TID Travel Journal "Hyogotsu -Roots of Modern Kobe"
By TID, Spring 2009 update

The history of Kobe is the story of its ports. Kobe became well known worldwide after the opening of Hyogo Port (the current Kobe Port) in 1868. Hyogo Port had a natural area good for anchoring ships because it was in the calm Seto Inland Sea. Wada Point and Mt. Rokko help block the wind especially in winter. Later, the port facilities were constructed eastward one after the other. Today there are many places in Hyogo-ku to remind us of the prosperity of the ancient times.

On a fine but cold day in February, I walked around the southern part of Hyogo ward and found many interesting places. I would like to introduce some of them to you.

I took the JR from Hyogo to Wadamisaki Station (Wadamisaki Line). This line was constructed in 1888 to transport construction materials that were unloaded at the port. In 1911, passenger service began to transport commuters to the factories around the line. Now the services are limited in the morning and the evening when the workers commute. It is very convenient to ride the subway there by changing trains at JR Kobe or Shin-nagata.

I got off the train at Wadamisaki Station and began to walk. First, I visited Wada Shrine. It is reported that when Taira no Kiyomori (1118 – 1181) built Hyogotsu, there were many difficulties, so he invited a female God from Miyajima (Hiroshima) to Wada Shrine. In the precincts there is a monument praising Koda Hyoemon who contributed to the construction of the Hyogo Canal and was the founder of the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Access:	15 minute walk from JR Hyogo Station or 2 minute walk from Kobe Subway Wadamisaki Station
Address:	3-2-45 Wadamiya-dori, Hyogo-ku
Tel:	078-652-1551

Then I walked to Yakusen Temple. Gyoki opened the temple in 746. In 1333, Emperor Godaigo got sick on the journey from the Oki Islands (a group of islands in the Sea of Japan in Shimane Pref.) and had some holy water at the temple. The water cured him. The well is still in the temple.

Access:	15 minute walk from JR Hyogo Station
Address:	4-1-14 Imadezaike, Hyogo-ku
Tel:	078-671-1696

Then I walked to Kiyomorizuka: the "Thirteen Storied Pagoda." The pagoda is located at the foot of Kiyomori Bridge. The thirteen storied pagoda was made of stone and built in 1286. Its height is 8.5m. The pagoda is said to be the tomb of Taira no Kiyomori Taira, but research carried out in 1924 revealed that this is not the location of Kiyomori's grave. There is a statue of Taira no Kiyomori next to the pagoda.

Access:	10 minutes walk from JR Hyogo Station
Address:	Kirido-cho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe

Next I moved on to the Nofukuji Temple. Nofukuji Temple is well known for the Hyogo Giant Buddha statue, one of three statues. The Buddha is 11m tall and its ear is 2.1m long. It was once destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in May 1991. On this site, there is the grave of Taira no Kiyomori, a monument to Joseph Heco and a monument to a clansman of Bizen who was a victim of an incident in Kobe.

Open:	9:00 – 17:00
Access:	8 minute walk from JR Hyogo Station
Address:	1-39, Kitasakasegawa-cho, Hyogo-ku
Tel:	078-652-1715

Nowadays, there is not the same prosperity and vitality as in the past. In 1993, the City of Kobe constructed the Shinkawa Canal Promenade, a 350m long path along the canal for walking. This promenade is a place of recreation and relaxation for citizens because there is a public square, flowers, trees and benches. Sometimes this area is used for water sports such as regatta and raft races. This is just one of the efforts Kobe City is making to restore the prosperity of this area. At the middle of the path I found the Monument of Ruin of Hyogo Castle and First Prefectural Office.

I visited the memorial statue of the founding of the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry next. This statue was constructed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry's foundation in 1978 and is on the westside of the road in Shimagami-cho, Hyogo-ku. Their first building was constructed there in 1878 and their current main office is on Port Island. The first chairman was Koda Hyoemon, a wealthy merchant who tackled the construction of the Hyogo Canal at the end of 19th century.

My next destination was a monument to Kahee Takadaya (Takeo Inari Shrine). In the precincts of Takeo Inari Shrine, a monument to Kahee Takadaya was built. He was active as a purveying boatman nominated by Tokugawa shogunate and contributed to the development of shipbuilding, cultivating the land and commerce. He threw himself into solving the Golovnin case of conflict between Russia and Japan. Kahee's life story was fictionalized by the famous author Shiba Ryotaro and is entitled Nanohana no Oki.

Access:	10 minute walk southwest from JR Kobe Station
Address:	1-2-18 Shichimiya-cho, Hyogo-ku, Kobe
Tel:	078-671-3338

I went back to JR Kobe Station. I had a chance to visit some of the main historical spots in Hyogo over the course of three hours and had a good opportunity to study about a part of history on Hyogo-ku on that day.