WEB3 days ago · Its name comes from Kanbe (神戸, an archaic title for supporters of the city's Ikuta Shrine). [5] [6] Kobe became one of Japan's designated cities in 1956. Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the 1853 end of the policy of seclusion and has retained its cosmopolitan character ever since with a rich ...