Hyogo Prefecture occupies the heart of western Honshu, stretching from the rugged Sea of Japan coast to the warm Seto Inland Sea, anchored by the cosmopolitan port city of Kobe. It shelters Japan's most photogenic castle at Himeji, the ancient hot-spring village of Arima Onsen, the world-famous Kobe beef ranches of the Tajima highlands, and the island of Awaji, birthplace of Japanese mythology.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Hyogo.
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1
Nara court uses Hyogo port for tribute ships from the continent
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2
Battle of Ichi-no-Tani fought at Suma (now western Kobe) — Minamoto clan defeats Taira clan
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3
Construction of original Himeji Castle begins under Akamatsu Norimura
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4
Toyotomi Hideyoshi takes Himeji Castle and begins major renovation
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5
Ikeda Terumasa completes Himeji Castle in its current form — UNESCO-listed 'White Egret Castle'
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6
Port of Kobe (Hyogo Port) opens to foreign trade following the Meiji Restoration — 1 January 1868
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7
Foreign traders build Western-style residences in Kitano (Ijinkan) district of Kobe
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8
Takarazuka Revue performs its first show — all-female theatre troupe based in Hyogo
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9
17 January — Great Hanshin Earthquake (M7.2) kills 6,434, destroys 300,000+ buildings in Kobe, Ashiya, and Nishinomiya
Historical sites
Places where Hyogo's past comes alive.
Historic
Himeji Castle
Where: Himeji City
Admission: Adult: ¥1,000 ($6.70) | Child: ¥300 ($2)
Historic
Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum
Where: Chuo Ward, Kobe
Admission: Adult: ¥600 ($4) | Child: ¥300 ($2)
Historic
Kitano Ijinkan Foreign Residences
Where: Kitano, Chuo Ward, Kobe
Admission: Adult:
Historic
Suma Dera Temple and Battle of Ichi-no-Tani Site
Where: Suma Ward, Kobe
Admission: Adult: Free (temple grounds)
Edo Period (1618)