If you are under 20, please refrain from entering.
Motomachi in Kobe grew up around the Motomachi shopping street, named in 1874. Kobe's tourism site says that, with neighbouring Nankinmachi, it became the city's central commercial district.
Feel KOBE, the city's tourism site, counts five stations right next to the shopping street. Two carry the Motomachi name, on JR and on Hanshin; the others are Hanakuma, Nishi-Motomachi on the Kobe Rapid Railway, and Minato-Motomachi on the Kaigan subway line. Running from Motomachi to Sannomiya is a roughly 400-metre stretch beneath the elevated tracks.
The same site describes the shopping street as a mix of shops more than a century old and young businesses, with cafes and general stores in retro buildings along Sakaemachi and Otsunaka-dori. According to Kobe City, the area around the station is within walking distance of both Nankinmachi and the Sannomiya Center-gai arcade.
Motomachi has no listed venue at the moment; new ones will appear on this page. For now, Kobe's listings sit on the Kobe page, and within the city the Sannomiya area has a listing.
Under Hyogo Prefecture's anti-touting ordinance, the only Kobe zone the prefecture lists is northern Sannomiya; Motomachi is not included. Outside the zones, though, the ordinance still bans touts from pursuing someone who has said no. Inside a zone, the prefecture warns, a violator risks a non-criminal fine of up to 50,000 yen or public naming.
Motomachi is generally fine for a night out. The main risk is bottakuri, a padded bill at the end. Stick to venues that post their prices, skip street touts steering you into ‘free’ bars, and confirm the set fee plus any nomination or bottle charges before you order.
Payment methods vary by venue. Check the listing and confirm with the venue before booking.
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