This fireboat escorted a cruise ship into the Port of Kobe with a dramatic display of shooting water in a rainbow of colors. The maritime salute is traditionally reserved for a major ship entering a harbor for the first time. Welcome to Kobe! Japan’s sixth largest city with a population of 1.5 million is located on Honshū Island at the foothills of Mount Rokkō. Cosmopolitan, scenic and thriving, Kobe is home to major companies, a huge container port and the namesake for the famously delicious Kobe beef. You will enjoy exploring this vivacious city for a day or week.