Kobe

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This article is about the Japanese city. For other uses, see Kobe (disambiguation).
Kobe
神戸市
Location of Kobe
Kobe's location in Hyōgo, Japan.
Kobe (Japan)
Kobe

Kobe's location in Japan.
Location
Country Japan
Prefecture Hyōgo
Physical characteristics
Area 552.80 km2 (213.44 sq mi)
Population (as of April 1, 2008)
     Total 1,529,116
     Density 2,768 /km² (7,169 /sq mi)
Location 34°41′N 135°12′E / 34.683, 135.2Coordinates: 34°41′N 135°12′E / 34.683, 135.2
Symbols
Tree Camellia sasanqua
Flower Hydrangea
Emblem of Kobe
Emblem of Kobe
Kobe Government Office
Mayor Tatsuo Yada
Address 6-5-1 Kano-chō, Chūō-ku, Kōbe-shi, Hyōgo-ken
650-8570
Phone number 078-331-8181
Official website: City of Kobe

Kobe (神戸市 Kōbe-shi?) 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 and is part of the Keihanshin (京阪神 Keihanshin?) metropolitan area. Kobe is classified as one of Japan's seventeen designated cities.

Originally known by the name Ōwada Anchorage (大輪田泊 Ōwada-no-tomari?), earliest written records regarding the region come from the Nihon Shoki, which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in 201 A.D.[1][2] 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 "kanbe" (神戸 kanbe?), an archaic title for supporters of the city's Ikuta Shrine.[3][4] Kobe became one of Japan's designated cities in 1956.

Kobe was one of the first cities to open for trade with the West following the end of the policy of seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city. While the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake diminished much of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth busiest container port.[5] Companies headquartered in Kobe include ASICS, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Kobe Steel, as well as over 100 international corporations with Asia or Japan headquarters in the city such as Procter & Gamble and Nestlé.[6][7]

The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kobe beef as well as the site of one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, Arima Onsen.

Contents

[edit] History

This Nishiki-e (Colored woodcut) shows a foreign steamboat entering Hyōgo Port shortly after its opening to the West in the late 19th century.
This Nishiki-e (Colored woodcut) shows a foreign steamboat entering Hyōgo Port shortly after its opening to the West in the late 19th century.
Hyōgo Port in the 19th century
Hyōgo Port in the 19th century[8]
The Bund in Kobe around 1890
The Bund in Kobe around 1890

[edit] Origins - Meiji Era

Stone artifacts and tools found in western Kobe demonstrate that the area was populated at least from the Jōmon period.[9] The natural geography of the area, particularly of Wada Cape in Hyōgo-ku, led to the development of a port, which would remain the economic center of the city.[10] Some of the earliest written documents mentioning the region include the Nihon Shoki, which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in 201 A.D.[1]

During the Nara and Heian periods, the port was known by the name Ōwada Anchorage (大輪田泊 Ōwada-no-tomari?) and was one of the ports from which imperial embassies to China were dispatched.[2][9] The city was briefly the capital of Japan in 1180 when Taira no Kiyomori moved his grandson Emperor Antoku to Fukuhara in present-day Hyōgo-ku.[9] The Emperor returned to Kyoto after about five months.[2] Shortly thereafter in 1184, the Taira fortress in Hyōgo-ku and the nearby Ikuta Shrine became the sites of the Genpei War battle of Ichi-no-Tani between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The Minamoto prevailed, pushing the Taira further west.

As the port grew during the Kamakura period, 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?).[10] 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 and the western parts under that of the Akashi Domain, while the center was controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate.[11][12] 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.

Hyōgo Port was one of the first ports to open for trade with Western countries following the Meiji Restoration and the end of the policy of seclusion in 1868.[13] The region has since been identified with the West, and many foreign residences from the period remain in Kobe's Kitano area.[14]

[edit] Modern era

Damage caused by the Great Hanshin Earthquake
Damage caused by the Great Hanshin Earthquake

Kobe 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 "kanbe" (神戸 kanbe?), an archaic name for those who supported the shrine.[3][4]

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 (see Bombing of Kobe in World War II). 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".[15][16]

On January 17, 1995 an earthquake measuring at 7.3 on the Richter magnitude scale occurred at 05:46 am JST near the city. Nearly 4,600 people within the city were killed, 240,000 were made homeless and large parts of the port facilities and other parts of the city were destroyed.[17][18] The earthquake destroyed portions of 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 event every December called the Luminarie, where the city center 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.[19] Kobe has since dropped to the fourth in Japan and thirty-eighth busiest container port worldwide (as of 2005).[5]

[edit] Geography

Port of Kobe at twilight.
Port of Kobe at twilight.

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. 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 giant ferris wheel sits in nearby Harborland, a notable tourist promenade. Two artificial islands, Port Island and Rokko 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, 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.

[edit] Wards

Wards of Kobe.
Wards of Kobe.
Kobe Chinatown, Motomachi
Kobe Chinatown, Motomachi
The Giant Panda Koukou at Oji Zoo
The Giant Panda Koukou at Oji Zoo

Kobe has 9 wards (ku):

1. 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.[20]
2. Kita-ku 
Kita-ku is the largest ward by area and contains the Rokko Mountain Range, including Mount Rokko 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.
3. Tarumi-ku 
Tarumi-ku is a mostly residential area. The longest suspension bridge in the world, the Akashi-Kaikyo 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.
4. Suma-ku 
Suma-ku is the site of Suma beach, attracting visitors during the summer months.
5. Nagata-ku 
Nagata-ku is the site of Nagata Shrine, one of the three "Great Shrines" in Kobe.
6. 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.
7. Chūō-ku 
Chuo (中央?) literally means "center", and as such Chuo-ku is the commercial and entertainment center of Kobe. Sannomiya along with Motomachi and Harborland make up the main entertainment areas in Kobe. Chuo-ku also includes Kobe City Hall and Hyōgo prefectural government offices. Port Island as well as Kobe Airport lie in the southern part of this ward.
8. Nada-ku 
Nada-ku is the site of Kobe's Oji Zoo and Kobe University. Nada is also well-known for its sake. Along with Fushimi in Kyoto, it accounts for 45% of Japan's sake production.[21]
9. 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.


[edit] Demographics

As of September 2007, Kobe has a population of 1,530,295 making up 658,876 households. This is an increase of 1,347 persons or approximately 0.1 percent over the previous year. The population density is approximately 2,768 persons per square kilometer, while there are about 90.2 males to every 100 females.[22] 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.[23]

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).[23]

[edit] Economy

Kobe is the busiest port in the Kansai region.
Kobe is the busiest port in the Kansai region.
Procter & Gamble Asia headquarters on Rokko Island.
Procter & Gamble Asia headquarters on Rokko Island.

Kobe is both an important port and manufacturing center within the Hanshin Industrial Region. Kobe is the busiest container port in the region, surpassing even Osaka, and the fourth busiest in Japan.[24]

As of 2004, 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.[25][26] Per capita income for the year was approximately ¥2.7 million.[25] Broken down by sector, about one percent of those employed work in the primary sector (agriculture, fishing and mining), twenty-one percent work in the secondary sector (manufacturing and industry), and seventy-eight percent work in the service sector.[23]

The value of manufactured goods produced and exported from Kobe for 2004 was ¥2.5 trillion. The four largest sectors in terms of value of goods produced are small appliances, food products, transportation equipment, and communication equipment making up over fifty percent of Kobe's manufactured goods. In terms of numbers of employees, food products, small appliances, and transportation equipment make up the three largest sectors.[27]

[edit] 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, an automobile and ship manufacturer; and Kobe Steel. 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 with East-Asia or Japan headquarters in Kobe. Of these, twenty-four are from China, eighteen from the United States, and nine from Switzerland.[6] Some prominent corporations include Eli Lilly and Company, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Tempur-Pedic, and Toys "R" Us.[7]

Kobe is the site of a number of research institutes, such as the RIKEN Kobe Institute Center for developmental biology and medical imaging techniques,[28] the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center,[29] the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention,[30] and the Asian Disaster Reduction Center.[31]

International organizations include the WHO Centre for Health Development, an intergovernmental agency forming part of the World Health Organization.


[edit] Transportation

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge extends from Kobe to Awaji Island.
The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge extends from Kobe to Awaji Island.

[edit] Rail

Sannomiya Station is the main commuter hub in Kobe, serving as the transfer point for the three major intercity rail lines. The JR Kobe Line connects Kobe to Osaka and Himeji while both the Hankyu Kobe Line and the Hanshin Main Line run from Kobe to Umeda Station in Osaka. In addition, Kobe Municipal Subway provides access to the Sanyō Shinkansen at Shin-Kobe Station. Sanyō Electric Railway trains from Himeji reach Sannomiya via the Kobe Rapid Railway.

Other rail lines in Kobe include Kobe Electric Railway which runs north to Sanda and Arima Onsen. Hokushin Kyuko Railway connects Shin-Kobe Station to Tanigami Station on the Kobe Electric Railway. Kobe New Transit runs two lines, the Port Island Line from Sannomiya to Kobe Airport and the Rokko Island Line from JR Sumiyoshi Station to Rokko Island.

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.

[edit] Road and Air

Kobe is a hub in a number of expressways, including the Meishin Expressway (Nagoya - Kobe) and the Hanshin Expressway (Osaka - Kobe).[32] 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-Kaikyo Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Osaka International Airport in nearby Itami and Kobe Airport, built on a reclaimed island south of Port Island, offer mainly domestic flights, while Kansai International Airport in Osaka is the main international hub in the area.

[edit] Education

Kobe University main building.
Kobe University main building.
Main article: Education in Kobe

The city of Kobe directly administers 169 elementary and 83 middle schools, with enrollments of approximately 80,200 and 36,000 students, respectively.[33] 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.[23][34][35]

Kobe also directly controls seven of the city's twenty-eight full-time public high schools, while the remainder are administered by the Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education.[33][36] In addition, twenty-five high schools are run privately within the city.[37] The total enrollment for high schools in 2006 was 43,400.[23]

Kobe is home to eighteen public and private universities, including Kobe University and Konan University, and eight junior colleges. Students enrolled for 2006 reached 67,000 and 4,100, respectively.[23]

[edit] Culture

Weathercock House, one of the many foreign residences of the Kitano area of Kobe
Weathercock House, one of the many foreign residences of the Kitano area of Kobe

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, from the mountains (like Mount Rokkō, Mount Maya and so on) as well as the coast. Kobe is also known for having a somewhat exotic atmosphere by Japanese standards, which is mainly a result of its history as a port city.

The city is also widely associated with cosmopolitanism and fashion, encapsulated in the Japanese phrase, "If you can't go to Paris, go to Kobe."[38] The biannual fashion event Kobe Collection is held in Kobe.[39] The jazz festival "Kobe Jazz Street" has been held every October at jazz clubs and hotels since 1981.[40]

Kobe is the site of Japan's first golf course, Kobe Golf Club, established by Arthur Hasketh Groom in 1903,[41] and Japan's first mosque, Kobe Mosque, built in 1935.[42] The city also hosts the Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club, founded in 1870 by Alexander Cameron Sim,[43] a prominent foreign cemetery, and a number of Western-style residences from the 19th century, in the Kitano area.

Most of the 1957 romantic drama Sayonara takes place in Kobe. Kobe is also the setting of the Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies.

[edit] Sports

Club Sport League Venue Established
Kobelco Steelers Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers Rugby Top League Kobe Wing Stadium 1928
Orix Buffaloes Orix Buffaloes Baseball Pacific League Skymark Stadium
Osaka Dome		 1938
Vissel Kobe Vissel Kobe Football J. League Home's Stadium Kobe
Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium		 1995

[edit] Sister cities and sister ports

Kobe has six sister cities and a number of other affiliations.[44] They are:

Sister ports:

Other city affiliations:

[edit] Gallery

Kobe Port Tower

Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge

Downtown Kobe from a harbour cruise boat

Sannomiya (Downtown)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Ikuta Shrine official website - "History of Ikuta Shrine" (Japanese), retrieved October 22, 2007
  2. ^ a b c Kobe City Info - "History", retrieved February 2, 2007
  3. ^ a b Nagasaki University - "Ikuta Shrine", retrieved February 3, 2007
  4. ^ a b Entry for 「神戸（かんべ）」. Kōjien, fifth edition, 1998, [ISBN 4-00-080111-2]
  5. ^ a b American Association of Port Authorities - "World Port Rankings 2006", retrieved April 15, 2008
  6. ^ a b "Number of foreign corporations with headquarters in Kobe passes 100." (Japanese) in Nikkei Net, retrieved from NIKKEI.net on July 3, 2007.
  7. ^ a b Hyogo-Kobe Investment Guide - "List of Foreign Enterprises and Examples", retrieved February 8, 2007
  8. ^ From the NYPL Digital Library
  9. ^ a b c City of Kobe - "Kobe's History" (Japanese), retrieved October 22, 2007.
  10. ^ a b Hyogo International Tourism Guide - "Hyogo-tsu", retrieved February 2, 2007
  11. ^ City of Kobe - "Old Kobe" (Japanese), retrieved February 16, 2007
  12. ^ City of Ashiya - "An Outline History of Ashiya", retrieved February 16, 2007
  13. ^ Hyogo Prefectural Government - "Hyogo Overview", retrieved February 2, 2007
  14. ^ Japan Reference - "Kobe", retrieved February 2, 2007
  15. ^ Kobe City Council - "Resolution on the Rejection of the Visit of Nuclear-Armed Warships into Kobe Port", 18 March 1975, retrieved February 16, 2007
  16. ^ Kamimura, Naoki. "Japanese Civil Society and U.S.-Japan Security Relations in the 1990s". retrieved from International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War on February 2, 2007
  17. ^ The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Statistics and Restoration Progress (Jan. 2008), retrieved April 14, 2008
  18. ^ Great Hanshin Earthquake Restoration, retrieved April 14, 2008
  19. ^ Maruhon Business News - Port Conditions in Japan, retrieved January 23, 2007
  20. ^ City of Kobe - "Population by Ward" (Japanese), retrieved July 25, 2007
  21. ^ Kansai Window - "Japan's number one sake production", retrieved February 6, 2007
  22. ^ City of Kobe - "Estimated Population of Kobe", retrieved October 2, 2007
  23. ^ a b c d e f City of Kobe - "Statistical Summary of Kobe", retrieved July 25, 2007
  24. ^ American Association of Port Authorities - "World Port Rankings 2005", retrieved July 3, 2007
  25. ^ a b Hyogo Industrial Advancement Center - "Industry Tendencies in Various Areas of Hyogo Prefecture" (Japanese), retrieved July 3, 2007
  26. ^ Cabinet Office, Government of Japan - "2004 Prefectural Economy Survey" (Japanese), retrieved July 3, 2007
  27. ^ Kobe City Report on Census of Manufacturers, 2004 (Japanese), retrieved March 30, 2007
  28. ^ RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology RIKEN Kobe Institute, retrieved June 26, 2007
  29. ^ National Institute of Information and Communications Technology Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center, retrieved June 26, 2007
  30. ^ National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, retrieved June 12, 2007
  31. ^ Asian Disaster Reduction Center, retrieved June 12, 2007
  32. ^ Hyogo-Kobe Investment Guide - "Domestic Access", retrieved February 15, 2007
  33. ^ a b City of Kobe - "Number of municipal schools and students" (Japanese), retrieved July 2, 2007
  34. ^ Hyogo Prefectural Government - "Private elementary schools" (Japanese), retrieved July 2, 2007
  35. ^ Hyogo Prefectural Government - "Private middle schools" (Japanese), retrieved July 2, 2007
  36. ^ Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education - "Hyogo prefectural public schools at a glance" (Japanese), retrieved July 2, 2007
  37. ^ Hyogo Prefectural Government - "Private high schools" (Japanese), retrieved July 2, 2007
  38. ^ Hassan, Sally. (April 9, 1989). "Where Japan Opened a Door To the West". New York Times., retrieved from New York Times Website on February 7, 2007.
  39. ^ Kobe Collection Official Website (Japanese), retrieved February 27, 2007
  40. ^ Kobe Jazz Street, retrieved March 12, 2007
  41. ^ Golf Club Atlas - "Gliding Past Fuji - C.H. Alison in Japan", retrieved February 7, 2007
  42. ^ Penn, M. "Islam in Japan," Harvard Asia Quarterly Vol. 10, No. 1, Winter 2006, retrieved February 15, 2007
  43. ^ Kobe Regatta and Athletic Club - "a distinguished history", retrieved February 7, 2007
  44. ^ City of Kobe - "Sister City, Friendly City, Friendship & Cooperation City", retrieved February 15, 2007

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