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Kobe is a major port city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, with a population of 1,521,707. Located on the southern side of Honshu Island along Osaka Bay, it forms part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area, which also includes Osaka and Kyoto. Historically, Kobe developed as an important harbor city and was one of the first Japanese ports to open to foreign trade in 1868, contributing to its cosmopolitan character.
The city is internationally renowned for Kobe beef, a premium variety of wagyū beef known for its marbling and flavor. Kobe was heavily affected by the Great Hanshin earthquake on 17 January 1995, which caused significant damage and loss of life, but the city has since undergone extensive reconstruction and modernization.
Notable landmarks include Kobe Harborland, the Ikuta Shrine, and Mount Rokko, which offers panoramic views of the city and bay. Celebrities born in Kobe include actress Keiko Kitagawa and American actor Richard T. Jones.
Kobe in Japan
135.2° E
Kobe Population Evolution
The population of Kobe in 2026 is estimated to 1,508,740 inhabitants. This estimate is taken from our extrapolation of available data and not an official estimate.
Population Summary
| Year | Population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 18,650 | |
| 1925 | 818,619 | +4,289.4% |
| 1960 | 1,113,977 | +36.1% |
| 1990 | 1,477,410 | +32.6% |
| 2021 | 1,521,707 | +3.0% |
Interactive Map of Kobe
What to see in Kobe
Akashi Kaikyō Bridge
Kobe Port Tower
Port of Kobe
Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of Art
Kobe Maritime Museum
maritime museumMeriken Park
parkKobe Mosque
mosqueFamous People Born in Kobe
Kanō Jigorō
politicianRichard T. Jones
actorAmerican actor
Ryoichi Maeda
association football playerKeiko Kitagawa
actorJapanese actress
Shinji Kagawa
association football playerSister Cities of Kobe
Sister cities, also known as twin cities, are formal partnerships between cities in different countries to promote cultural and commercial ties.
This list is based on publicly available structured data and may differ slightly from official municipal publications.
| City | Country | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Tianjin | 🇨🇳 People's Republic of China | 13,866,009 |
| Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 6,211,223 |
| Faisalabad | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 3,203,846 |
| Incheon | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 3,049,315 |
| Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia | 2,706,966 |
| Daegu | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 2,376,044 |
| Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 1,745,555 |
| Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | 1,731,649 |
| Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | 1,603,797 |
| Marseille | 🇫🇷 France | 886,040 |
| Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | 737,015 |
| Riga | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 595,053 |
| Genoa | 🇮🇹 Italy | 558,745 |
| Aberdeen | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 200,680 |