Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [313]
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Boat
China Express Line (in Japan 321-5791, in China 022-2420-5777; www.celkobe.co.jp, in Japanese) operates a ferry (2nd class from ¥22,000, around 48 hours) between Kōbe and Tientsin. It departs Kōbe every Thursday at midnight.
There are regular ferries between Kōbe and Shikoku (Imabari and Matsuyama) and Kyūshū (Ōita). Most ferries depart from Rokkō Island and are operated by Diamond Ferry Company (857-1988; www.diamond-ferry.co.jp, in Japanese). The cheapest fares are as follows: Imabari ¥6600, Matsuyama ¥7500 and Ōita ¥10,000.
Bus
Buses run between Kōbe (Sannomiya Bus Terminal) and Tokyo (Shinjuku highway bus terminal and JR highway bus terminal at Tokyo Station). The journey costs ¥8690 and takes around 9½ hours. Buses depart in the evening and arrive early the following day.
Train
Kōbe’s JR Sannomiya Station is on the JR Tōkaidō line. A JR shinkaisoku train on this line is the fastest way between Kōbe and Osaka Station (¥390, 24 minutes) or Kyoto (¥1050, 54 minutes).
Two private lines, the Hankyū line and Hanshin line, also connect Kōbe and Osaka. The Hankyū line is the more convenient of the two, running between Kōbe’s Hankyū Sannomiya Station and Osaka’s Hankyū Umeda Station (tokkyū, ¥310, 29 minutes). The Hankyū line also has connections between Kyoto and Osaka, so you can travel between Kyoto and Kōbe (tokkyū, ¥600, 65 minutes, change at Jūsō or Umeda).
Shin-Kōbe Station is on the Tōkaidō to San-yō shinkansen line. The Hikari shinkansen goes to/from Fukuoka (¥14,070, two hours 52 minutes) and to/from Tokyo (¥21,520, six hours seven minutes). Other stations on this line include Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Hiroshima.
Note that there are several discount ticket shops near Hankyū Sannomiya Station.
Return to beginning of chapter
GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
ITAMI OSAKA AIRPORT
There are direct limousine buses to/from Osaka’s Itami airport (¥1020, 40 minutes). In Kōbe, the buses stop on the southwestern side of Sannomiya Station.
KŌBE AIRPORT
The easiest way to get to/from Kōbe’s spanking-new airport is with the Portliner, which makes the trip between Sannomiya (downtown Kōbe) and the airport in 18 minutes and costs ¥320. A taxi will cost between ¥2500 and ¥3000 and take 15 to 20 minutes.
KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KIX)
There are a number of routes between Kōbe and KIX. By train, the fastest way is the JR shinkaisoku to/from Osaka Station, and the JR kanku kaisoku between Osaka Station and the airport (total cost ¥1550, total time 87 minutes with good connections). There is also a direct limousine bus to/from the airport (¥1800, 1¼ hours) and this is more convenient if you have a lot of luggage. The Kōbe airport bus stop is on the southwestern side of Sannomiya Station.
Public Transport
Kōbe is small enough to travel around on foot. The JR, Hankyū and Hanshin railway lines run east to west across Kōbe, providing access to most of Kōbe’s more distant sights. A subway line also connects Shin-Kōbe Station with Sannomiya Station (¥200, two minutes). There is also a city-loop bus service that makes a grand-circle tour of most of the city’s sightseeing spots (per ride/all-day pass ¥200/600). The bus stops at both Sannomiya and Shin-Kōbe Stations; look for the retro-style green buses.
Return to beginning of chapter
HIMEJI
079 / pop 536,500
Himeji-jō, the finest castle in all Japan, towers over the small city of Himeji, a quiet city on the shinkansen route between Osaka and Okayama. In addition to the castle, the city is home to the Hyōgo Prefectural Museum of History and Kōko-en, a small garden alongside the castle. If you’re a fan of castles a visit to Himeji is a must, and you can visit it as a day trip from cities like Kyoto, Nara or Osaka, or as a stopover between these cities and places like Hiroshima.
Return to beginning of chapter
ORIENTATION & INFORMATION
In Himeji Station, you’ll find a tourist information counter (285-3792; 9am-5pm) on the ground floor to the left as you exit the central exit on the north side of the station. Between