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Hyōgo-ku, Kobe
Ward in Kobe, Japan / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Hyogo (兵庫区, Hyōgo-ku) is one of nine wards of Kobe, Japan. It has an area of 14.56 km2 and a population of 106,322 (as of January 1, 2015).[1]
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The area's location with a natural harbour near the Akashi Strait which links Osaka Bay and the Seto inland sea has been an important location throughout the history of Japan. The capital of Japan was located in the area for a short period in the 12th century. Today the area is an important manufacturing zone.[2]
The modern ward of Hyogo was formed as Sōsai-ku (湊西区, 'Minato (a surname) West Ward') when Kobe adopted the system of wards in 1931. Its name was changed to Hyogo in 1933 and its current boundaries were settled in 1971. The floral emblem of the ward is the pansy.[3]