History of Kobe in Timeline
Kobe is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, with a population of approximately 1.5 million. It is Japan's seventh-largest city and third-largest port city. Located in the Kansai region on Honshū's southern shore of Osaka Bay, Kobe is part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area, situated about 35 km west of Osaka and 70 km southwest of Kyoto.
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1935: Construction of Kobe Mosque
In 1935, Japan's first mosque, Kobe Mosque, was built in Kobe.
April 18, 1942: Doolittle Raid Bombing
On April 18, 1942, Kobe was lightly bombed in the Doolittle Raid, along with Tokyo and other cities.
1945: Bombing of Kobe
In 1945, Kobe was bombed again with incendiary bombs by B-29 Superfortress bombers, causing significant deaths and destruction and inspiring the film Grave of the Fireflies.
September 1, 1956: Designated City Status
On September 1, 1956, Kobe was designated as a city by government ordinance.
1956: Designated City Status
In 1956, Kobe was designated as one of Japan's cities by government ordinance.
March 18, 1975: Kobe City Council Ordinance
On March 18, 1975, the Kobe City Council passed an ordinance banning vessels carrying nuclear weapons from Kobe Port, effectively preventing U.S. warships from entering.
February 27, 1981: Coldest Temperature Recorded
On February 27, 1981, Kobe recorded its coldest temperature ever at −7.2 °C (19.0 °F).
1981: Kobe Jazz Street Festival
Since 1981, the "Kobe Jazz Street" festival has been held every October at jazz clubs and hotels in Kobe.
1991: 1991 Men's Asian Basketball Championship
Kobe hosted the 1991 Men's Asian Basketball Championship, which was the qualifier for the 1992 Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament.
1992: Qualifier for the 1992 Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament
Kobe hosted the 1991 Men's Asian Basketball Championship, which was the qualifier for the 1992 Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament.
August 5, 1994: Hottest Temperature Recorded
On August 5, 1994, Kobe recorded its highest temperature ever at 38.8 °C (101.8 °F).
January 17, 1995: Great Hanshin Earthquake
On January 17, 1995, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck near Kobe at 5:46 am JST, causing widespread destruction and loss of life, and leading to the annual Luminarie event.
1995: Great Hanshin earthquake
In 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake diminished some of Kobe's prominence as a port city.
2002: 2002 FIFA World Cup
Kobe was one of the host cities of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosting matches at Noevir Stadium Kobe.
2004: City's Total Real GDP
In 2004, the city's total real GDP was ¥6.3 trillion, with a per capita income of approximately ¥2.7 million.
2004: Establishment of Dragongate
In 2004, the professional wrestling promotion Dragongate was established in Kobe as an offshoot of Último Dragón's original Toryumon system.
2004: Value of Manufactured Goods
In 2004, the value of manufactured goods produced and exported from Kobe was ¥2.5 trillion, with small appliances, food products, transportation equipment, and communication equipment as leading sectors.
2006: Elementary and Middle School Enrollments
In 2006, Kobe directly administered 169 elementary and 81 middle schools, with enrollments of approximately 80,200 and 36,000 students respectively.
2006: University and Junior College Enrollments
In 2006, the number of students enrolled in Kobe's public and private universities reached 67,000, and 4,100 in junior colleges.
2006: High School Enrollments
In 2006, the total enrollment for high schools in Kobe was 43,400.
2006: 2006 Women's Volleyball World Championship
Kobe was one of the host cities for the official 2006 Women's Volleyball World Championship.
September 2007: Population Estimate
As of September 2007, Kobe's estimated population was 1,530,295, comprising 658,876 households.
2010: GDP in Kobe Metropolitan Employment Area
In 2010, the GDP in the Kobe Metropolitan Employment Area (2.4 million people) was US$96.0 billion.
October 2017: World Darts Federation World Cup
In October 2017, Kobe hosted the World Darts Federation World Cup, with over 50 countries competing.
2018: Swift Engineering Joint Venture
In April 2018, Swift Engineering USA established their joint venture in Kobe called Swift Xi Inc.
2019: Sister City Relations
In 2019, Kobe concluded a memorandum of understanding with Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, regarding possible sister city relations.
2025: Port of Kobe Ranking
As of 2025, the Port of Kobe was ranked as the 72nd-busiest container port worldwide.
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