2020 marks the 35th anniversary of the the Brisbane Kobe Sister City relationship.
Established in 1985 during the term of Dr Sallyanne Atkinson AO, the then Lord Mayor of Brisbane, it is Brisbane’s oldest Sister City relationship.
Our two cites share strong ties in the areas of culture, education and business as well as mutual support in times of natural disaster.
The AJS-Q has been involved from the beginning of the Brisbane Kobe relationship and will be celebrating the anniversary with articles featuring Kobe in the Society’s monthly enewsletter throughout 2020.
Located close to Osaka on the southern coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu, Kobe is Japan’s sixth largest city (with a population of approx. 1.5 million) and the capital of Hyogo Prefecture.
Lying like a ribbon between the foothills of the lush Rokko mountain range and Osaka Bay the city has been a major shipping port of the Seto Inland Sea since the 8th century.
It was opened to the West in 1868 and remains one of Japan’s major international ports.
A modern, cosmopolitan city with abundant green spaces and a mild costal climate Kobe is characterised by a rich history of international maritime trade and traditional Japanese culture.