Kobe Walking Tour

Ship Kobe Kaigan Building was originally built in 1918 as the Mitsui Bussan Kobe Branch, designed by architect Kawai Kozo who had a notable influence on Kobe's early 20th-century architecture. This building is a concrete structure featuring Renaissance style with Secession decorative elements and stood as a symbol of the Kobe foreign settlement area. The building was significant as a Mitsui conglomerate asset and served as an office for trade activities, reflecting Japan's modernization during the Taisho period[1][2][8].
The pivotal event in the building's history occurred after the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which caused extensive damage. Although the building was structurally compromised and deemed irreparable, local owners and community stakeholders made a determined effort to prevent total loss. They carefully dismantled the building but preserved the original exterior walls. This decision reflected a commitment to heritage conservation amid urban redevelopment pressures. The outer facade was then integrated into a new 15-story high-rise office building completed in 1998, thus marrying modern usage with historical legacy[4][10].
This reconstruction project sparked debate on architectural preservation and urban development. Some critics found the façade incorporation disjointed, referring to it as a "waistband" style, yet others argued that retaining a tangible piece of Kobe's trade-era history was invaluable. The building today has the original decorative geometric pediments on its base floors, while the upper floors represent contemporary steel and glass design. This blend illuminates Kobe's balancing act between honoring past craftsmanship and meeting modern business needs, visibly shaping local identity and reflecting decisions by traders, architects, and city planners over seven decades[6][10].