1 Jan., 2016
Kobe (神戸市 Kōbe-shi?, Japanese pronunciation: [koːꜜbe]) is the sixth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture. It is located on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, on the north shore of Osaka Bay and about 30 km (19 mi) west of Osaka. With a population around 1.5 million, the city is part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kyoto.
The earliest written records regarding the region come from the Nihon Shoki, which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in AD 201.[2][3] For most of its history, the area was never a single political entity, even during the Tokugawa Period, when the port was controlled directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kobe did not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Its name comes from "kanbe" (神戸?), an archaic title for supporters of the city's Ikuta Shrine.[4][5] Kobe became one of Japan's 17 designated cities in 1956.
Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the 1853 end of the policy of seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan port city. While the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake diminished much of Kobe's prominence as a port city, it remains Japan's fourth busiest container port.[6] Companies headquartered in Kobe include ASICS, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Kobe Steel, as well as over 100 international corporations with Asian or Japanese headquarters in the city such as Eli Lilly and Company, Procter & Gamble, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Nestlé.[7][8] The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kobe beef, as well as the site of one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, Arima Onsen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe
The Japanese New Year (正月 Shōgatsu?) is an annual festival with its own customs. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, New Year's Day (元日 Ganjitsu?). However, the celebration of the traditional Japanese New Year is still marked on the same day as the contemporary Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese New Years.
The New Year traditions are also a part of Japanese poetry, including haiku (17 syllable poems) and renga (linked poetry). All of the traditions above would be appropriate to include in haiku as kigo (season words). There are also haiku that celebrate many of the "first" of the New Year, such as the "first sun" (hatsuhi) or "first sunrise", "first laughter" (waraizome—starting the New Year with a smile is considered a good sign), and first dream (hatsuyume). Since the traditional New Year was later in the year than the current date, many of these mention the beginning of spring.
Along with the New Year's Day postcard, haiku might mention "first letter" (hatsudayori—meaning the first exchange of letters), "first calligraphy" (kakizome), and "first brush" (fude hajime).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanes...
Port Island (ポートアイランド Pōto Airando?) is an artificial island in Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan. It was constructed between 1966 and 1981 at Port of Kobe, and officially opened with an exposition called "Portopia '81." It now houses a heliport, numerous hotels, a large convention center, the UCC Coffee Museum, Japan's 3rd IKEA store, and several parks.
The Port Liner automated guideway transit system connects Port Island to Sannomiya Station and to Kobe Airport.
The Port Island F.G. Group experience takes place in the Kobe University International Residence on the island.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Is...
神戸市（こうべし）は、兵庫県南部に位置する兵庫県の県庁所在地である。垂水区・須磨区・長田区・兵庫区・中央区・灘区・東灘区・北区・西区から構成される政令指定都市である。
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A5%...
ポートアイランド（英語: Port Island）は、神戸市中央区、神戸港内にある人工島。略称は「ポーアイ」「PI」。神戸大橋及び港島トンネルによって神戸中心部と結ばれ、都市機能を一通り備える日本で最先発のウォーターフロント都市。計画・設計は建築家、都市計画家の水谷頴介が担当。今後の都市開発に先駆的な役割を果たしたとして、1980年（昭和55年）度に日本都市計画学会石川賞[1]および土木学会技術賞[2]、2005年（平成17年）度と2008年（平成20年）度に全日本建設技術協会全建賞[3][4]が授与された。
六甲山地の土で埋め立て、2期に分けて造成された。https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%...
