Kobe: What’s In a Name
My Day
By Dr. J. Ester Davis
Dallas joins the entire world mourning the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his beautiful daughter and the others on board. America is so sadden by this loss. Words are just not enough.
Even though so much is being said, written, remembered and talked about, I felt compelled to write something to make me feel better and share with others. Kobe. His name has always been intriguing.
Kobe is the fifth largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshu. With a population of approximately 1.5 million, the city is part of the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe Metropolitan Area along with Osaka and Kyoto. The earliest written records regarding the region comes from the Nihon Shoko, which describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingu in AD 201. For most of its history the area was never a single political entity, even during the Tokugawa Period, when the port was controlled directly by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Tokugawa Shogunate is a period of Japanese history ruled by a samurai ruling class. The City of Kobe did not exist in its current form until its founding in 1889. Its name comes from “kanbe”, an archaic title for supporters of the city’s Ikuta Shrine. Kobe became one of Japan’s 17 designated cities in 1956. Kobe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West following the end of the Policy of Seclusion and has since been known as a cosmopolitan Port City. While the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake diminished much of Kobe’s prominence as a popular port city, it remains Japan’s fourth busiest container port.
Companies headquartered in Kobe include ASICS, Kawasaki Industries and Kobe Steel. ASICS is a Japanese athletic multinational corporation with more than 8,000 employees in Kobe. The company produces footwear and sports equipment. Their running shoes are ranked worldwide among the top brands. Over one hundred(100)international corporations with Asia or Japan are headquarters in the city. A few other brand corporations recognizable to Americans are Eli Lilly and Company, Proctor & Gamble, Boehringer Ingelheim and Nestle Chocolate with employees in Kobe. The city is the point of origin and namesake of Kobe Beef as well as the site of one of Japan’s most famous Spring Resorts, Arima Onsen.
It is acknowledged that “our Kobe” was named after the city’s famous Kobe Beef. But I feel certain that ‘our Kobe’ is familiar with the full history and meaning of his name and imprinted the legacy by naming his children with purpose and significance.
So, what’s in a name? Quite simply, a powerful influential force that shapes your life.
Rest in peace to all and…thanks Kobe for the everlasting memories. Our world is better because you opened doors, made a difference, showed the way and left a well-designed path.
Esterdavis2000@gmail.com
214.376.9000
Special thanks for the informants on the
Dallas Forest Avenue Hospital Journal.
The era: 1960 – 1980
