The east side of Motomachi shopping street, a doorway to Motomachi-dori in Chuo Ward, Kobe
14:40 JST, June 29, 2024
KOBE — Motomachi-dori, a street that is the centerpiece of the port city of Kobe and has long supported its development, celebrated its 150th anniversary in May this year.
As the shopping street has experienced many kinds of disasters, including wartime air raids and the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, locals hope to pass on the legacy of the past 150 years to the next generation.
According to the Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street Association, the street was founded on May 20, 1874, when the then prefectural governor declared the current block of the shopping street “Motomachi-dori.”
Motomachi-dori around 1871
This area was already prosperous before it got its name because it was located along one of the major roads, the Saigoku Kaido Highway. During the Edo period (1603-1867), there were already 220 houses in the area, and the opening of the Port of Kobe in 1868 attracted more people and stimulated development. Motomachi-dori is one of the oldest shopping streets in Japan, according to the association.
Currently, Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street is 11 meters wide and 1.2 kilometers long, with about 300 shops, of which about 20 have been around for more than 100 years. Being close to tourist attractions such as Nankinmachi Chinatown and Kobe Harborland, the district is bustling with tourists and locals.
During World War II, the shopping area burned down during the American bombing of Kobe, but the shopkeepers at the time showed resilience. They received duralumin from military aircraft manufacturers and used it to rebuild the shops, which became a symbol of the city’s recovery after the war.
Taizo Katayama, the president of the high street association, said the Great Hanshin earthquake was a major turning point for the high street. He is the third generation owner of a shoe store that has been in business for more than 100 years.
Katayama said that after receiving a request from the city government, he reopened his store two weeks after the disaster. He recalls being reluctant to do so.
“I thought there was no point in doing business at such a time.”
A store reopens and sets up a stall in front of the door with an encouraging message: “Hang in there, Kobe.”
But with nearby department stores closed, work boots and slippers sold like hotcakes. He also offered hot tea to passers-by. He remembers many people expressing their gratitude to him.
After the earthquake, the construction of apartments on the south side of Motomach-dori, once the financial district, increased the residential population. New shops sprang up in the street, selling products such as fruit, vegetables, fish and medicines.
“It has become more of a community-oriented shopping area than ever before,” Katayama said.
A flag commemorating the 150th anniversary of Motomachi-dori hangs in the shopping street in Chuo Ward, Kobe.
After its 150th anniversary, Motomachi-dori will celebrate 30 years since the Great Hanshin Earthquake next January. Katayama has renewed his resolve.
“Even in times of disasters or other hardships, we want to remain a shopping street that provides the necessities of life for the local population.”
The shopping street has already carried out several commemorative projects, such as a photo exhibition. The 150th commemoration ceremony was held on May 20 in Chuo Ward, Kobe. Hyogo Gov. Motohiko Saito said at the ceremony: “I hope [the shopping street] will continue for the next 200 or 300 years and revitalize Hyogo and Kobe Prefecture.’
