the Kobe Port Kobe

The northern side of Hyogo Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan while its southern side begins from the Seto Inland Sea and continues all the way to the Pacific Ocean via Awaji Island. Being a very wide prefecture, it can be divided up into three regions: Seto Inland Sea side, Sea of Japan side, and the central mountainous area.

The Sea of Japan side is often cloudy or rainy with high precipitation during the wintertime due to seasonal winds blowing from Siberia. On the other hand, it does not rain much on the Seto Inland Sea side where the climate is mild and pleasant.

Additionally, Hyogo is characteristic of being made up of various types of regions from metropolitan to rural areas and islands. In Himeji City stands the beautiful Himeji Castle with its white wash walls. It is one of the few castles with a tower built before the Edo period. Ever since the opening of the Kobe Port in 1868, the prefecture has served as the gateway to Japan.

Transportation access to the world was improved and, as a result, it served as a passing point for European and American cultures to spread in Japan while also letting the Japanese culture be known worldwide.