How do I get to Kobe?

The nearest station is Sannomiya. Kobe is in Kobe, Osaka.

Day trip

Kobe

Kobe, Osaka

A port city west of Osaka. Kitano has the Weathercock House, a National Important Cultural Property, and Nankinmachi is one of Japan's three top Chinatowns.

Nearest station Sannomiya

Time needed Full day

Best time Weekdays

With kids

Insider tip

It takes about 10 minutes by bus from Sannomiya Station to Kitano Ijinkan-gai. The City Loop Bus is a hop-on, hop-off route linked to the tourist pass. Hours at the houses differ, so check each one.

What the guides say about Kobe

Kobe is the port city west of Osaka. Kitano has the Weathercock House, a National Important Cultural Property, and Nankinmachi is one of Japan's three top Chinatowns. From Sannomiya Station the City Loop Bus takes about 10 minutes to Kitano Ijinkan-gai, then it's about 5 minutes' walk. Houses keep their own hours, so check each one.

From Best Day Trips from Osaka: Nara, Kobe, Himeji and Koyasan

View on the interactive map Google Maps directions

What's on near Kobe

Upcoming events within a ten-minute walk of Kobe, from the weekly Osaka events calendar.

Festival

Nankinmachi Mid-Autumn Festival

南京町中秋節

15 to 17 Sept (dates to be confirmed) Nankinmachi, Kobe

Station Motomachi (JR) or Kencho-mae (Seishin-Yamate Line)

Kobe's Chinatown marks the mid-autumn moon with three days of events. The 29th edition ran 25 to 27 September 2026, starting on the day of the mid-autumn moon. The 2027 dates haven't been announced yet.

See on the map Hotels nearby Official site

Illumination ¥

32nd Kobe Luminarie

第32回神戸ルミナリエ

29 Jan to 7 Feb Meriken Park, Higashi-Yuenchi and the former foreign settlement, Kobe

The light installation fills the old foreign settlement streets and Higashi-Yuenchi, with a paid viewing area at Meriken Park. Tickets cost 500 yen on weekdays and 750 yen on weekends and holidays in advance, or 1,000 and 1,500 yen on the day. Group tickets are 400 and 600 yen. Full ticket details are due around autumn.

See on the map Hotels nearby Official site

Festival Free

Kobe Matsuri

神戸まつり

16 May (dates to be confirmed) Higashi Yuenchi and the old foreign settlement, Kobe

Station Sannomiya (JR, Hankyu, Hanshin) or Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae (Seishin-Yamate Line)

Kobe's big spring festival, based around Higashi Yuenchi, the old foreign settlement and the waterfront. The 53rd edition was on Sunday 17 May 2026, from 11:00 to 16:30, with free entry and no registration. The 2027 dates haven't been announced yet.

See on the map Hotels nearby Official site

See every upcoming event in Osaka

Nearby

Kobe Maritime Museum Museum · 5 min walk A museum on Meriken Park covering the history of Kobe and its port. Ikuta Shrine Shrine · 10 min walk A shrine dedicated to Wakahirume no Mikoto, said to date to 201 CE, with the wooded Ikuta no Mori behind it. Weathercock House Landmark · 19 min walk A historic Western-style residence in Kobe's Kitano Ijinkan district, known as Kazamidori-no-Yakata. Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens and Ropeway Park · 22 min walk A hillside herb garden reached by ropeway from beside Shin-Kobe Station. Arima Toys & Automata Museum Museum · 13.3 km away A toy museum in Arima Onsen with an annual passport and craft workshops. Arima Onsen Day trip · 13.4 km away An old hot spring town in the hills north of Kobe.

Good to know

How do I get to Kobe?: The nearest station is Sannomiya. Kobe is in Kobe, Osaka.
How long do you need at Kobe?: Plan for full day.
When is the best time to visit Kobe?: Weekdays.

Stay near Kobe

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