Kobe, Japan has been partnered with Philadelphia since 1986.  Situated between the lush Rokko Mountains and the blue Seto Inland Sea, Kobe is a port city that is well known for its fashion industry. In 1995, a terrible earthquake ravaged Kobe.  Since that time, the city has made much progress in rebuilding its buildings and infrastructure.  Please visit the link below to see their impressive Medical Industry Complex, a multi-million dollar initiative to rebuild Kobe's economy through the medical sector.  With a population of 1,511,335, Kobe is comparable to Philadelphia in size. Kobe is also a city of diversity, with 43,000 foreign residents from 106 countries.  It is in the process of building an airport, but the Kansai International Airport is just 25 minutes away in nearby Osaka.  Other major cities, such as Kyoto and Tokyo, are easily accessible by train.

Philadelphia's Sister City Program is pleased to work in partnership with the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia on projects for the Kobe-Philadelphia relationship. 

The photos displayed below, have been provided as a courtesy of our program partners from Kobe. Please enjoy!

To learn more about Kobe, visit:

http://www.city.kobe.jp/index-e.html 

http://www.city.kobe.jp/cityoffice/17/010/index.html

http://ww.kobe-toshi-seibi.or.jp/

http://www.kcci.hyogo-iic.ne.jp/