Hyogo Prefecture and the City of Kobe have decided to restore and develop the Former Kobe Emigration Center as the Center for Japanese and Nikkei Abroad (tentative name).

The center is located in the west side area of former residences of early foreign settlers in Kitano. It is the only remaining facility in Japan related with the history of Japanese emigration. From its establishment in 1928 to its closing in 1971, this center was used as an orientation and accommodation facility for about 250,000 Japanese citizens emigrating to South America and other parts of the world.

Having received requests from major Nikkei communities in Brazil as well as South American communities in Japan, Hyogo Prefecture and the City of Kobe will collaborate in maintaining and developing the facility. The center will be utilized to throw light on the little known history of the Japanese emigrants in order to raise recognition of their experiences, and demonstrate how Hyogo-Kobe served as an emigration center. It is also expected to serve as a base for support and communication for international residents. 

In fiscal 2007, the center will go through a quake resistance inspection and review of its basic design. Repair work will start on April 28, 2008, on the date when the Kasatomaru, the first immigration ship to Brazil, sailed out from Kobe.