Still popularly known by its former name of Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe Misaki Stadium is home to Vissel Kobe (football J1) and Kobelco Steelers (rugby union Top League), so while not a dedicated rugby stadium it does see regular rugby and was therefore a logical choice for the Rugby World Cup. It was also used for a few matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
It’s one of the most convenient venues on the list, a short walk from Misaki-Koen Station on the Kobe Subway Kaigan Line. If staying in Osaka, you can ride the JR, Hankyu, or Hanshin lines (depending on your starting point) and change to the Kobe subway at Sannomiya.
Where to Stay for Matches in Kobe
Sannomiya’s the main centre of Kobe in terms of shopping, eating & drinking, and accommodation, and is the obvious place to stay; you can take the subway from Sannomiya straight to the stadium. It’s also feasible to stay in Osaka, as it’s just 25 minutes from Osaka Station to Sannomiya; for this, Umeda would be the best place to stay. See my Kobe guide here Search on Trivago (affiliate link) to quickly compare hotel prices across the booking sites.
This post was archived from my Rugby World Cup website; see here for more (including the Kobe & Osaka quick guides and Hanazono Stadium guide which formed the rest of this original post) See also my Japan travel guide and my other Japan posts