Umeda Area Map – Finding Your Way Around the Osaka-Umeda Stations

The Umeda district in northern Osaka is a lively and prosperous center of business, commerce, and entertainment. It is also a major transfer point between several different railway networks. At its heart is Osaka Station, served by several JR West lines.

Around Osaka Station are six more satellite stations which also provide important rail links both inside Osaka and to other neighboring cities. Two of these stations, Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station and Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station, are run by private companies.

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There are also three Osaka Metro stations: Osaka Metro Umeda Station, Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station, and Osaka Metro Nishi-Umeda Station. Kitashinchi Station is run by JR West and is a separate underground station within walking distance of Osaka Station. If you are using it to transfer between JR services, check your ticket conditions before you travel. With the exception of Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station, which is aboveground, all of the other satellite stations are underground.

Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station is just one of six satellite stations around Osaka Station

Together with Osaka Station, these six satellite stations help to make the Osaka/Umeda station complex one of the busiest transportation hubs in Western Japan. However, finding your way between these busy stations through a complicated network of underground tunnels and aboveground walkways can be a confusing experience. Our articles Osaka Station Map – Finding Your Way and Osaka Station Facilities provide a thorough guide to Osaka Station. In this article we will give clear directions to Umeda’s satellite stations, and list their train lines with the key destinations they serve.

If you are transferring between Osaka Metro Umeda Station, Higashi-Umeda Station, and Nishi-Umeda Station after passing through the ticket gates, complete the transfer within 30 minutes unless your ticket type has a different rule.

Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station

This station serves three rail lines from the following platforms:

Platforms 1, 2, & 3: Boarding for the Hankyu Kyoto Main Line for Katsura and Kyoto-kawaramachi, with connections for Arashiyama.

Platforms 4, 5, & 6: Boarding for the Hankyu Takarazuka Line for Minoh, Ikeda, and Takarazuka.

Platforms 7, 8, & 9: Boarding for the Hankyu Kobe Main Line for Mount Rokko and Kobe.

Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station platforms

How to Get to Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station

Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station is located north-east of Osaka Station in the Hankyu Terminal Building. From Osaka Station you can cross over to this building at ground level, or via an overhead walkway on the 2nd floor that directly links the two buildings. From Osaka Metro Umeda Station you can also access the Hankyu Terminal Building directly via underground tunnels.

If you are coming from Osaka Station then the 2nd floor overhead walkway is probably easiest because Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station’s ticket gates are on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Just follow the signs for the Hankyu Railway on the 2nd floor of Osaka Station’s North Gate Building. When you get to the Carillon Plaza, you will see the Hankyu Terminal Building directly ahead.

A sign for the Hankyu Railway

Walking to the Hankyu Terminal Building from Osaka Station’s Carillon Plaza

Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station Facilities

Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station has some special facilities that are of use to travelers. On the 1st floor of the building is Hankyu Tourist Center Osaka-umeda, which is open from 8:00 to 17:00 year-round. Staff support Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. The center provides sightseeing pamphlets, ticket guidance, Wi-Fi, luggage storage, same-day luggage delivery, and computer, printer, and copy services. ATMs are also available in the station complex.

The Hankyu Umeda Tourist Center

By the ticket gates this station has timetable screens which display information in English and Japanese. Departure displays show train types, destinations, and departure times, so check the displays before boarding.

Touch screen schedules by the Hankyu Umeda Ticket Gates

Once through the gates, platforms and rail lines are all clearly sign-posted in English and Japanese and digital displays show the latest departure times.

Departure times for the Hankyu Kyoto Line

Looking for lockers and luggage storage in Umeda? Please see our article: Finding Lockers in Osaka-Umeda Stations.

Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station

Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station has four platforms, all of which serve the Hanshin Main Line for Koshien, Mount Rokko, Kobe-Sannomiya, and onward connections toward Himeji.

A view of Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station’s platforms

Limited Express trains generally board at Platforms 1 & 2, Express trains at Platform 3, and Local trains at Platform 4. Always check the departure displays for your train before boarding.

How to Get to Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station

Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station occupies two underground levels to the south of Osaka Station and has two gates on the 1st Basement level and one gate on the lower 2nd Basement level. On the 1st Basement level the West Gate is convenient for the Sakurabashi Exit of Osaka Station and also for Osaka Metro Nishi-Umeda Station. Also on this level the Department Store Gate is convenient for the Central Exit of Osaka Station and for Hanshin Department Store. On the 2nd Basement level the East Gate is convenient for the Southern Midosuji Exit of Osaka Station and also for Osaka Metro Umeda Station and Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station.

If you are coming from Osaka Station the easiest way is to go out of the southern exit of Osaka Station’s Central Concourse and go down the escalator directly ahead. This will take you to the Department Store Gate on the B1 level.

This escalator leading down to Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station is close by the southern exit of Osaka Station’s Central Concourse

The Department Store Gate on the 1st Basement level

You can download a PDF map of Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station from the Hanshin Railway website.

Osaka Metro Umeda Station

Osaka Metro Umeda Station serves the Midosuji Line, which runs from the north to the south of Osaka and is one of the city’s most important transit routes. If you wish to go to Yodoyabashi, Shinsaibashi, Namba, or Tennoji then take a train running south from Platform 1. If you want to transfer to the shinkansen lines at Shin-Osaka Station, take a train running north from Platform 2 toward Shin-Osaka, Esaka, and Minoh-kayano.

Osaka Metro Umeda Station ticket gates are sign-posted for the Midosuji Line

How to Get to Osaka Metro Umeda Station

All three Osaka Metro Umeda stations are located in the same network of underground tunnels as Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station. Osaka Metro Umeda Station is located under the east side of Osaka Station. This can be accessed easily at the northern and southern ends of Osaka Station’s Midosuji Concourse. Just look for the red Midosuji Line signs and go down the steps leading to the underground system.

Steps leading down to Osaka Metro Umeda Station at the northern end of Osaka Station’s Midosuji Concourse

Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station

Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station serves the Tanimachi Line. Trains running south toward Yao-minami via Temmabashi, Tanimachi, and Tennoji depart from Platform 1. Trains running north to Tenjimbashisuji 6-chome and Dainichi depart from Platform 2.

The southern gates of Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station

How to Get to Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station

Ticket gates for Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station are located in the southern part of the Whity underground shopping mall, which is south-east of Osaka Station. The northern gates for this station are convenient for the southern gates for Osaka Metro Umeda Station and also for the East Gate of Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station.

From Osaka Station go out the southern exit of the Midosuji Concourse and look on your left for the purple signs for the Tanimachi Line.

Look out for the purple signs for the Tanimachi Line

Osaka Metro Nishi-Umeda Station

Osaka Metro Nishi-Umeda Station is the northern terminus of the Yotsubashi Line. Trains run south from here to Higobashi, Yotsubashi, Namba, and Suminoekoen.

The gates for Osaka Metro Nishi-Umeda Station

How to Get to Osaka Metro Nishi-Umeda Station

Osaka Metro Nishi-Umeda Station is located south-west of Osaka Station. The easiest way to locate it is by exiting at Osaka Station’s Sakurabashi Gate. Take the steps there leading down to the underground, veer to your right and look out for the blue signs for the Yotsubashi Line.

The steps by the Sakurabashi Exit of Osaka Station

Kitashinchi Station

Kitashinchi Station serves the JR Tozai Line. Trains running west to Amagasaki, Takarazuka, and Sannomiya depart from Platform 1. Trains running east to Kyobashi, Shijonawate, and Matsuiyamate depart from Platform 2.

The West Gate of Kitashinchi Station

How to Get to Kitashinchi Station

Kitashinchi Station is located south of Osaka Station in the same network of tunnels as Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station and the Osaka Metro stations. The easiest way to get there is to go out of the south central exit of Osaka Station and then go down the same escalators you would use to get to Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station.

Use these escalators to get to Kitashinchi Station

Of all the Umeda stations, Kitashinchi Station is the furthest away from Osaka Station. However, if you follow the signs for the JR Tozai Line you will see the entrance ahead of you after about ten minutes of walking.