From 1868, after the opening of Kobe port to international trade, the foreigners settled in this old district, before they moved to the hills around Kitano. The settlement is dotted with western buildings: the former American consulate (1880), now a café, Shosen-Mitsui Building (1922), Kaigan Building (1918), Daimaru Department Store (1929) and Kobe City Museum (1935). The wide, tree-lined pavements and stylish lamp posts are reminiscent of North America.