KOBE -- The mayor of Kobe and the governor of Hyogo Prefecture joined about 200 people at the new Kobe International House here Wednesday morning for a special ceremony to mark completion of its construction.
The 22-story complex combines an international convention center and an office building. It also contains four theaters for live shows and films. At the top of the building, an electric candle will be lit each night to honor victims of the 1995 earthquake.
"Completion of Kobe International House marks the end of major earthquake reconstruction projects in the central Kobe area and the beginning of the re-emergence of Kobe as a major international convention city," Mayor Kazutoshi Sasayama said. The old Kobe International House was razed after it was severely damaged by the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995.
The grand opening of Kobe International House is scheduled for May 28.