Welcome to “Nishinomiya Intersections,” a series that may give you the illusion that, after reading it, you could become a city guide for Nishinomiya.
For our 3rd installment, we’re introducing “Fudabasuji,” the intersection where National Route 2 meets Fudabasuji Line, near Hanshin Nishinomiya Station.
Here it is on the map↓
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East of Fudabasuji
East of the “Fudabasuji” intersection↓
Heading east, you get the impression that there are a lot of familiar facilities for locals.
On the corner, there’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Hyogo Prefectural Nishinomiya Hospital(scheduled to relocate in 2025), Kisoji, Don Quijote, Ikinari Steak(article on different ways to eat there), and more.
The next intersection is Shiyakusho-mae Line, and the spot with the red crane on the right side of the photo is the 12-story Crisis Management Center, scheduled to be completed next March.Once it’s finished, it’ll probably get a lot of TV coverage.
By the way, when I looked up the meaning of “fudaba,” it seems to refer to a place long ago where boards displaying laws and regulations were posted along busy roads(if you want to know more, check the Google search results)
If you keep going about 16 km in this direction, you’ll reach Umeda.But on foot it takes about 4 hours, so it’s not exactly a normal walking distance. By bicycle it’s about 50 minutes, so you can make it if you try.
West of Fudabasuji
West of the “Fudabasuji” intersection↓
At a glance, the west side is lined with serious-looking buildings.
Law offices, labor and social security attorney offices, accounting firms, life insurance companies, and so on.
Also, even though the post office has been privatized, it’s still positioned as Nishinomiya’s main post office, so you could probably call it serious-looking too(mysterious logic)
But if you go a little farther, the west side of Fudabasuji is also packed with distinctive shops, including the recently opened udon specialty shop “Amano Kama,” “Kissa Shijima,” “Isoya Namihei,” and “Tsuboi Chikuzaiten.”
South of Fudabasuji
South of the “Fudabasuji” intersection↓
South. This is where Fudabasuji Line begins.
East, west, and north are national highways, but the south side is, without question, completely a Nishinomiya road.
And it’s the most impressive.
What’s so impressive? It has Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, the No. 1 megabank in the industry, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, No. 2.
On top of that, there’s the Nishinomiya main store of Chidoriya Soke(probably the biggest of its 5 stores in the city). Also, Jankara has 72 karaoke rooms, the most in the city.
And then, Hanshin Nishinomiya Station. It’s also sometimes called Hansai.There was even a crow that said “good morning.”
It’s a flexible station where the train announcement says things like “Next is Nishinomiya, in front of Ebisuta Nishinomiya,” and during the Toka Ebisu season it changes to “Next is Nishinomiya, Nishinomiya Ebisu.”
That’s right, the great station people use to get to Nishinomiya Shrine straddles Fudabasuji Line. In other words, the south side.
North of Fudabasuji
North of the “Fudabasuji” intersection↓
Up to now, I’ve been saying the south side is amazing, amazing.
But if I had to describe it, the north side of Fudabasuji is like the hidden boss.
When you’re driving toward Route 2(downward in the photo), whether you’re turning right or going straight, the cars are lined up and it’s subtly congested. And yet, somehow, you can get out onto Route 2 faster than the level of congestion would suggest. A subtly odd road.
But that’s not the only reason it has a hidden-boss vibe.
That’s right: this north side is one of Nishinomiya’s top ramen roads. A fiercely competitive ramen district.
Here are the ramen shops and their signature items.
- Ramen specialty shop Don (yuzu kosho ramen)
- Marutaka Chuka Soba (soy sauce ramen)
- Hiidashiya (clam-based broth)
- Ramen Tesshin (dandan noodles)
- Tanron separate article (abura soba)
- Ramen Yumeyatai (rich tonkotsu ramen)
- Ramen Stand R&R (niboshi ramen)
There are also Gaen, Bistro de Toi, Toshiharu Coffee, and Takoyaki Fufu. Believe it or not,
this north side has 8 shops that have been featured on Nishitsu, which is quite a lot. That’s why it’s the hidden boss.
One Shot from the Fudabasuji Intersection: “Banshu Shinkin Bank”
It’s Banshu Shinkin Bank.
That tall red sign. It really stands out.
Even though it’s based in Himeji, it’s working hard across city borders.
People call it Banshin. Did you know that?
I hope it keeps going strong in Nishinomiya for many years to come, to the point where people say, “Let’s meet in front of Banshin.”
In Closing
So, how was Fudabasuji, the 3rd installment of “Nishinomiya Intersections”?
When talking about Nishinomiya, this is one spot you can’t leave out. That’s Fudabasuji.
The reason we made Fudabasuji the 3rd entry in this intersection series is that “3” is a number with special meaning.
You know, like “cup noodles are ready in 3 minutes,” or “Now I’ll explain 3 key points,” or “I’ll give you 3 minutes to wait” and so on (a bit forced)
With that, if there’s an intersection you’d like us to cover, we’re waiting for your tips and information! Tips via LINE are welcome too!
