The central Kobe station of Sannomiya might be fairly small compared to the stations in and around Tokyo or Osaka, but it is still connects 7 lines and can be quite overwhelming trying to figure out what station platform and train to jump on.
When in the center of Kobe, Sannomiya / Motomachi area, if you are looking towards the mountains you are facing North, the harbor is behind you to the South. This is an easy visual guide to help you find your way around the city.
The Japanese train network is the envy of the world with local commuter trains and the high speed Shinkansen bullet trains carrying tens of millions of people a day.
– Anonymous
Shin-Kobe Station.
This is Kobe’s Shinkansen (bullet train) station and the first stop for many people travelling into Kobe. It is connected to Kobe’s central area of Sannomiya by the Kobe City Subway Seishin-Yamate Line (green line). Just one stop will get you into Sannomiya.
The Shinkansen station only has one gate. It is well signed and a series of escalators and walkways will get you from the Shinkansen station to the subway station in 5 minutes.
The subway station also has the Hokushin line (brown) which heads out to Tanigami and connects to the popular Arima Onsen area.
Buy Shinkansen Bullet Train Tickets
from Tokyo to Kobe
The walk from Shin-Kobe Station to Sannomiya takes about 15 minutes, head South, down Flower Road.
JR Sannomiya Station
The main station in Kobe is JR Sannomiya Station. (Don’t get it confused with JR Kobe Station, which is two stops over and located near the harbor).
Unless you are catching the Shinkansen, JR Sannomiya Station is the one you will most likely use to link you to other big cities in Kansai. Heading east, Osaka (Umeda) Station is just 20 minutes away and Kyoto is 50 minutes. Heading west, Himeji is only 40 minutes by Special Rapid train.
JR Sannomiya has 3 exits, East gate, Central gate and West gate. Deli Cafe located in the central gate area is a good meeting spot with a nice bakery for eat in or take out.
The JR Sannomiya West gate links in with Hankyu Railway East gate. As you head out the JR West ticket gate, turn right and up a couple of steps and the Hankyu get is just on your left.
Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station
Next we have the Hankyu Railway which is famous for its view of cherry blossoms during the spring. The line heads out to Shukugawa, Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi and Takarazuka. You can also take the Hankyu Line to Kawaramachi, a popular area in Kyoto. The trip takes just over an hour and you should transfer trains at Juso.
There are two exits at Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya. The East exit is near the JR Line as previously discussed. If you head out West exit and head down the stairs, you will find yourself in a busy square facing McDonald’s.
Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Station
Located underground, Hanshin Station has a main West gate and a smaller East gate. Both are accessible by the Santica underground shopping mall.
This station has a direct 90 minute line to Nara and makes for a nice day trip from Kobe. You can purchase a special return ticket from the station office at the West exit.
To get to the Hanshin line from JR Central gate, exit the ticket gates and veer off to the left and make a quick right. You should see a 7/11 convenience store / souvenir shop on your right and some escalators and stairs going down to the left, head down here. Hanshin ticket gate will be straight ahead.
Sannomiya (Port Liner)
The Sannomiya Port Liner station is located up the escalators just south of JR Sannomiya. Head out the East gate of JR Sannomiya and turn right, then head up the escalator. This is a terminal station with only one ticket gate.
The Port Liner is the world’s first driverless urban transit system. It connects to Port Island and Kobe Airport. Hotel Pearl City Kobe, IKEA, UCC Coffee Museum and many medical institutes can be reached by this line.
Kobe Subway (Seishin-Yamate Line)
Like most of the train stations above, the Seishin-Yamate Line has and east and west exit. The west exit will take you out near Tokyu Hands, Kobe Sauna and Spa and Ikuta Shrine.
The East exit will take you under the JR Sannomiya Station and is the main link to the other train stations. Head up the escalators to find JR or Hankyu Stations, head along the underground shopping street to get the Hanshin and Kaigan Line.
Kobe Subway (Kaigan Line)
The entrance to this train line is the furthest away from all the other lines mentioned above. It is located under the Kobe International House (Kobe Kokusai Kaikan).
To access the Kaigan line, follow the directions to the Hanshin line above and continue pass the Hanshin station along Santica, the underground shopping arcade. You will get the the International House and turn right down the short stairway. The ticket gates will be in front of you.
Note: The area around Sannomiya is undergoing a lot of construction as part of Kobe’s redevelopment plan for 2020 and beyond. Some of the train station exits might be temporarily closed. Take a few seconds and look for the directional signs, most are printed in English.