Dearest Rachel –
Thanks for indulging me in a little bit of reminiscence about the city I remember best from my last time in Asia; I only wish I could have brought you with, so that you and I could have swapped stories about our previous visits. Granted, your homestay village of Tsumago is so far inland to the point that we wouldn’t have the opportunity to stop and visit, but I know you would tell me this or that about those times. It’s a shame that I don’t remember as much of those stories as I probably should, since they weren’t mine to begin with.
Still, this is the city we’re currently docked in, and have been since morning. So, since we’ve gone on our shore excursion, we’ll be here in Kobe for the day, so I might as well learn a few things about the place, and tell you what I’ve learned — or at least, what I’ve managed to crib from ChatGPT.
Kobe is a city located in Hyogo Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital city of the prefecture and the eighth-largest city in Japan by population, with around 1.5 million people residing in the metropolitan area.
The name Kobe comes from the kanji characters 神戸, which mean “God’s door.” This name is thought to have been chosen because the city is located at the entrance of the Seto Inland Sea, which has long been regarded as a sacred place in Japanese mythology.
Kobe is known for its unique geography, with the Rokko mountain range forming a natural barrier to the north and the sea to the south. This has contributed to the city’s development as an important port and commercial center, with a history dating back to the 8th century when it served as a gateway to China and the Korean Peninsula.
One of the most famous landmarks in Kobe is the Kobe Port Tower, a 108-meter-high observation tower located in the port area. The city is also home to several museums, including the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, which houses a collection of modern and contemporary art. There is also the Kitano Ijinkan district, which features Western-style houses that were built by foreign residents in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In terms of places to visit during April, Kobe is known for its cherry blossom viewing spots, including Nada-ku Inada Park and Sorakuen Garden. The city is also famous for its beef, a type of wagyu beef that is well-marbled and has a tender texture. The beef is typically served in high-end restaurants and can be quite expensive, as it is regarded as some of the best in the world. Believe it or not, it’s how the late basketball player got his name; his parents saw the name “Kobe” on a menu at a restaurant, liked the sound of it, and named their son after the beef, which is produced from a breed of cattle that originated in the city of Kobe. Despite the unusual (and slightly embarrassing) origin of his name, Kobe Bryant did have a strong connection to the city and visited it several times throughout his life. Clearly, he had no ‘beef’ with the place.
An interesting fact about Kobe (the city, not the basketballer) is that it was one of the first cities in Japan to open up to foreign trade and was home to a significant foreign community during the Meiji period. This has left a lasting influence on the city’s architecture and culture, with many Western-style buildings and customs still present today.
Another notable event in Kobe’s history is the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which struck the region on January 17, 1995 with a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that caused widespread damage in the Kobe area and surrounding cities. According to the Japanese government, more than 6,400 people were killed and over 40,000 were injured in the disaster. Kobe, being the closest major city to the epicenter, was particularly hard hit. Many of its buildings, including residential homes and high-rise apartments, collapsed or were severely damaged. The earthquake also caused fires that burned out of control for several days, destroying many buildings in the city.
Since then, Kobe has undergone significant rebuilding and recovery efforts, and much of the city has been rebuilt or renovated. Today, there are few signs of the earthquake’s damage, although the city has created memorials to honor the victims of the disaster, including the Kobe Luminarie, an annual light festival held every December to commemorate the victims of the earthquake. The festival features millions of colorful lights arranged in intricate designs throughout the city center.
Kobe also has a unique dialect known as Kobe-ben, which is known for its distinct intonation and vocabulary. Visitors may hear locals using phrases like “oshare” (fashionable) and “dame-jyanai” (not good). While generally considered a dialect of Kansai-ben (the dialect spoken in the Kansai region of Japan, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe), like many regional dialects, there are unique characteristics and vocabulary that are specific to Kobe-ben. For example, Kobe-ben has a distinct intonation pattern and pronunciation of certain words, such as “honma” (really) and “ikemen” (cool guy). Additionally, there are unique words and phrases that are commonly used in Kobe-ben, such as “kanpai-jo” (a place to drink) and “tetsujin” (a train conductor). Overall, while Kobe-ben shares many similarities with Kansai-ben, there are distinct features that set it apart. Of course, not being a native speaker of Japanese (or a speaker of Japanese at all), this will probably pass without my notice. Still, I’m now aware of it, and so are you, I suppose.
Armed with all that knowledge, I guess we’re as ready as we can hope to be. Keep an eye on us, honey, and wish us luck; we’re going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 