It’s well known that Hankyu Railway and Hanshin Electric Railway, now part of the same corporate group, Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc., used to be rivals.
Nishinomiya is served by Hankyu, JR, and Hanshin lines.
| Opening Year | |
|---|---|
| JR | Meiji 7 |
| Hanshin | Meiji 38 |
| Hankyu | Taisho 9 |
Back then, Hanshin Electric Railway and Hankyu Railway were apparently competing over things like
which one could run faster between Osaka and Kobe,
and which one could carry more passengers.
Hankyu train↓↓
Hanshin train↓↓
You’re probably about ready to ask, “What is this even about?”
So now, out of nowhere, here’s a multiple-choice question🔔
Hanshin, which started operating first, promoted itself with the slogan “You can ride without waiting.”
Which of the following ads did the later-arriving Hankyu put out??
- a.綺麗で早くてスイスイ46%(163票)
- b.綺麗で早うてガラアキ32.2%(114票)
- c.綺麗で早くてガラガラ15.8%(56票)
- d.綺麗で早うてズンズン5.9%(21票)
The correct answer was b, “Kirei de hayoute gara-aki”.
The source is the book: Nishinomiya City in the Showa Era (p.109, Development and Changes in the Transportation Network).
Doesn’t it feel a little surprising that Hankyu, which has such a strong upscale image, used such full-on Kansai dialect words like “hayoute” and “gara-aki”!? Maybe at the time, they weren’t yet marketing themselves as a premium railway.
By the way, “hayoute” is read as “hayoute.” When spoken, it sounds more like “hayoote.” Just in case, since people who recently moved to Nishinomiya from the Kanto area might not know how to read it…
Speaking of Hankyu and Hanshin, they’ve also been competing in other industries too. Here’s a quick list↓↓
| Hanshin | Hankyu | |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | Hanshin Department Store | Hankyu Department Store |
| Hotels | Hotel Hanshin | Shin Hankyu Hotel, Takarazuka Hotel |
| Taxis | Hanshin Taxi | Hankyu Taxi |
| Railways | Hanshin Electric Railway | Hankyu Railway |
| Real Estate | Hanshin Real Estate | Hankyu Real Estate |
| Amusement Facilities | Hanshin Park | Takarazuka Family Land, Takarazuka Theater |
| Sports Facilities | Koshien Stadium | Nishinomiya Stadium |
| Professional Baseball Teams | Tigers | Braves |
Reference: Nishinomiya as a Stage
Some of these facilities no longer exist, but it’s no exaggeration to say Nishinomiya has developed so much thanks to Hanshin and Hankyu.
Even within the same Nishinomiya, it’s interesting how their images differ: Hanshin feels more down-to-earth and popular with everyday people, while Hankyu has a slightly more upscale image.
Since I’d gone to the trouble of making the list, I did a little research on my own.
Hanshin Department Store has 4 stores, all local, while Hankyu Department Store has 17 stores nationwide.
Hanshin Taxi has no pickup fee, while Hankyu Taxi does charge a pickup fee.
By Hanshin train, it takes 16 minutes from Nishinomiya to Osaka-Umeda by limited express, while by Hankyu train it takes 17 minutes from Nishinomiya-kitaguchi to Osaka-Umeda.
Which do you all like better, Hanshin or Hankyu??
Hankyu and Hanshin will probably continue to offer all kinds of services as friendly rivals.
