– ICLEI Japan Member Information –

Kobe City

Message from the Mayor of Kobe City 

Kizo Hisamoto

Since the opening of Kobe Port in 1868, the city has created new values and lifestyles while nurturing internationality and diversity in a rich natural environment surrounded by the sea and mountains. After the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, the city received support from domestic and international and was able to achieve reconstruction with the efforts of its citizens. 

Given Kobe’s history of overcoming many difficulties, Kobe City aims to be a ‘World contributing city nurtured by the sea and mountains’, existing not only for Kobe but also for the whole of Japan, and contributing to each region from a global perspective.

In collaboration with ICLEI, Kobe City will further promote the SDGs and environment-related policies of Kobe City.

Overview of Kobe City

Kobe, an exotic and cosmopolitan city that played a pivotal role in Japan’s modernization as a gateway to the world, is a diverse city that compactly combines highly convenient urban functions with a rich natural environment, including Mount Rokko and the surrounding countryside.
The Urban Sannomiya Redevelopment Project is underway to boldly revitalize Sannomiya, the gateway to Kobe, with the aim of creating a ‘New City Center’ that is comfortable, convenient, and beautifully landscaped, where various civic activities and exchanges can take place.

In addition, the Kobe Medical Industry Project, which initially began as an earthquake reconstruction initiative, has evolved into one of the largest biomedical clusters in Japan, more than 20 years after its launch.

Furthermore, efforts are being made to develop the business environment on Mt. Rokko to create an attractive business space that is comfortable and stimulates creativity, under the Mt Rokko Smart City Concept.

Basic Information

1,487,990

Population
(As of 1 June 2025) 

557㎢

Area

Kobe City Website

Environmental Initiatives 

In 2020, Kobe announced the ‘2050 Carbon Neutrality Declaration’ and is promoting initiatives such as the diffusion of renewable energy and the promotion of the use of hydrogen energy in order to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.

The main initiative is the ‘Hydrogen Smart City Kobe Concept’, and two world-first demonstration projects are being promoted through industry-academia-government collaboration: the ‘Hydrogen Supply Chain Construction Demonstration Project’, in which hydrogen is transported from overseas by ship, and the ‘Hydrogen Energy Use System Development Demonstration Project’, in which electricity and heat produced from hydrogen is supplied to the city.

The Port of Kobe is also making progress in decarbonizing to become a Carbon Neutral Port.

resilient development

Kobe Marks 30 Years Since Devastating Earthquake with Global Call for Urban Resilience

Marking 30 years since the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, Kobe brought together global city leaders to reflect on disaster recovery and resilience. The conference highlighted how community engagement, shared knowledge, and long-term investment in infrastructure and preparedness are essential to building cities that can withstand increasingly unpredictable climate-related risks.

Read More

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