Kobe神戸市

Kōbe-shi. The name ends in 市 (shi), the word for city.

Kobe (神戸市, Kōbe-shi) is a city and a designated city with 9 wards in Hyōgo Prefecture. Population 1,525,152 (2020 census), area 557.02 km². Borders 7 places.

A designated city with nine wards, and the capital of Hyōgo Prefecture.

Open Kobe on the map

Facts

Japanese name

神戸市

Reading

Kōbe-shi

Kind

City (市), designated city (政令指定都市): a local government

Prefecture

Hyōgo 兵庫県

Region

Kansai / Kinki 関西・近畿

Population

1,525,152 (2020 census)

Change since 2015

-0.8% from 1,537,272

Area

557.02 km²

Density

2,738 people per km²

Households

734,920

Under 15

11.5%

65 and over

29.2%

Foreign residents

45,987 (3.0%)

Code

28100 (団体コード, the municipality code)

Website

www.city.kobe.lg.jp

Wikipedia

English / 日本語

The 9 wards of Kobe行政区

Kobe is a designated city, so it is divided into wards. Each ward has an office for counter services, and none has a mayor or an assembly. Voters in every ward elect the same city mayor.

Neighbouring municipalities

7 places share a land border with Kobe, counted through its wards. Borders across water are not counted.

• Akashi City明石市
• Nishinomiya City西宮市
• Ashiya City芦屋市
• Takarazuka City宝塚市
• Miki City三木市
• Sanda City三田市
• Inami Town稲美町

Questions about Kobe

Is Kobe a city or a prefecture?

Kobe (神戸市) is a city (市, shi) in Hyōgo Prefecture. It is a municipality, the lower of Japan's two tiers of local government, and elects its own mayor and assembly. It is a designated city, divided into 9 wards. The wards are offices of the city, not governments.

Where is Kobe?

Kobe is in Hyōgo Prefecture (兵庫県), in the Kansai region of Japan. The prefecture is a government; the region is a customary grouping of prefectures and elects nothing.

What is the population of Kobe?

1,525,152 at the 2020 census, down 0.8% from 1,537,272 in 2015. The area is 557.02 km², which is 2,738 people per km². 734,920 households. 29.2% of residents are 65 or older and 11.5% are under 15.

Which municipalities border Kobe?

Seven: Akashi City (明石市), Nishinomiya City (西宮市), Ashiya City (芦屋市), Takarazuka City (宝塚市), Miki City (三木市), Sanda City (三田市), and Inami Town (稲美町). These are the municipalities that share a land border with Kobe in the boundary data. Borders across water are not counted.

How is Kobe written in Japanese?

神戸市, read Kōbe-shi. The last character, 市 (shi), is the word for city, and the name is often used without it in English.

How does an address in Kobe begin?

兵庫県神戸市… (Hyōgo-ken, Kōbe-shi, …). The prefecture name is written first, then the city name. Then the name of one of the 9 wards. After that are written the named area, the chōme, the block, and the building number.