Brisbane's Sister City - Kobe
The signing of the Brisbane-Kobe Sister City Agreement in 1985 marked Brisbane’s first Sister City relationship. Since this date both cities have worked to strengthen the relationship through civic, cultural and business events.
On this page you can find general information about Kobe as well as download a key facts and opportunity sectors fact sheet.
Kobe and Brisbane have a long history of supporting each other in times of need. In the wake of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe, the people of Brisbane raised $AUD82,000 to help with the appeal. Conversely, following the 2011 flooding in Brisbane, Kobe City Government, City Assembly and Kobe City Government Workers’ Union donated more than $AUD50,000 to assist in the recovery effort.
The Lord Mayor, accompanied by senior Brisbane business leaders, led a delegation to Kobe City in 2012 and 2016. Brisbane welcomed the Mayor of Kobe, Mr Hisamoto to the city in 2015 to attend the Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum (2015APCS), which also allowed an opportunity to recognise the 30th anniversary of the sister city relationship and re-sign the agreement.
A number of projects are currently being undertaken including educational and sporting exchanges as well as a range of business activities. Kobe City has been chosen as the pre-training camp for the Australian Paralympic team in the lead up to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
To continue the relationship between Brisbane and Kobe, a Brisbane Branch of the Kobe International Club has recently been opened by the Australia Japan Society – Queensland Inc. The Kobe International Club is a platform for people around the world who want to support the city.
About Kobe
Kobe:
- is the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture
- is Japan’s sixth largest city
- is situated approximately 500 kilometres west of Tokyo
- is an international port city
- has a population of more than 1.5 million
- has an area of 550.72 square kilometres
- has a marine climate, which is relatively cool in summer and warm in winter, with a few light snowfalls.
Kobe has a range of flourishing industries such as:
- biomedical
- sake breweries
- food processing, including Kobe beef
- shipbuilding
- steel-making
- manufacturing of rubber products
- transportation and warehousing
- pearl industry.
Kobe is a vibrant port city and a hub for people, information and goods from around the world. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Kobe offers a range of contrasting activities from skiing and hot springs to the beach. The city is home to the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC) which focuses on medical device research and development, clinical research and clinical applications of regenerative medicine. Kobe city government is now promoting the Start up! Kobe project to provide comprehensive supports for overseas investors and companies.
Key facts and opportunity sectors
Download:
For more information visit the Kobe website.