Seishin Chuo

Huh? Seishin Chuo (西神中央）? Never heard of that. Some people who've been living or working in Kobe area, don't know where it is.

Why am I including it here when it's not even on the list of hot tourist spots? Well, I happen to have worked there for more than a year. The place may not have some cool attractions, but if you're looking for a quiet place to hang out, you can definitely find it there.

It's not as laid back as you think. The station is connected to a huge shopping mall. In there, You could find one of the best sales here in Kansai! Plus, you don't have to elbow your way to the best stuffs. Plenty Mall, the only shopping mall in Seishin Chuo, is almost always deserted. You can do your shopping at a leisurely pace.

Food is also not a problem. The mall houses McDonald's, Häagen-Dazs, my favorite Rice Omelette restaurant, and everyone's favorite - a Saizeriya Family Restaurant! If you've got more money to burn, you could go to a restaurant inside the Seishin Oriental Hotel.

What else can you do there?
You could also just walk around the vicinity. The place is most enchanting during Autumn.

How to get there?
Seishin Chuo is in Kobe. From Osaka or Umeda, you could take JR, Hankyu or Hanshin line to Sannomiya. Then from Sannomiya, take the subway, Seishin Yamate Line and don't get off the train until the last stop.

Here are the suggested routes and rates:

(a) By JR Kobe Line
1. Osaka（大阪） -> Sannomiya（三宮） - 390 yen and takes about 20 minutes by JR Special Rapid Service, from Platforms 5 & 6
2. Sannomiya -> Seishin Chuo - 390 yen and takes about 34 minutes by Seishin Yamate Line

(b) By Hankyu Kobe Line
1. Umeda（梅田） -> Sannomiya（三宮） - 310 yen and takes about 27 minutes by Hankyu Limited Express
2. Sannomiya -> Seishin Chuo - 390 yen and takes about 34 minutes by Seishin Yamate Line

(c) By Hanshin Line
1. Umeda（梅田） -> Sannomiya（三宮） - 310 yen and takes about 29 minutes by Hanshin Sanyo Limited Express
2. Sannomiya -> Seishin Chuo - 390 yen and takes about 34 minutes by Seishin Yamate Line

Finding the Subway station could be a little confusing. But you'll be fine if you'll just follow the arrows.

Here are some photos I took from Seishin Chuo: