Sannomiya Center

Sannomiya is where Kobe's main railway lines converge: JR, Hankyu, and Hanshin all terminate here, making it the practical base for visiting the city. The covered Center-gai shopping street is the main pedestrian artery, with department stores, underground shopping arcades, and a dense run of restaurants serving Kobe beef, international cuisines, and local street food. The narrow lanes heading north climb toward Kitanocho and its historic Western-style residences. Chinatown, Meriken Park, and the sake breweries of Nada are all within easy reach. The area comes alive after dark when the bar scene fills the side streets. It is less a destination in itself and more the node from which most of Kobe's more interesting neighborhoods radiate.