Sannomiya / Central Kobe

last update: November 13, 2020

Things to do and things to see in Sannomiya

Kobe Sannomiya station is the ideal starting point for visiting the city of Kobe. Exit from the north side to walk towards the mountains, or from the south side to walk towards the sea.

The north side of Sannomiya is full of bars, cafés and restaurants in the narrow streets near the station. By continuing to walk north, the area becomes very quiet and at a certain point you begin to climb the slopes of the mountains: it is the district of Kitano, the area where western merchants and diplomats once settled.

The south side of the station is the most lively. The commercial area extends eastwards to Motomachi and JR Kobe stations through a long series of covered shopping galleries.

Main shopping arcades

A few meters outside Sannomiya station, opposite the Hankyu department store, there is the entrance to Sannomiya Center Gai, an arcade, about 600 meters long, and one of the main shopping streets of Kobe, which connects the area of Sannomiya station with Motomachi station and the nearby Chinatown. In the area of Motomachi station you will also find the elegant Daimaru department store and the entrance to Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street, another long covered shopping arcade up to Nishi-Motomachi station.

Shops under the railroad tracks

Furthermore, starting from Sannomiya station up to Kobe station, under the tracks of the elevated railway, there is a net of long and narrow covered arcades, full of small shops.
The first part is called Piazza Kobe and is located under the tracks between Sannomiya and Motomachi stations. This stretch is full of clothing stores and also some small eateries. It is a much more easy-going area than the main shopping galleries. Here shops are low-priced and frequented almost exclusively by locals.
Moreover, under the tracks between Motomachi and Kobe station, there is Motoko Town. This area has a somewhat spooky atmosphere. Born as a black market in the post-war period, today most of the shutters are lowered due to some uncertain renovation works. To date, only a few second-hand stuff shops survive, we don't know if Motoko Town will ever come back to life.

Other attractions within walking distance from Sannomiya

Where to stay in Sannomiya, Kobe

Sleeping around Sannomiya station is the best choice you can make to easily visit Kobe. In this area you will not only have endless cafes, restaurants and shops to eat and spend time, but you can walk almost everywhere (Chinatown, Meriken Park, Kitano are just a few minutes walk away). Also, despite being the heart of the city, hotels in Sannomiya don't cost more than in other areas.

Business hotels

The area around Sannomiya station is full of business hotels that cost very little compared to other cities in Japan. You can take a look at:

• APA Hotel Kobe-Sannomiya, very central location, 400 meters from the entrance to the Sannomiya Center Gai shopping arcade; good quality hotel, like all APA hotels, the rooms are very small, but the prices are among the lowest in the city; Single rooms from 4000¥ per night, doubles from 6500¥ per night;
• Kobe Luminous Hotel Sannomiya, a super modern hotel, with a very elegant hall, less than 10 minutes from both Sannomiya station and Chinatown; Single rooms from 5000¥ per night, doubles from 8000¥ per night;
• R&B Hotel Kobe Motomachi, the location of this hotel could not be better, in a side street of Center Gai, almost opposite the entrance to Chinatown, 2 minutes from Motomachi station, and Meriken Park is also just 10 minutes away on foot; Single rooms from 5000¥ per night, doubles from 7000¥ per night;
• Hotel Villa Fontaine Kobe Sannomiya, about 500 meters from the entrance of Center Gai and even less from Sannomiya station; it is only a little off-center compared to Meriken Park and Chinatown (20-25 minutes); The rooms are the most spacious of all these recommended hotels and the lobby is large and elegant; the best value for money in Sannomiya; Single rooms from 5000¥ per night, doubles from 5500¥ per night;

Very cheap accommodation

Remarkably, in Kobe you can sleep in the city center even with 20 euros/dollars per night:

• Kobe Capsule Hotel Seki, a typical Japanese capsule hotel, about 500 meters north of Sannomiya station, very clean and with separate floors for men and women; capsules from 2500¥ per night;
• Minato Hutte, a hostel with bunk beds in a dormitory, also about 500 meters north of Sannomiya station, very peaceful atmosphere; on the ground floor there is a bar which is a fantastic place to make friends with locals or other guests; bunk beds from 2300¥ per night;
• Hostel Anchorage, a hostel with capsule-style beds and a large common room with kitchen; it is 400 meters from Chinatown and 800 meters from Meriken Park; the nearest station is Hanakuma but Sannomiya is also not far away (15 minutes); in addition to bunk beds, they also have private rooms with shared bathroom; bunk beds from 2200¥ per night, single rooms from 3000¥ per night;

More luxurious accommodation

The Candeo Hotels Kobe Tor Road is a very modern building, recently inaugurated, in the heart of Kobe, between the stations of Sannomiya and Motomachi, a few meters from Center Gai and a few minutes from Chinatown. The rooms are are japanese standard size, however they're really well-furnished and equipped with all comforts. The strengths of this hotel are the extremely elegant hall and breakfast room on the 13th floor and the panoramic SPA on the 14th floor, with an open-air bath, open to all guests. Single rooms from 9000¥ per night, doubles from 9500¥ per night;

How to get to Sannomiya, Kobe

Sannomiya is the main transportation hub of the city of Kobe. From here you can easily reach, via local trains, Osaka (40 minutes), Kobe airport (24 minutes), Osaka airports, Himeji (60 minutes).
In total, there are six stations in the Sannomiya area, belonging to several companies. Some stations are simply called "Sannomiya" and others are called "Kobe-Sannomiya". But the area is always the same and they are all very close to each other:

• JR Sannomiya station (JR lines)
• Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya station (Hankyu lines)
• Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya station (Hanshin lines)
• Sannomiya station (Kobe Port liner to the airport)
• Sannomiya station (Seishin-Yamate line of the subway)
• Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae station (Kaigan line of the subway)

Shinkansen high-speed trains do not stop in Sannomiya, but in Shin-Kobe station, 3 minutes by metro or 20 minutes on foot (to the north).

Map of Sannomiya, Kobe

Guided tours, activities and other things to do

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