HYOGO, a town and district of Japan in the province of Settsu, on the western shore of the bay of Osaka, adjoining the foreign settlement of Kobe, 21 M. W. of Osaka by rail. The growth of its prosperity has been very remarkable. Its population, including that of Kobe, is nearly I,000,000. Silk and cotton fabrics and matches are the chief industries.
Hyogo has several temples of interest, one of which has near it a huge bronze statue of Buddha, while by the Minatogawa, which flows into the sea between Hyogo and Kobe, a temple com memorates the spot where Kusunoki Masashige, the mirror of Japanese loyalty, met his death in battle in 1336. The temple of Ikuta was erected on the site of the ancient fane built by Jingo on her return from Korea in the 3rd century.
Hyogo was originally known as Bako and as early as the 12th century was of some maritime importance. (See KOBE.)