Access to Konan University Hirao Memorial Seminar House

KCP International Workshop 2023 is hosted by Konan University, Kobe, Japan, and the venue is Hirao Memorial Seminar House (平生記念セミナーハウス). Please note that Hirao Memorial Seminar House is NOT on-campus, but is off-campus, which is located a few kilometers away from the main campus.

Address: 2-29-15 Sumiyoshi-Honmachi, Higashi-Nada, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
兵庫県神戸市東灘区住吉本町2-29-15

Walking directions FROM nearby train stations

There are two buildings on site, and the building in the south (downhill) is the venue.

Hirao Memorial Seminar House is about 700 meters (0.5 miles) Northwest of Sumiyoshi station (JR, Kobe Line) and 700 meters Southeast of Mikage station (Hankyu Railway, Kobe Line), about 10 to 15-min walk.

From either station, the directions are relatively simple, but are a bit hard for us to explain because the destination is in a residential area with no prominent landmarks. You may become worried as you follow the path because you will have to go through a residential area with no shops or restaurants, but have a faith in your sense of direction, and you'll successfully get there!

• From JR Sumiyoshi station: Go Northwest
• From Hankyu Mikage station: Go South and then East
• From Hanshin Mikage station: Too far. Don't use it!

Directions TO local train stations

• JR 住吉 Sumiyoshi station is about 20 min from Osaka station and 10 min from Sannomiya station.
  [JR West route map / JR Kobe Line in Wikipedia]
  • 新快速 Special Rapid trains would NOT stop at Sumiyoshi. Don't take them!
  • 快速 Rapid trains (no additional cost) stop at Sumiyoshi. Take them!
  • 各駅停車 Local trains, of course, stop at Sumiyoshi.
  • If you are coming from Shin-Osaka via Shinkansen, using JR Sumiyoshi is the easiest way.
• Hankyu 御影 Mikage station is about 25 min from Umeda station and 10 min from Kobe Sannomiya station. Only local trains stop at Mikage. [Hankyu Railway route map]
  • From Kobe Sannomiya, take a local train: Mikage is just 4 stops away.
  • From Umeda, taking a local train to Mikage is time-consuming, so it's better to take a 特急 limited express (at no additional cost) and change trains at 西宮北口 Nishinomiya-kitaguchi for a local train.

• Note: It's a bit confusing but Hankyu Umeda station and JR Osaka station are very close to each other, and locals often regard them as the same destination. When they say "I'm going to Umeda", it could mean that they are heading for the Umeda station or the Osaka station. Actually, Umeda is a northern district in Osaka City, while Osaka refers to a much broader area. Therefore, to make a statement that "I'm going to Osaka" is way too vague so locals wouldn't say that; they would say "I'm going to Umeda" even if they take a JR.
• Note2: Confusingly again, Hanshin Railway, which runs parallel to JR and Hankyu, also has stations named Sumiyoshi and Mikage, but they are not close to the venue. Do not take Hanshin.

• From Shin-Osaka: Take a JR straight up to Sumiyoshi. (Take a Rapid train; if you take a Special Rapid train, change trains at Ashiya because Special Rapids won't stop at Sumiyoshi.)
• From Shin-Kobe: This would be a bit tricky because you need to take a subway first, to Sannnomiya (just one stop away). From Sannomiya (which is the heart of Kobe City), you can take a JR to Sumiyoshi.

• From Kansai International Airport (KIX): You may want to take an airport limousine bus either to Osaka, to Kobe Sannomiya, or to Nishinomiya (JR Nishinomiya or Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi; but NOT Hanshin Nishinomiya), and then take either a JR to Sumiyoshi or a Hankyu railway to Mikage.
  • You can also take JR lines or take a Nankai Railway and then a JR. Timewise, there are no big differences whether you take a limousine bus or trains.
• From Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport) (ITM): You may want to take an airport limousine bus to Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi, and then take a Hankyu railway to Mikage.
  • Alternatively, you can take a Monorail to Hotarugaike, and then take a Hankyu to Juso, and then to Mikage.