Motomachi, Kobe
Motomachi (Japanese: 元町) is a district of Chūō Ward in Kobe, Japan. It is located between Mount Rokkō and the port of Kobe.[1]
Motomachi | |
|---|---|
 Daimaru Department Store, Kobe | |
  Motomachi  Motomachi  Motomachi | |
| Coordinates: 34°41′16″N 135°11′05″E | |
| Country |  Japan |
| Prefecture |  Hyōgo |
| City | Kobe |
| Ward | Chūō |
It is located adjacent to Nankinmachi (南京町: Kobe Chinatown) and Kyū-kyoryūchi (旧居留地: a foreign settlement in the 19th century: there are several buildings from that time, now used as restaurants or coffee shops.). Daimaru department store and several boutiques (BVLGARI, Giorgio Armani, Dunhill, etc.) are in Motomachi, as well as a mile-long covered shopping street.
There were many trading companies in Motomachi in the 19th century.
It is also well known in Japan for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, and foreign influence, similar to the Motomachi area in Yokohama, Ginza in Tokyo and Shinsaibashi in Osaka.
Transportation
Motomachi Station serves the JR Kobe Line, the Hanshin Main Line and the Kobe Rapid Transit Railway Tōzai Line.
In 2001, a 400m east-west Sannomiya Chuo-dori underground passage connecting Sannomiya and Motomachi was opened. It was decided to nickname it "Sampo Chika" by public offering in 2021.[2]
References
- 三宮～元町～神戸エリアの現状 - 兵庫県 [Current Status of Sannomiya-Motomachi-Kobe Area - Hyogo Prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). 2018. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- "三宮と元町つなぐ地下通路 愛称は「サンポチカ」 初の大規模改修へ" [Underground passage connecting Sannomiya and Motomachi nicknamed "Sampochika" First large-scale renovation]. 神戸新聞NEXT (in Japanese). 2021-09-12. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
