Living in Sannomiya

One of Kansai's biggest entertainment and shopping districts, with Sannomiya Center-gai and the department stores, Motomachi's former foreign settlement and Nankin-machi all within walking distance. It has the strongly international color typical of a port city, and for Osaka commuting you can split your travel across three lines. In exchange, it is among the most expensive areas for rent in Kobe, and as a downtown entertainment district it also comes with public-safety risks.

This is the center of Kobe and its largest entertainment district, where JR, Hankyu, Hanshin, the subway and the Port Liner meet. Department stores and stylish cafes and restaurants are concentrated here, and with the harbor's night-view spots nearby, shopping, dining and sightseeing are all in one place. Rents in the popular downtown areas are on the high side. Transfers to anywhere in Kansai are easy and the city has a stylish atmosphere, so it suits office workers and single people who want to enjoy city-center life.