen (hot springs), while notable buildings include the Ikuta Shrine as well as the Kobe Port Tower. It is well known for the night view of the city both from the coast and its exotic atmosphere which has mainly come from its history as a port city.

The city is widely associated with the cosmopolitanism and fashion, encapsulated in the Japanese phrase, "If you can't go to Paris, go to Kobe". The biannual fashion event Kobe Collection is held in Kobe, while the jazz festival "Kobe Jazz Street" has been held every October at jazz clubs and hotels since 1981.

Kobe is the site of Japan's first golf course, Kobe Golf Club, established by Arthur Hasketh Groom in 1903, and Japan's first mosque, Kobe Mosque, built in 1935. The city also hosts the Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club, founded in 1870 by Alexander Cameron Sim, a prominent foreign cemetery, and a number of Western-style residences from the 19th century. Kobe is home to Kobe University, which traces its roots back to 1902.

Kobe is also well-known for its sake. In fact, The area of Nada along with Fushimi in Kyoto accounts for 45% of Japan's sake production.

ECONOMY
Kobe is a major part of Hanshin Industrial Region. The value of manufactured goods shipments through Kobe is 2,508 billion yen (as of 2004).

MAJOR COMPANY WITH HEADQUARTERS IN KOBE
World headquarters

* ASICS
* Daiei
* Kawasaki Heavy Industries
* Kobe Steel
* Konigs Krone
* Morozoff Ltd.
* SUN-TV
* UCC Ueshima Coffee Co.
* Vita Craft Japan
* World Co., Ltd

ASIA/JAPAN HEADQUARTERS
A number of major international corporations have their East-Asia or Japan headquarters in Kobe:

* Eli Lilly and Company
* Nestlé
* Procter & Gamble
* Tempur-Pedic
* Toys "R" Us

Kobe has six sister cities and a number of other affiliations. They are:
* Seattle, Washington, United States (1957)
* Marseille, France (1961)
* Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1969)
* Riga, Latvia (1974)
* Brisbane, Australia (1985)
* Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (1993)

Sister ports:
* Rotterdam, Netherlands (1967)
* Seattle, Washington, USA (1967)

Other city affiliations:
* Tianjin, People's Republic of China (friendly city) (1973)
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (friendship and cooperation city) (1986)


Kitano Ijinkan (北野異人館) is a historical district in Kobe, Japan, which contains a number of foreign residences from the late Meiji and early Taishō eras of Japanese history. While the term ijinkan (異人館) can refer to any foreign residence of this period in Japan, it usually refers to those of Kitano given the number and high concentration of those that remain. Ijinkan districts exist in other locales (notably Yokohama and Nagasaki), but due to war and natural disasters, these districts are not as well preserved.

While some of the houses still serve as residences, many are open to tourists, making Kitano-chō one of the principal tourist attractions in Kobe.