In the port city of Kobe, where the apparel industry and other fashion-related sectors have blossomed under Western influence since it opened to foreign trade in 1868, a unique library at the Kobe Fashion Museum boasts an extensive collection of fashion books and magazines from around the world.

Many of the publications are rare items that are unavailable elsewhere in Japan, according to the library's staff. Following Kobe's declaration in 1973 to become a "Fashion City," the museum was opened on the city's man-made Rokko Island in 1997 to promote the local lifestyle- and culture-related industries.

In addition to fashion-related books in 19 genres such as ornaments, textiles and perfume, the library's collection of some 40,000 publications also include books in over 40 categories such as confectionery, Japanese sake, architecture and interior design, and film.