The Sannomiya area is a major transportation hub in Kobe, and for those traveling on conventional railway lines it is the main point of entry into the city. In this article we will explain how to find your way around the different railway stations in Sannomiya and which railway lines they serve.
Passengers traveling to Kobe by high-speed shinkansen should see our article on Shin-Kobe Station.

JR Sannomiya Station viewed from the north
The Sannomiya Stations
There are six different railway stations in Sannomiya, which are run by different companies but are all within a short walking distance of each other. Three of the stations are called “Sannomiya Station,” and two are called “Kobe-Sannomiya Station.”
The three major intercity stations are:
- JR Sannomiya Station on the JR Kobe Line.
- Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station on the Hankyu Kobe Line and Kobe Kosoku Line.
- Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Station on the Hanshin Main Line.
There are also three stations serving local railway lines:
- Port Liner Sannomiya Station on the Port Island Line.
- Sannomiya Subway Station on the Seishin-Yamate Line.
- Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae Subway Station on the Kaigan Subway Line.
Finding Your Way in Sannomiya
JR Sannomiya Station is the most central of the Sannomiya stations with the other stations located around it. Here we will explain how to find your way from JR Sannomiya Station to the other stations.

An overhead walkway that connects JR Sannomiya Station and Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station
Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station is a five-minute walk south-west of JR Sannomiya Station. The Hankyu and JR stations are connected by an 2nd floor overhead walkway. Stairs leading up to this walkway can be found on the south side of JR Sannomiya Station.

Stairs leading to the overhead walkway for the Hankyu station
To access the Hankyu station at ground level exit JR Sannomiya Station on the north side, turn left, go straight and cross the street. Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station will be directly in front of you.
Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Station is located in an underground shopping arcade called Santica which can be accessed by stairs and an escalator on the south side of JR Sannomiya Station.

Stairs and an escalator leading down to Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Station
Port Liner Sannomiya Station is located on the second floor of the JR Sannomiya Station building. It can be accessed by stairs and an escalator on the south side of JR Sannomiya Station.

Stairs and escalators leading to Port Liner Sannomiya Station
Sannomiya Subway Station is an underground station that can be accessed by stairs, an escalator and an elevator on the north side of JR Sannomiya Station.

The entrance to Sannomiya Subway Station
Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae Subway Station is an underground station located near Kobe International House (also called Kobe Kokusai Kaikan). This station is a 5-minute walk to the south of JR Sannomiya Station.

An entrance to Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae Subway Station
The following articles have more details on each of these stations.
- JR Sannomiya Station Orientation & Facilities
- Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station Orientation
- Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Stations Orientation
- Port Liner Sannomiya Station Orientation
- Subway Stations in Sannomiya – Orientation
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. Map by Maztani/Wikimedia. All rights reserved.