Introduction - Kobe

Kobe By Wally Barker.  Kobe is a wonderfully urban city of 1.5 million people.   However, much of the city is quite rural, with  more than 1/2 of the city's land area protected within a national park.   In Mikage where we live, the wild boars (inoshishi) come down from the mountains at night and make havoc with the gardens and the trash.  See above picture of Mt Rokkō. The developed area of Kobe is long and narrow - flanked on one side by mountains and the other by beautiful ocean.  I joking say that Kobe is sort of like what Malibu California will look like in 200 years, but with the port.  Like Malibu's quick access to Los Angeles, Kobe has fast 20 minute access by train to Osaka - Japan's second largest city and important trade and cultural center.   Kobe is the capital of Hyogo prefecture (sort of a "state"), a prominent port, and a great place to live.  From my perspective, our city has the following attributes which make is a super cool place to live.

• Great people and history.  This is Kansai!  Cultural and historical heart of Japan.

• 213 square miles of other cool stuff and access to other great areas.

  • Rock Climbing up on Mt Rokkō, the birthplace of modern rock climbing in Japan

  • the Kobe Zoo, a public aquarium, a fish hatchery, the Rokkou-san Bokujō (a working farm for visitor), the Kobe Fish Market (wild commercial fish auction from 3:30 AM to 6 AM),  nice bathing beaches, ferry to the airport,  the world's largest suspension bridge leading over to rural Awaji Island. (another great place), small winter ski area on Mt Rokkō (great for kids)

  • Numerous intercity weekend "secret" getaways like Arima Hot Springs in Kobe - this tranquil "onsen" resort area in set in the beautiful natural surroundings behind Mount Rokkō and has more than 20 hotels and Inns.

• International Corporate Base.  Kobe is Asia or Japan headquarters to over 100 international corporations, including Nestle and Proctor and Gamble.  Easy access to Osaka with many more.

• Diverse Group of Foreign Ex-Pats & Families.  Kobe has perhaps the largest percentage of ex-patriot families of any city in Japan.  There are concentrations of them, like on "Rokko Island" where there are many "foreign schools" but most are spread throughout the various communities within Kobe.

• Good University System.  I attend Japanese language classes at one of them.  There are many and most are very scenic and beautiful.

• Finally, wonderful local history.  Kansai lays claim to 5 of Japan's 13 World Heritage Sites.   Kansai is the eastern terminus of the "silk road" and was the center of political activity in Japan from the 6th century BC until 1603, when the first of the Tokugawa Shoguns moved the government to Edo (later renamed Tokyo).  On a more sad note, Kobe is also among four civil targets within Japan targeted and destroyed by the allied forces in WWII.

• Anyway, welcome to the Kobe Journal - it is a portal to discovering Kobe.

Other Mainstream Stuff to Do.

• For spectator sports minded people, Kobe has a professional baseball team - the Orix Buffaloes - with a super cool stadium set up at the base of the mountains in a large park area. For those who like supporting a more winning team, the Hashin Tigers play in the historic Koshien Stadium, in nearby Nishinomiya, the site of the Annual National High School Baseball Tournament, an invitational event that dominates most of August and is very exciting to watch.

• For history minded folk, Japan has a rich (and long) history of tradition.   There are numerous annual festivals that can be attended, that provide a structure framework for ones foray into Japan's History.  Below are some of my favorites.

  • 47 Ako Samurai or Rōnin.    This Annual Festival, on or about December 14 of every year, is held in Ako - a modern city and former castle town of the Ako Daimyo.  Anyway, "something" happened in the early 1700's that was so interesting that it has become folklore, fictionalized in Japanese Kabuki and television, and the stories (both real and imagined) are national treasures. What actually happened and how it happened is sometimes debated, by historian.  However, what is not generally not debated is as follows:  There was a feudal daimyo from Ako (a coastal town 80 kilometers west from Kobe) who was in Edo (modern day Tokyo) doing something for the Shogun.   He got into a fight with one of the Shogun's officials there and was force by the Shogun to commit seppuku.  The Shogun also ordered that Daimyo's 50,000-koku fief at Akô be confiscated and that the Daimyo's brother be placed under house arrest.  Anyway, upon the written request of the Daimyo's brother, the 60 of the Daimyo's samurai gaurds "gave up the castle" to the Shogun's general.  Thereafter, 269 of the Daimyos warriors were at that moment, essentially unemployed.  However, being samurais and following the Bushido code, they plotted their revenge, waited for over a year;  went to Edo; killed the official who had originally dishonored their Daimyo (causing the mess) and a few days later all committed seppuku.  This really did happen as 46 them are buried along with their Daimyo at Sengaku-ji, a famous Sōtō Zen Temple in Tokyo (Shinagowa area).  There is also an historical marker e on the grounds of the imperial palace at the location where the Ako Daimyo attacked the Shogun official.  Here are some great block prints of them - 47 Samurai.  See link to for visiting Ako.  Also, see <link> For a brief introduction to religion in Japan

8th Century Map of Japan - Showing Kansai

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