The Hanshin Main Line for Koshien, Mount Rokko, and Kobe – Osaka Station

The Hanshin Main Line is an important commuter line that runs between Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station in Osaka and Motomachi Station in the city of Kobe. Because it is run by the private Hanshin Electric Railway, it is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass. However, if you do not have a Japan Rail Pass the Hanshin Main Line is cheaper. Alternative discount passes for the Hanshin Railway are listed at the end of this article.

Key Destinations

There are 33 stations on the Hanshin Main Line between Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station and Motomachi Station in Kobe. The three most popular destinations are Koshien Station for the Koshien Stadium, Mikage Station for Mount Rokko, and Kobe-Sannomiya Station for central Kobe. All the key destinations and transfer points are given below with train times and fares given from Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station.

Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station

Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station serves the Umeda area, which is Osaka’s most popular shopping district. Here you can find the Hankyu, Daimaru, Hanshin and Isetan department stores. Other popular attractions and shopping areas in Umeda are the Umeda Sky Building, HEP Five, and Grand Front Osaka. You can find maps for the Umeda area at the Umeda Connect website and at the Osaka Info website.

Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station is located a five minute walk south of Osaka Station in the same network of underground tunnels that are also home to the Subway Osaka-Umeda Station, Nishi-Umeda Station, Higashi-Umeda Station, and Kitashinchi Station. Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station is an eight minute walk to the north of Hanshin Umeda. The following transfers can be made at these stations:

At the Subway Osaka-Umeda Station transfer to the Midosuji Subway Line. At Higashi Osaka-Umeda Station transfer to the Tanimachi Subway Line. At Nishi-Umeda Station transfer to the Yotsubashi Subway Line.

At Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station transfer to Hankyu lines for Kobe, Kyoto, and Takarazuka.

At Kitashinchi Station transfer to the JR Tozai Line which runs from Kyobashi Station, east-west through central Osaka and onward to Amagasaki Station in Hyogo Prefecture.

At Osaka Station transfer to the west bound JR Kobe Line for Kobe and Himeji, the JR Kyoto Line for Kyoto, and the JR Takarazuka Line for northern Kyoto Prefecture. There are also limited express services for Hokuriku, Tottori, and Takayama.

Fukushima Station

Transfer here to the Osaka Loop Line and to the nearby Shin-Fukushima Station for the JR Tozai Line.

  Train fare: 140 yen
  Train time: 2 minutes by Local train

Noda Station

Noda Station is close to two other stations, Nodahanshin Station where transfers can be made to the Sennichimae Subway Line and Ebie Station, where transfers can be made to the JR Tozai Line.

  Train fare: 140 yen
  Train time: 3 minutes by Local train

Daimotsu Station

Transfer here to the Hanshin Namba Line for Namba and Nara.

  Train fare: 190 yen
  Train time: 14 minutes by Local train

Hanshin Amagasaki Station

Transfer here to the Hanshin Namba Line. Hanshin Amagasaki Station is a 10 minute bus ride from JR Amagasaki Station which has lines for Kobe, Kyoto and Takarazuka as well as the JR Tozai Line for Kitashinchi.

  Train fare: 240 yen
  Train time: 7 minutes by Direct-Limited Express

Mukogawa Station

Transfer here to the Mukogawa Line for Higashi-Naruo, Suzaki and Mukogawadanchimae.

  Train fare: 240 yen
  Train time: 13 minutes by Express

Koshien Station

This is the nearest station to Koshien Stadium, a baseball stadium which is famous as the home of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team, and also as the host of the annual National High School Baseball Championships. Koshien was founded in 1924 and is Japan’s oldest baseball stadium. Baseball fans can visit a museum on site.

  Train fare: 270 yen
  Train time: 12 minutes by Direct-Limited Express

Imazu Station

Transfer here to the Hankyu Imazu Line for Takarazuka.

  Train fare: 270 yen
  18 minutes by Direct-Limited Express to Koshien and then by Local train

Hanshin Nishinomiya Station

Exit here for the ancient Nishinomiya Shrine which is dedicated to Ebisu, the god of prosperity. JR Nishinomiya Station on the JR Kobe Line is a 15 minute walk north-east of this station

  Train fare: 270 yen
  Train time: 15 minutes by Direct-Limited Express

Uozaki Station

Transfer here to the Rokko Island Line.

  Train fare: 280 yen
  Train time: 22 minutes by Direct-Limited Express

Hanshin Sumiyoshi Station

Exit here for the Hakutsuru Sake Factory and Museum. JR Sumiyoshi Station on the JR Kobe Line is a 12 minute walk north of this station.

  Train fare: 300 yen
  Train time: 27 minutes by Direct-Limited Express to Nishinomiya and then by Local train

Mikage Station

This station is convenient for the popular sightseeing and hiking area of Mount Rokko. Buses from the station take passengers to the Rokko Cable Car which will take you up Mount Rokko. At the top you can enjoy an observation deck with spectacular views, terrace dining, an alpine botanical garden and a musical box museum!

  Train fare: 300 yen
  Train time: 25 minutes by Direct-Limited Express

Nishi-Nada Station

Maya Station on the JR Kobe Line is a 4 minute walk north of this station.

  Train fare: 300 yen
  Train time: 32 minutes by Direct-Limited Express to Mikage and then by Local train

Iwaya Station

This station is convenient for Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art which was designed by Tadao Ando and houses major collections of sculptures, prints, and paintings. Nada Station on the JR Kobe Line.

  Train fare: 300 yen
  Train time: 33 minutes by Direct-Limited Express to Mikage and then by Local train

Kobe-Sannomiya Station

Kobe Sannomiya Station is the main station for people visiting Kobe City, as it gives immediate access to Kobe’s main area of business, shopping and entertainment. Kobe itself is an attractive cosmopolitan port city. Its main attractions are Chinatown, Kobe Harborland, Meriken Park, and the Ijinkan, an area of foreign houses built in the 19th century.

Transfers can be made here to the Hankyu Kobe Line, and the Kobe Kosoku Line, to the Kobe Municipal Subway, and to the Port Island Line. JR Sannomiya Station on the JR Kobe Line is also located right beside the Hanshin and Hankyu Stations.

  Train fare: 320 yen
  Train time: 30 minutes by Rapid-Express

Motomachi Station

This station is close to the Motomachi shopping district in Kobe, and to Kobe’s Chinatown. Transfers can be made here to the Kobe Kosoku Line and the JR Kobe Line.

  Train fare: 320 yen
  Train time: 33 minutes by Direct-Limited Express

Alternative Routes to Mount Rokko and Kobe-Sannomiya

In addition to the Hanshin Main Line there are two other competing rail lines that connect Osaka with Mount Rokko and Kobe: the JR Kobe Line and the Hankyu Kobe Line. All three of these lines have convenient stations in Umeda and at the Mount Rokko and Kobe destinations. Let’s compare their services.

Traveling to Mount Rokko

Taking the JR Kobe Line from Osaka Station to JR Rokkomichi Station takes 23 minutes for a fare of 410 yen. From JR Rokkomichi Station it is then a 20 minute bus ride to the Rokko Cable Car.

Taking the Hankyu Kobe Line from Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station to Rokko Station takes 26 minutes for a fare of 320 yen. From Rokko Station it is then a 10 minute bus ride to the Rokko Cable Car.

Taking the Hanshin Main line from Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station to Mikage Station takes 25 minutes for a fare of 300 yen. From Mikage Station it is then a 30 minute bus ride to the Rokko Cable Car.

From all three stations to the Rokko Cable Car the bus fare is the same at 210 yen. Comparing the three services we can see that taking the Hanshin route is the cheapest option but also the slowest. Taking the Hankyu route will get you to the Rokko Cable Car faster than both Hanshin and JR and will only cost 20 yen more.

For overseas visitors to Mount Rokko there is a special Rokkosan Tourist Pass, which for 1000 yen covers the cost of the bus to the cable car, the cable car itself, and buses between the cable car and the mountaintop facilities. The Tourist Pass also includes discounts for the facilities, restaurants and shops on the mountain.

Traveling to Kobe

In Kobe there are three stations in very close proximity to each other that provide best access to the city. These are JR Sannomiya Station, the Hankyu Kobe-Sannomiya Station, and the Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Station. The JR Kobe Line provides the fastest service between Osaka Station and JR Sannomiya Station at 22 minutes by Special Rapid Train. It is also the most expensive service at 410 yen. However, this line is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. Because the Hankyu and Hanshin Railways are private railway companies you cannot use the Japan Rail Pass on their lines.

A Rapid Express on the Hanshin Main Line will get you from Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station to Hanshin Kobe-Sannomiya Station in approximately 30 minutes for 320 yen. This is cheaper than the JR service but pretty much the same as a Limited Express on the Hankyu Kobe Line which covers the same distance in roughly 32 minutes for 320 yen. There isn’t really much to choose between the two private lines, but in Kobe the Hanshin station is slightly better positioned for areas to the south of Kobe-Sannomiya, and the Hankyu station is a little more convenient for areas to the north.

Discount Tickets

As Hanshin Electric Railway is a private company it is not covered by the Japan Rail Pass. However, various discount passes are available for travel on Hanshin lines. The Hanshin Extended Version of the Osaka Amazing Pass covers many private rail lines within the city of Osaka as well as all the Hanshin Electric Railway lines inside and outside Osaka (with the exception of the Kobe Kosoku Line). For detailed information on discount passes for the Hanshin Electric Railway download the official guide to economical tickets.

Visitors from overseas can also get a Kansai Thru Pass (also called the Surutto Kansai Pass) for two or three days. This covers not only the Hanshin Electric Railway but many of the private railways, buses and subway systems in Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara and Shiga. This pass cannot be used on JR Railways however. Visit the Kansai Thru Pass website to find out more.

Useful Links

Hanshin Electric Railway have a downloadable route map of lines with the Hanshin Main Line colored blue. Use an English language online route finder like Jorudan or Hyperdia to check for necessary transfers and plan your journey.

Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.