The Kitano area of Kobe is home to many people with foreign roots, and is dotted with various religious facilities including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Jainism, and the Russian Orthodox Church.

It is said that no other area in the world has such a wide variety of religious institutions coexisting in harmony with each other.

The "Kitano International Festival" has been held since 1981 with the theme of "World Peace through Mutual Understanding of the Religions of the World," and this year marks its 43rd year.

At the opening of the festival, people from various religions in Kobe gather in the Kitano Tenman Shrine for the "Peace Ceremony," where they offer prayers and send messages for world peace in their own prayer style.

Afterwards, there will be a variety of international performances by artists in Kobe, including lion dance, Chinese dance, furusu solo performance, South African drums, and more.

This is a festival where you can experience the diversity of the world and interact with people from different cultures in Kobe.