JR Sannomiya Station is a railway station in the central Sannomiya area of Kobe which serves the JR Kobe Line.
JR Sannomiya Station viewed from the north
The following limited express services also run from this station:
The Limited Express Super Hakuto for Tottori & Kurayoshi.
The Limited Express Hamakaze for Himeji, Kinosaki Onsen, and Tottori.
The Sunrise Seto & Sunrise Izumo Sleeper Train for Tokyo.
Location and Orientation
JR Sannomiya Station can be accessed from the north or south.
JR Sannomiya Station viewed from the south
This station has three stories and three sets of ticket gates.
The Central Ticket Gate at JR Sannomiya Station
The central concourse
The Central Ticket Gate and East Ticket Gate are both located on the ground floor and both have entrances on the north and south sides with concourses running between.
The East Ticket Gate at JR Sannomiya Station
Stairs and an escalator opposite the Central Ticket Gate lead to the West Ticket Gate, which is located on the 2nd floor.
Stairs and an escalator leading to the West Ticket Gate
The West Ticket Gate at JR Sannomiya Station
Buying Tickets
Ticket machines at JR Sannomiya Station
Ticket machines are located by all the gates. There are route maps showing fares and destinations above the ticket machines and the machines have an English language option so they are easy to use.
The ticket office at JR Sannomiya Station
There is also a ticket office by the Central Gate.
Platforms
JR Sannomiya Station has four platforms on the 3rd floor.
Platforms 1 and 2 at JR Sannomiya Station
Platforms 1 and 2 have east-bound services for Amagasaki, Osaka, and Kyoto.
A local train bound for Kyoto
The Sunrise Seto & Sunrise Izumo Sleeper Train also stops at Platform 1 on its return journey to Tokyo. However, this sleeper service does not stop at Sannomiya on its outward journey to Okayama.
Platforms 3 and 4 at JR Sannomiya Station
Platforms 3 and 4 have west-bound services for Nishi-Akashi and Himeji.
A Special Rapid service bound for Nishi-Akashi
West-bound Limited Express Super Hakuto and Limited Express Hamakaze services also stop at these platforms. East-bound limited express services stop at Platforms 1 and 2.
The Super Hakuto at JR Sannomiya Station
The Hamakaze at JR Sannomiya Station
Digital signs on all platforms give departure information in English as well as Japanese.
Departure information at Platforms 3 and 4
Local Transport
Taxi ranks can be found on the north and south sides of the station.
Taxis waiting at JR Sannomiya Station
On the south side of the station, Sannomiya Bus Terminal can be found on the ground floor of the Mint Kobe shopping center, which is a short walk from the station’s East Ticket Gate. Here is a map showing its location.
Sannomiya Bus Terminal is on the ground floor of Mint Kobe
Facilities
Some useful facilities are located near the station’s East Ticket Gate. There is a Nippon Travel Agency with a Travelex foreign currency exchange directly opposite the East Ticket Gate as you exit it.
Travelex is located inside this branch of Nippon Travel Agency
Nearby the East Ticket Gate there are some Japan Post Bank ATM machines where you can withdraw cash. These machines have English language guidance and accept most major international bank cards. To find them, walk down the passage on the left side of Nippon Travel Agency and then turn right.
The Japan Post Bank ATMs at JR Sannomiya Station
Kobe Tourist Information Center is also located near the East Ticket Gate. To find it, exit the station on the south side. The Information Center is located between a ramen noodle shop and a FamilyMart convenience store. There you can get free maps and brochures and make enquiries about local transport and attractions.
Kobe Tourist Information Center
Sannomiya Center Police Box can also be found outside the south side of JR Sannomiya Station. Here is a map showing its location.
Sannomiya Center Police Box
Passengers can exit the station from either the south or north side of the station. The south side of JR Sannomiya Station is convenient for the shopping and dining facilities of Mint Kobe, the Santica underground shopping mall and Hankyu Department Store. The north side of the station is convenient for Ikuta Jinja Shrine, which is a 5-minute walk away, and the historic western houses of Kitano Ijinkan-gai, which are a 10-minute walk away.
For details of how to find other nearby railway and subway stations see our guide Kobe Sannomiya Stations Map: Finding Your Way.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
