Kakogawa City, located in the eastern part of the Harima region in southern Hyogo Prefecture, is a designated special city and serves as the center of the Higashi-Harima region. The Kakogawa River flows through the city. The city enjoys a Seto Inland Sea-style climate with little rainfall and plenty of sunny days. The city once flourished as a post town on the Saigoku Kaido road, home to Kakogawa-juku, and is now a thriving commuter town for Kobe and Himeji. The city's main industries are heavy chemicals, joinery, wool products, and other manufacturing industries, and it is Japan's top producer of socks. It is also known as the birthplace of world-famous Kobe beef. Many nationally designated historic sites remain within the city, making it a popular tourist destination.