Kobe
/ˈkoʊbeɪ/; Japanese /koːbe/noun
A major port city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, also known internationally for Kobe beef.
Did you know?The name is traditionally connected with 神戸, *kanbe* or *kōbe*, communities or estates assigned to support a Shinto shrine, although the exact historical development of the reading remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Japan
Japanese
神戸
“A term associated with households or estates attached to a deity or shrine”
8th Century
Old Japanese
かんべ (kanbe)
“A shrine-affiliated community or hereditary group providing service and support”
8th Century
Japanese
神戸郷 (Kanbe-gō)
“A locality recorded in connection with a shrine estate in the area of present-day Kobe”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
神戸 (Kōbe/Kanbe)
“A place-name whose reading and local forms developed over time”
19th Century
Japanese
神戸 (Kōbe)
“The established name of the port city opened to foreign trade in 1868”
Modern English
English
Kobe
“The internationally used English name of the Japanese city and its associated beef brand”