Kobe

Located roughly in the center of Honshu, Japan's main island, Kobe is easily accessible by land, sea, and air. It is about 3 hours and 20 minutes from Tokyo by Bullet Train. Together with Osaka and Kyoto, it forms the focal point for the economy of western Japan.

Kobe is divided into two sections by the Rokko Mountain Range: the southern part which faces the sea forms the urbanized area, while the western and northern sections, known collectively as the Seihokushin area, have become the scene for the construction of large-scale new towns that maintain harmony with their natural surroundings. The urbanized area occupying 30% of the city area stretches like a ribbon 30km east to west and 2 to 4 km north to south, and is home to 70% of the population. Kobe has a 3-tier structure: a port and industrial zone along the coast, residential areas on the hillsides, and mixed residential and commercial areas in the intermediate zone between the mountains and the sea.

The history of Kobe is as old as that of its port. As far back as the 8th century, there was a spot called the Owada Anchorage, now known as Wadamisaki Point. It became a key point of both land and sea trades, and had come to be called the Port of Hyogo by the end of the 13th century. It prospered as a port of trade with China and other countries of Asia, and it was in this period that the foundations of the urban area were laid.