The Kobe Shimbun (Japanese: 神戸新聞, Hepburn: Kōbe Shinbun) is a Japanese-language daily newspaper based in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and the company publishing that newspapers is also called The Kobe Shimbun Company (株式会社神戸新聞社, Kabushiki-gaisha Kōbe Shinbunsha). It runs the website Kobe Shimbun NEXT.
Overview
Kobe Shimbun was founded on February 11, 1898, by Yoshitaro Kawasaki, the owner of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries.[3][4][5] On August 1, 1931, it merged with the Osaka Jiji Shimpō and Kyoto Nichinichi Shimbun to form the Santōgōdo Shimbun. Kobe Shimbun was separated in 1935.[5][3] During the Bombing of Kobe in World War II, the company headquarters in Higashi-kawasaki-cho in the city was destroyed. The Asahi Shimbun Company took over printing. It was rebuilt on October 14, 1945.[3] On August 1, 1948, it launched the Daily Sports, but later separated publication in 1955. On May 3, 1956, the company moved their head office to Kobe Shimbun Kaikan[ja].[6][3] The building is considered to be symbol of the Sannomiya district of Kobe,[6] and a symbol of the post-war reconstruction in Kobe.[7] In 1995, Kobe Shimbun Kaikan was completely destroyed following the Great Hanshin Earthquake, but publication continued due to its cooperation with the Kyoto Shimbun.[6][5][3] The building was later demolished, but rebuilt as "Mint Kobe" on October 4, 2006.[3][6] On March 11, 2010, Daily Sports was merged with Kobe Shimbun, and was relaunched on December 1, 2012. On November 1, 2012, the newspaper launched the Kobe Shimbun NEXT, the online edition of the newspaper.[3]
The editorial position of the Kobe Shimbun was described as liberal.[8][9] Historically, the newspaper was described to have a "anti-foreign bias" for its coverage of the arrest of Christian Holstein in 1914.[10]
The website is publishing two editions per day. The morning and evening editions.[5] As of December 2025, the morning edition sold 320,432 copies, while the evening edition sold 80,975 copies.[1]
Notable reporting and incidents
Kobe Shimbun, alongside Kobe Yushin Nippō, published a series of articles about the arrest of a Kobe-based German merchant, Christian Holstein, about the alleged kidnapping of Kanekichi Tsukamura in 1914.[10]
In 1985, the Kobe Shimbun and Tianjin Daily organized a media tie-up.[11]
1234旧神戸新聞会館の歩みを振り返る展示会 神戸[An exhibition in Kobe looking back on the history of the former Kobe Shimbun Building.]. NHK (in Japanese). April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
↑ただいま、三宮 震災から１１年余、ミント神戸開業[Currently, Sannomiya is more than 11 years old since the earthquake, and Mint Kobe has opened.]. Kobe Shimbun (in Japanese). October 4, 2006. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
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