Nankin-machi 4.77

Nankin-machi is a neighborhood in Kobe, Japan located south of Motomachi station adjacent to the Daimaru Department Store and is a major tourist attraction. Considered as Kobe's Chinatown, the area has over a hundred Chinese restaurants, shops, and a Chinese temple dedicated to Guan Yu .HistoryNankin-machi originated in 1868, when Kobe's port was opened to foreigners including Chinese immigrants from Guangdong and Fujian. The newcomers settled in the western end of Kobe's foreign district, which soon became the focal point for subsequent Chinese migrants. During that time, the Chinese people were referred to as "people from Nanking" by the Japanese, hence the name "Nankinmachi" (Nanking Town). By the early 1920s, Nankinmachi was a vibrant area bustling with businesses, restaurants, and homes. That all changed, however, during the next two decades when many Chinese returned to China in response to Japan's expansion of Northeastern China, the Second Sino-Japanese War, and World War II. Destroyed during the allied bombings of Kobe, Nankinmachi was re-built after the war by the remaining Chinese community that stayed behind. In 1995, it was severely damaged during the Great Hanshin earthquake. It was quickly rebuilt, and once again thrives as a center of Chinese culture and activity throughout the Kansai region. There are currently 10,000 people residing in Nankin-machi.