692
KOBE-HYOGO
Episcopal Church, All Saints, was opened in 1898 on the Hill behind, and there are several native Protestant churches in Kobe town. There are three foreign hotels in the town-the Oriental, the Tor, and the Grand, while the Mikado (near Kobe railway station), is in foreign style, but under Japanese management. Two foreign daily papers, the Japan Chronicle and the Kobe Herald, and one weekly, the Japan Weekly Chronicle, are published in Kobe. There are also two native papers. The population of the city of Kobe exceeds 300,000. There are about 3,000 foreigners residing in Kobe, but of this number nearly two-thirds are Chinese. When a census was taken in 1901, the British numbered 602, Germans 188, Americans 179, French 67, and the Portuguese 70.
The Temple of Nofukuji, which possesses a large bronze Buddha, and which is situated in the old town of Hyogo, is worth a visit; and there is a monument to the Japanese hero Kiyomori, erected in 1286, in a grove of trees in the vicinity of the tem- ple, which claims some attention from its historic associations. On the Kobe side of the old river known as the Minato-gawa also stands a temple dedicated to Kusunoki Masashige, so famous in Japanese history for loyalty and valour, who died on the spot in 1336, during the unsuccessful wars for the restoration of the Mikado's power. The Kawasaki Shipbuilding Yard situated at Hyogo is one of the largest in Japan. In 1908 in addition to executing repairs to 697 vessels, the yard turned out 13 new vessels having an aggregate tonnage of 19,646. The new graving dock will accommodate vessels of some 5,000 tons. The Mitsui Bishi Co. also have à dockyard at the Western extremity of the port. This dockyard has an area of 200,000 square yards, and a seafront of 1,850 square yards. Engines, boilers, electric machinery, &c., are manufac- tured here, and the yard is capable of building ships of 10,000 tons. In November, 1908, a floating dock was provided capable of floating a vessel of 12,000 tons. Its dimensions are Length 580 feet, breadth 66 feet and draught 26 ft. The Government in 1906 sanctioned a scheme for the improvement of the harbour involving an expenditure of 32,000,000 yen. Large reclamations are being undertaken at Onohama, and commodious wharves and other facilities for the working of cargo are to be provided. The work is to be com- pleted in about ten years from the date of its initiation.
Kobe's excellent railway communications, both north and south, have naturally tended to centralise trade at this port.
In 1909 the values of the different classes of imports of foreign produce and manufactures were:-
Cotton and Cotton Yarns Yen 78,301,956 Copper, Lead, Zinc, etc. ... Yen 4,178,473 Iron and Steel
Drugs and Medicines
Grains and Seeds...
Cotton Manufactures
Machinery
Dyes and Paints ...
Oil Cake
A
Wool and Woollen Manufrs.
Oils and Waxes
13
11,846,669 Paper and Paper Manufrs. 10,216,564 Beverages and Comestibles
9,310,810 Metal Manufactures
"}
""
3,677,904 3,240,885
W
11
3,168,400
19
19
8,401,655 Vehicles, Clocks, Watches, etc. 8,292,311 Skins, Hairs, Bones, etc. 6,334,872 Sugar and Sweetmeats 6,181,316 Sundries
"1
2,973,462
...
"}
2,123,811
2,088,587
"
13,381,304
5,629,229
19
4,873,571
Total Imports
...Ven 184,224,779
The values of the principal articles of Export in the same year were as follows:- Cotton Yarn & Cotton Goods Yen 21,106,640 Marine Productions
Copper
Matches
Grains and Seeds...
Yen 3,128,748
11
13,327,161 Earthenware & Glass Manfs.
8,724,374 Oils and Waxes 5,903,784 Tea ...
3,013,158
**
"}
2,921,404
21
2,838,840
"
5,343,810 Beverages and Comestibles, 5,264,443 Sundries
2,480,624
"}
11
13,266,429
Mats and Mattings
Camphor
4,827,742 3,469,398
Total Exports ...Yen 100,616,555
Braids of Straw, Etc.
Clothing and Accessories
...
"
...
The quantity of tea exported from Kobe-Hyogo during the year 1908 was 7,021,163 kin, while in 1909 it amounted to 6,725,599 kin. Practically the whole of this went to the United States of America and Canada.
The following table of values in Yen shows the total trade of the port from 1899
to 1909:—
Exports Total
1900
Imports 137,434,281
Exports Total 69,706,549 207,190,830 1905
Imports
|
228,614,005
1901 125,979,022
1902 144,516,111
77,206,226 203,185,248 | 1906 74,748,143 219,264,254 | 1907 1903 154,534,013 90,518,216 245,052,229 | 1908 245,052,229 | 1908 1904 174,855,201 87,976,178 262,831,379 | 1909
192,190,166
223,437,566
84,458,679 313,072,684 110,605,293 302,795,459 106,668,205 330,105,831
191,080,866
184,224,779
84,114,773 275,195,639 100,616,555 284,841,334