The City which hosts 2019 PIANC AGA KOBE The City which hosts 2019 PIANC AGA

2. First, I’ll say a few words about the history of the Port. For over 1500 (one thousand five hundred) years, Kobe has been a hub for trading with countries such as China and the Korean peninsula. In Japan, from the beginning of the seventeenth century maritime trade with foreign countries was restricted, and the Port of Kobe became a hub for domestic trade. After that, on the first of January 1868 the Port of Kobe was officially opened to the world. Since then, Kobe has grown as a modern city alongside the development of the port.

Location Brussels Kobe E. Long. 4° N. Lat. 50° E. Long. 135° 3. Next, I’ll talk a little about Kobe’s location. It takes about 13(thirteen) hours to travel from Brussels to Kobe. There is an eight-hour time difference between Kobe and Central European Time.

Overview of Kobe Population 1,532,809 Rokko Mountains KOBE 50km JAPAN KYOTO 4. Our city is located almost at the center of the Japanese islands. The downtown area is surrounded by the Rokko Mountains on one side, and the Port of Kobe on the other. KOBE OSAKA KOBE NARA HIMEJI 50km

The Four Seasons in Japan Spring Summer Autumn 5. Japan has four very distinct and beautiful seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Nature and the changing seasons are an important part of Japanese culture, and each year we look forward to seeing the seasons change. PIANC Japan will be held in June, which is a good season to visit Japan, as the climate is still mild. Winter

Gourmet Culture in Kobe 6.Next, I’d like to introduce Kobe’s food culture. As Mr. Kitagawa mentioned, Japanese sake from the Nada region of Kobe has long been famous throughout Japan. This is because the natural environment of Kobe is perfect for sake brewing - For example, the groundwater from Mt. Rokko is ideal for brewing sake. After the opening of the port, European food culture flourished, and became much loved by the citizens of Kobe. Now, our cuisine culture, such as Kobe beef, European confectionary has spread all over Japan from Kobe.

Many attractions surround Kobe, including World Heritage sites Kinkaku-ji Temple Himeji Castle Lake Biwa Yodogawa river HIMEJI KYOTO KOBE NARA OSAKA The longest suspension bridge in the world World Heritage Kiyomizu-dera Temple Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge 7. I’d like to introduce some of the many attractions around the Kobe area. Kyoto was the ancient capital of Japan for about 1000 (one-thousand) years, until the capital was transferred to Tokyo at the same time as the opening of our port. So, Kyoto has many world heritage properties such as Kiyomizu-dera temple and kinkaku-ji temple. In those days, both Lake Biwa – the largest lake in Japan –and the Yodogawa river played a major role in the transportation of goods in the region. Next, Nara, which was the ancient capital of Japan before Kyoto, and Osaka, which is a commercial capital, are located to the east of Kobe. In addition, there is also the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which is the world’s longest suspension bridge, and Himeji castle ,which is a world heritage site. Both of them are located to the west of Kobe. We are planning to bring you to these kinds of sites either as part of technical tours or the partners program activities during the PIANC Kobe. Commercial Capital World Heritage Osaka The Great Buddha of Nara

PIANC AGA 2019 in Kobe The city of Kobe is looking forward to welcoming all of you next year in June. 8. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you again in Kobe.