Kobe of the future is
a wonderful town,
where even walking down the streets
is enjoyable.
Everyone is going about
and enjoying their day,
whether they’re out for a stroll,
running or simply standing around.
A city where everyone
can live their lives freely,
the way they want to.
A city that’s paved
with new connections.
Walk into the future of Kobe.
Swept off her feet by a sudden wind, our protagonist, Michi, touches down in a mysterious place.
What greets her is an intersection of kindness and comfort: a place with an even greater variety of people and places than ever, where people interact kindly with each other, spending their time in fulfilling ways.
It’s the streets of Sannomiya in Kobe, in the future.
Kobe of the Future Where the People Write Their Own Stories
SCENE01
Open streets where people can mingle
Starting from Sannomiya Station, downtown Kobe spreads out like one big park or an unfurling plaza.
The very heart of the city, yet no cars are passing through.
Sidewalks, where people once rushed past each other, are gone.
Instead, the narrow pavements spread out into wide stretching streets, where people can take in natural beauty and each other’s company.
In Kobe, parents aren’t left to struggle on their own. Many people are here to support them in raising their children.
Kobe has always been a city that is friendly to children and child-raising.
And now more than ever, Kobe is becoming a city for children and families.
A city with wide, open spaces to have fun, where children and parents are full of smiles.
A place where the streets are brimming with warmth and lead to a more fulfilling, a more welcoming environment for families.
In 2025, a new terminal will be established at Kobe Airport, under the theme of “Feel the Forest Floating on the Sea.”
Regular-service international flights will begin operation around 2030, making Kobe Airport a convenient international gateway to welcome waves of visitors from overseas.
Kobe is also on the forefront of innovation, with many cutting-edge IT companies making their home here.
As technology continues to advance, we look forward to more, exciting opportunities for Japanese and foreign visitors and residents to make connections.
In Kobe you can rest in the shade of a tree, nestled in leafy surroundings, even in the heart of the city.
Part of the appeal of Kobe is that lush, green mountains are just a short way from downtown. Drive a little further and you’ll find lovely thatched-roof houses preserved from another era.
That same verdant greenery can be found near Kobe’s Sannomiya as well, allowing you to feel its soothing presence without even realizing it.
Feeling tired? Take a break. You can find a place to relax wherever you go.
In Kobe, you’re never far from downtown or the mountains.
The south side of Shin-Kobe Station, where the Shinkansen stops in the foothills of the mountains, will be reborn as a park with an herb-themed aesthetic. The new park will connect the base of the Rokko mountain range to the heart of Kobe.
Take a relaxing walk on a trail, then stroll through the city’s new verdant neighborhoods.
Kobe is taking great steps to becoming pedestrian-friendly with each passing day. More than ever, you’ll want to head out for a walk in the mountains.
It’s a city where people of all generations, no matter their age, can live in comfort.
Under the boughs of stout old trees in the city, parents check how tall their kids have grown; friends for decades happily eat steamed pork buns together.
Memories like these bud and flourish thanks to the rich nature in our city.
The mountains, sea, and natural beauty which Kobe prides itself in connect us to our future.
Kobe residents get the best of both worlds: they can head into the bustling downtown where there is always something to do, or go out for a lively night in Sannomiya, and return home in the peaceful countryside.
A city in harmony with nature, now and a thousand years from now.
Kobe, the birthplace of jazz in Japan, is also a junction for culture, the arts and nature.
Everywhere you go, you’ll be able to hear music and melodies in the distance, riding the wind through the city.
Culture and the arts are the wellspring from which discoveries are made and connections between people are formed.
If any city can conceive new ways of working and living, it’s Kobe.
Walk north from Shin-Kobe Station, and you’ll find Nunobiki Herb Gardens.
Head south, and you can follow Flower Road all the way to the waterfront.
Higashi Yuenchi Park, located in the former Foreign Settlement, houses the famous flower clock.
More than ever before, the new Kobe is bedecked with the beauty of flowers.
The bigleaf hydrangea, the flower of Kobe City, grows in the wild throughout the Rokko mountain range. Depending on soil characteristics, it can vary in color from hues of blue, pink, or white, making the hydrangea a symbol of change.
Perhaps gazing at the hydrangea may sprout new changes in your life, too.
Moving Towards Kinder Transportation-- for people and the Earth
In the Kobe of 203X, next-generation trams will whisk riders from city center to the waterfront in comfort and convenience.
The Port Loop bus currently runs on this route, while the City Loop bus circles the mountain side of the City. Kobe also boasts eco-friendly, hydrogen-powered buses that run through the town.
Kobe’s advanced, environmentally-friendly public transit makes travel comfortable and smooth, whatever your destination.
One thing that will never change in Kobe is the beauty of the sea.
The Bay Area, where the salt air wafts in from the waterfront, has also become a place that makes you want to jump up and take a stroll.
The tip of the port is where you’ll find Kobe Arena, home court for Kobe’s professional basketball team. From Midorinooka, you can catch striking views of both sea and mountains.
In the new Bay Area, you can revel in the bounty of nature while enjoying the calm pace of life. How will you spend your day here?
Born December 24, 2002 in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture.
Mori’s career in show business began at the age of 16, when she passed an audition to join The Coinlockers, a J-pop idol band produced by Yasushi Akimoto.
After her major debut in 2019, Futaba was specially selected as a drummer, appearing in a wide range of media.
The Coinlockers broke up in December 2021, however in the following year, Mori joined Sony Music Artists Inc. Today she is active in a wide range of media, including films, series and commercials, as well as live appearances as a supporting drummer.
Filmography:
Movie: Joshi Kousei no Hokako Angler Life
TV Series: Ya Boy Kongming! (Azalea) (Fuji TV)
Movie/Series: Kono Hamburger, Pickles Wasureteru (“They Forgot the Pickles in my Hamburger”)
Commercials: Hannan University, Georgia Coffee
Music Videos with: Reira Ushio (singer/songwriter), Kujira Yoru no Machi (J-pop band), etc.
“I’m really honored to appear in this video about the future of Kobe, my beloved hometown. I think this video will really lift the spirits of everyone who feels anxious about the future, including my own generation. I hope people everywhere, from locals in Kobe to all over Japan and around the world, will go and watch this video. Thank you all for your support.”
Born in Tokyo in 2006, now 18 years old, Hana Hope kicked off her career as a singer in 2019 when, at the age of 13, she took part in Yellow Magic Children, a tribute concert commemorating the 40th anniversary of the formation of the band Yellow Magic Orchestra.
Hana has performed with numerous musicians and bands, including Yukihiro Takahashi, Towa Tei and Roth Bart Baron.
In 2022, Hana began working on solo projects, releasing her first album, Hues, in March 2023.
Her major debut came on July 30, 2023, when she released “flowers.”
“flowers” was selected as the theme song for the Fate/Grand Order Memorial Movie 2023. On the day of her major debut, she appeared before a large audience at the Fate/Grand Order Fes. 2023 Summer Festival: 8th Anniversary event, presented at the International Conference Hall of Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.
In August 2023, she also performed at the Shanghai Fate/Grand Order FesNight.
In November 2023, Hana released “Kieru Made”, the opening theme song for the TV anime series The Kingdoms of Ruin. Hana was also in charge of the image song titled “Tayutau,” for the Claude Monet: Journey to Series Paintings exhibition.
For this video, we chose this song by Hana Hope, a singer of the new generation, in hopes of reaching the youth on whom the future depends, and sharing this vision of a future for our international city with friends from all over the world.
Born in Kobe. After graduating from the Japan Institute of the Moving Image, Ushiro worked in the film and commercial fields before joining Sony PCL Inc., where he works as a movie director, screenplay writer and creative director. Ushiro excels at producing movies using state-of-the-art visual expression techniques and technologies.
Depicting future Kobe in 203X with virtual production
