1. Basis of Presentation of Financial Statements

Kobe Steel, Ltd. (the "Company"), a Japanese corporation, 
maintains its records and prepares its financial statements in 
Japanese yen in accordance with generally accepted 
accounting principles in Japan.  The accompanying non-
consolidated financial statements have been translated from 
the non-consolidated financial statements which are prepared 
for Japanese domestic purposes, in accordance with the 
provisions of the Securities and Exchange Law of Japan and 
filed with the Ministry of Finance of Japan and stock 
exchanges in Japan. Certain modifications, including 
presentation of the statements of stockholders' equity and 
cash flows, have been made in the accompanying non-
consolidated financial statements to facilitate understanding 
by foreign readers.
 Certain reclassifications have been made in the accompany-
ing non-consolidated financial statements for the year ended 
March 31, 1995 to conform to the presentation for 1996.
 For convenience only, U.S. dollar amounts presented in the 
accompanying non-consolidated financial statements have 
been translated from Japanese yen at the rate of ¥106.35 to 
US$1, the rate prevailing on March 31, 1996.

2. Summary of Accounting Policies

(1) Reporting Entity
The non-consolidated financial statements report only the 
accounts of the Company.
(2) Cash Equivalents
The Company considers time deposits (due within one year) 
to be cash equivalents.
(3) Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
The allowance for doubtful accounts is provided in amounts 
considered to be sufficient to cover possible losses on 
collection.  It is determined by adding the uncollectable 
amounts individually estimated for doubtful accounts to a 
maximum amount permitted for tax purposes, which is 
calculated collectively.
(4) Marketable Securities and Investments in Securities
Listed equity securities included in both marketable securities 
and investments in securities, except for certain equity 
securities of subsidiaries and affiliates in which the 
Company's ownership equals or exceeds 25 percent, are 
stated at the lower  of moving average cost or market value.
Other securities, including investments in subsidiaries and 
affiliates, are stated at moving average cost.  If significant 
impairment of value is deemed permanent, cost is 
appropriately reduced.
(5) Inventories
Inventories are valued at cost, as determined by the following 
methods:
    Two main works in the Iron and Steel Sector and the
      three main plants in the Aluminum and Copper Sector		 
      ........................ Last-in, first-out method
    Finished goods and work in process in one plant in the 
      Iron and Steel Sector and the Machinery and 
      Information Sector.. Specific identification method
    Others................................ Average method
(6) Depreciation of Plant and Equipment
Buildings and structures in all locations and machinery and 
equipment located in the Kakogawa Works, the Kobe Works, 
the Takasago Works, the Moka Plant, the Chofu Plant and the 
Daian Plant are depreciated using the straight-line method 
and all other machinery and equipment are depreciated using 
the declining balance method over estimated useful lives.
(7) Long-term Construction Contracts
Sales and the related costs of certain long-term (over one 
year) construction contracts are recognized by the percentage 
of completion method.
(8) Research and Development Expenses
Expenses in respect of the development of new products and 
research into and the application of new technologies (being 
in each case expenses which are expected to contribute to 
future sales) are deferred and amortized over five years.
(9) Income and Enterprise Taxes
Income and enterprise taxes, which in the aggregate indicate a 
statutory tax rate of approximately 52 percent, are based on 
taxable income.  Enterprise tax is included in selling, general 
and administrative expenses.
  Long-term accrued income and enterprise taxes are 
recognized in respect of the amortization of deferred income 
as described in Note 2(13) below.  Such income is recognized 
for the purposes of taxation, and the provision for long-term 
accrued income and enterprise taxes is reversed, at the time of 
redemption of the related bonds.
(10) Reserve for Loss from Natural Disaster
In order to provide for the cost of repairs and other expenses 
related to fixed assets that were damaged in the Great 
Hanshin Earthquake disaster, the reserve for loss from natural 
disaster is estimated in the amount considered necessary as of 
the end of the year.
(11) Employees' Retirement Benefits
Substantially all employees of the Company are entitled to a 
lump-sum payment at the time of retirement.  The amount is, 
in general, determined on the basis of length of service, base 
salary at the date of retirement and cause of retirement.  In 
the case of involuntary retirement, the employee is entitled to 
a greater payment than in the case of voluntary retirement. 
  Employees whose employment is terminated after the age 
of 50 may elect to take part of their retirement benefits in the 
form of pension payments.  The funds required to make 
pension payments are entrusted to an outside trustee.  The 
liability in respect of lump-sum retirement benefits is stated at 
the present value of the unfunded portion of the expected 
future retirement benefits attributable to eligible employees’
years of service as at the balance sheet date.  Prior service 
costs in respect of the pension plan, less that portion of the 
provision in respect of lump-sum retirement benefits no 
longer required by reason of the introduction of the pension 
scheme, are amortized on the declining balance method at the 
rate of 15 percent per annum and included in "Other income 
(expenses): Amortization of prior service costs of the pension 
plan" in the non-consolidated statements of operations.  The 
net assets at book value of the non-contributory funded 
pension plan amounted to ¥60,845 million at October 31, 
1995, the date of the most recent available information.
(12) Allowance for Special Repairs
Blast furnaces and hot blast stoves, including related 
machinery and equipment, periodically require substantial 
component replacement and repair.  The estimated future 
costs of such work are provided for and charged to income on 
a straight-line basis over the period to the date of the 
anticipated replacement and repair.  The difference between 
such estimated costs and actual costs is charged or credited to 
income at the time the repairs take place.
(13) Translation of Foreign Currencies
Current receivables and payables denominated in foreign 
currencies are translated at historical rates in accordance with 
Statement No. 46 of the Audit Committee of the Japanese 
Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
  All other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign 
currencies are translated at historical rates except those, 
including bonds denominated in foreign currencies, hedged 
by forward exchange contracts.  Such bonds are translated 
into Japanese yen at the contracted forward exchange rates 
and the difference between the amount at the contracted 
forward exchange rate and the amount at the spot rate at the 
date of issue of the bonds is deferred and included in deferred 
income in the non-consolidated balance sheets.  The deferred 
income is amortized over the life of the forward exchange 
contracts.  For the years ended March 31, 1996 and 1995, 
amortization of such deferred income amounting to ¥729 
million ($6,855 thousand) and ¥909 million, respectively, was 
included in “Other income (expenses): Other, net” in the 
non-consolidated statements of operations.
  If current and long-term receivables and payables 
denominated in foreign currencies had been translated at the 
current rate on March 31, 1996, a loss of ¥382 million ($3,592 
thousand) would have been recognized.
(14) Leases
Finance leases which do not transfer ownership and do not 
have bargain purchase provisions may be accounted for in 
the same manner as operating leases under generally 
accepted accounting principles in Japan.  
  Lease payments for such leases for the year ended March 
31, 1996 and 1995 were ¥4,903 million ($46,102 thousand) 
and ¥5,169 million, respectively.
  The future minimum lease payments under such leases at 
March 31, 1996 are ¥19,195 million ($180,489 thousand), of 
which ¥4,602 million ($43,272 thousand) is due within one 
year.
  The future minimum lease payments under operating leases at 
March 31, 1996 are ¥591 million ($5,557 thousand), 
of which ¥193 million ($1,815 thousand) is due within one 
year.
(15) Notes Receivable and Payable Maturing on March 30 and 31, 1996
In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles 
in Japan, the Company recorded the settlement of notes 
receivable and payable maturing on March 30 and 31, 1996, 
banking holidays in Japan, on the next following banking 
day.
  The amounts of such notes were included in the notes 
receivable and payable balance at March 31, 1996 as follows:

		                             Thousands of 
                           Millions of yen   U.S. dollars
------------------------  ----------------- --------------
Notes receivable........     ¥     781	       $    7,344
Notes payable...........         25,249	          237,414
                          ----------------- --------------

(16) Net income (loss) per 1,000 Shares
Computations of net income (loss) per 1,000 shares are based 
on the weighted average number of shares outstanding during 
the year.

3. Market Value Information on Marketable Securities (Unaudited)

Market value information relating to marketable securities is 
required to be disclosed in the Securities Report filed with the 
Ministry of Finance under the Securities and Exchange Law of 
Japan.  Such market value information does not constitute 
any part of the financial statements and related notes thereto 
and, accordingly, is not subject to audit by the independent 
auditors.
  The following shows the unaudited market values and 
unrealized gains and losses on securities held by the 
Company at March 31, 1996 and 1995:



  These amounts do not include unlisted stocks.  The Company 
does not have any outstanding options or futures transactions.                                    

4. Short-Term Borrowings and Long-Term Debt
Short-term borrowings at March 31, 1996 and 1995 consisted 
of the following:



Long-term debt at March 31, 1996 and 1995 consisted of the 
following:



The detachable warrants issued with the 4.5% bonds are exercisable through June 12, 1996 
at a price of  ¥531 ($4.99) per share, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances.

  The aggregate annual maturities of long-term debt were as follows:


At March 31, 1996, assets pledged as collateral for short-
term borrowings and long-term debt were as follows :



5. Contingent Liabilities
At March 31, 1996 the Company was contingently liable as follows:



6. Stockholders' Equity

Under the Commercial Code of Japan, the entire amount of 
the issue price of shares is required to be accounted for as 
stated capital, although a company may, by resolution of its 
board of directors, account for an amount not exceeding one-
half of the issue price of the new shares as additional paid-in 
capital.
  The Commercial Code of Japan provides that an amount 
equal to at least 10 percent of any disbursements as an 
appropriation of retained earnings in each period shall be 
appropriated as legal reserve until the reserve equals 25 
percent of the amount of common stock.  This reserve is not 
available for dividends, but may be used to reduce a deficit by 
a resolution of the stockholders or may be capitalized by a 
resolution of the board of directors.

7. General Reserve

The Special Taxation Measures Law of Japan permits the 
Company to take certain reserves as tax deductions.  Such 
reserves, which are provided by appropriation of  
unappropriated retained earnings and included in general 
reserve, are deductible from taxable income, but must be 
restored to taxable income in the future.
Such reserves at March 31, 1996 and 1995 were as follows:



8. Sales to and Purchases from Subsidiaries and Affiliates

Sales to and purchases from subsidiaries and affiliates for 
the years ended March 31, 1996 and 1995 were as follows:



9. Disaster Casualty Loss

The Company suffered extensive damage to fixed assets and
incurred related costs of production stoppage and repairs in the 
Great Hanshin Earthquake of January 17, 1995. The losses for 
the years ended March 31, 1996 and 1995 were as follows:



10. Subsequent Event

Disposition of Undisposed Accumulated Deficit
At the general meeting of stockholders held on June 27, 1996, 
disposition of undisposed accumulated deficit at  March 31, 
1996 was approved as follows: