Getting Around 4 Trains Cars Buses Driver’s Licenses Bicycles Ferries Taxis To and From the Airport Scooters & Motorcycles LIVING IN KOBE 49 4 Getting Around Suma 須磨海 Kaihin Koen 浜公園 Sakura さくら Shukugawa 夙川 50 LIVING IN KOBE The other major commuter line serving the Trains Nara/Osaka/Kobe/Himeji area is the Hanshin Fast, safe, and convenient, trains can take you Railway, which runs south of and parallel to to just about every place you might want or the JR line. Its major stations are Sannomiya, need to go, locally and throughout the country. Mikage, Uozaki, Ashiya, Nishinomiya, Where trains don’t run, there is always a bus Koshien and Umeda. Its Sannomiya station or a taxi that will take you from the nearest is under the Sogo Department Store. The VWDWLRQWR\RXUÀQDOGHVWLQDWLRQ Hanshin and Hankyu railways share tracks, Trains are also very punctual. In fact, and sometimes trains, with the Sanyo Electric when the shinkansen (bullet trains) run a few Railway that runs between Kobe and Himeji. minutes late, it makes the evening news! You can very easily go to Nara with the Kobe is served by the city subway and Hanshin Railway. Take the Rapid Express several railways, including Japan Railways (JR), (denoted by blue letters in the timetable) at Hankyu, Hanshin, Sanyo and Kobe Dentetsu. either Sannomiya or Uozaki stations. It goes JR offers the most extensive commuter train directly to Kintetsu Nara station, but there network in the area. JR is a privately held are only three trains an hour so check the company consisting of several branches that timetable before you leave home! serve commuters throughout Japan. The JR The Sanyo Electric Railway, when coming West Group serves Kobe and the Kansai region, to Sannomiya from west of Kobe, will join on the western side of Honshu. The other two either the Hankyu or Hanshin line. Make a note main lines that run between Kobe and Osaka are of this, so you do not end up on the wrong line. the Hanshin and Hankyu lines. The city’s three major train lines (JR, Hankyu There are various types of trains, from and Hanshin), all have stations near each other local to express trains, which whisk you in Sannomiya, making Sannomiya a convenient from Sannomiya to Osaka in a mere 20 place to transfer from one line to another. minutes and from Sannomiya to Kyoto in The Kobe Electric Railway (Kobe Dentetsu 48 minutes. or Shintetsu) carries passengers through the Each of the three main railway companies mountains to points north, including Suzurandai uses different terms for its trains and color- and Arima. Its trains leave from Shinkaichi coding on its timetables. Note that a “limited station, an underground facility that also serves express” train is faster than an “express” the Hanshin, Hankyu and Sanyo railways, and train; the name means it makes fewer stops. the Kobe subway (Seishin-Yamate Line, also Between Kyoto and Himeji, JR uses the nicknamed the U-Line). terms special rapid (shin kaisoku) and rapid There are two other train lines of note. One (kaisoku) to refer to its express trains. The is the Port Liner, connecting Sannomiya with special rapid makes fewer stops. Port Island and Kobe Airport. The other, the The Hankyu line runs north of, and Rokko Liner, intersects with JR at Sumiyoshi parallel to, the JR tracks. Main stations station and the Hanshin Railway at Uozaki along this line include Sannomiya, Rokko, station, and goes to and from Rokko Island. Okamoto, Ashiya, Nishinomiya and Umeda Both these trains are driverless monorails (next to JR Osaka station). Hankyu has lines (for timetable and ticket information for serving Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, Takarazuka and both liners see: www.knt-liner.co.jp/english/ many places in between. index.asp). LIVING IN KOBE 51 Getting Around 4 It is a rechargeable “smart card” offered Plan Your Trip Online by JR West and useable on the main railway The easiest way to plan your trip is to check lines and public buses in Kansai (and some the timetable, route and fares online in English lines in Tokyo: the JR lines and the Monorail at: www.jorudan.co.jp/english or www. from Haneda Airport, for example). The hyperdia.com card can be purchased at any JR station for You can choose to search based on arrival ¥2,000, of which ¥500 is refundable at the or departure time, however you need to know VWDWLRQRIÀFHZKHQ\RXUHWXUQWKHFDUG WKH station names to search effectively. You will balance of ¥1,500 is on the card and ready be given a list of options, including use of JR, to use). To recharge, simply insert your card OTHER RAILWAYS BUS SYSTEMS AND AIRLINES FOR into the IC card reader machine. It will tell destinations like Tokyo) and also include the you the amount of credit still available and cost and travel time. enable you to add further funds (note: these machines can give change in the form of ¥1,000 bills, so if you want to add ¥2,000 Subways but only have a ¥10,000 bill it will dispense The Kobe subway (Seishin-Yamate Line) change, although this is not immediately stretches from Shin-Kobe in the east to Seishin apparent from the machine). Chuo in the west. It is particularly ideal for The advantage of using an ICOCA is quick those living in communities such as Myodani. entry and exit at the station because you just Important stations include Okurayama (the pass your card over a reader atop the ticket prefectural headquarters), Sannomiya, and barrier as you walk through. The amount Shin-Kobe (the shinkansen, bullet train for your trip is automatically deducted from station). Extending from Shin-Kobe through the card’s balance. In addition, the cards can the mountains to Tanigami Station (on the also be used to pay for purchases in many Kobe Electric Railway line) is the Hokushin convenience stores. Kyuko Dentetsu Line. A special ICOCA card (yellow rather than The Kaigan subway line links Sannomiya blue) is also available for children under 12 with Motomachi, the waterfront district near \HDUVROG*RWRWKHVWDWLRQWLFNHWRIÀFHZLWK Meriken Park, Kobe Station and points beyond. an ID or student card. At Shin-Nagata Station it connects with the Seishin-Yamate Line and the JR train system. Prepaid cards Different to an ICOCA, these cards are made from thinner plastic with a magnetized strip Money-saving Plans that are to be disposed of once the balance for Public Transport is depleted. Prepaid cards for the Hankyu and Hanshin train systems work just like ICOCA card telephone cards: insert the magnetized card ICOCA stands for “IC Operating cArd”, but it into the ticket barrier, and the cost of your also plays on the phrase “iko ka”, an informal trip is automatically deducted from the invitation meaning “Shall we go?” in the local card’s balance. The advantages of prepaid Kansai dialect. cards are faster ticket purchase and station 52 LIVING IN KOBE entry and exit, and, with some cards, a slight Worth noting discount. The only disadvantage is, if you % In general, Hankyu, Hanshin and Sanyo lose the card, you also lose any remaining railways, though slower than the JR trains, balance. Like cash, the card is untraceable are cheaper. and can be used by anyone, so be sure to collect your card after inserting it into a % Virtually all trains are air-conditioned in vending machine or ticket barrier. the summer. Certain cars, however, have Prepaid cards are available at the train their thermostats set slightly higher and station from ticket vending machines or ticket they are generally at either end of the train. agents and at many kiosks near the station. % Certain color-coded seats in all trains are reserved for the elderly, the disabled, the Daily commuting pass (teikiken) injured, pregnant women or passengers with very small children. You will observe that These are good for one, three or six months, these guidelines are often ignored. You can and can be used for travel to all points between help set a good example by following them. the two stations indicated on the pass. They offer savings to commuters, students, and % Be sure to retrieve your ticket from the others who use the train on a daily basis. To ticket barrier; you’ll need it to exit at your JHW RQH ÀOO RXW WKH DSSURSULDWH IRUP DW WKH destination. train station or ask for it at the school and % ,I \RX JHW RII DQG ÀQG \RXU WLFNHW LV QRW submit it to the ticket agent. of the right value (you’ll hear bells and whistles as you try to go through the ticket Unrestricted commutation barrier), the staff at the window will assist you. Or look for fare adjustment (nori- tickets (kaisuken) koshi) machines which, after you insert Those who use the trains frequently, but not your ticket, will tell you exactly how much daily, should consider buying these tickets. you owe. These machines have English For the price of ten standard tickets, you instructions if you push the appropriately receive 11 or 12 tickets, a saving of between labeled button. 10 and 20 percent. The tickets are good for three months from the date of issue; there are % If you are unsure of what value ticket to no other restrictions. buy, just buy the cheapest ticket and settle up at the fare adjustment machine at the other end. Daytime commutation tickets % Pets must have their own ticket and travel (hiruma kaisuken) in a sturdy cage or box. Those who travel between 10:00-17:00 on % Senior citizens (70 and over) can travel weekdays can save between 30 and 40 percent for free on the Port Liner, Rokko Liner, by buying these.