Karaoke, a popular form of entertainment in Japan, originated in Kobe in the 1970s.

Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata in 2003, is a popular manga and anime series that follows a high school student who gains the power to kill anyone whose name he writes in a special notebook.

Neon Genesis Evangelion, created by Hideaki Anno in 1995, is a popular anime series that explores themes of psychology, philosophy, and spirituality, and has become a cult classic.