I’m going to be studying in Japan from next month, and I’m getting the KIX airport bus to Kobe Sannomiya, and then my uni has told me to take a taxi to my accommodation where they’ll meet me.
Where is the best place near the bus drop off point (just by Sannomiya Station) to hail a taxi? Or is there a way to order one (with limited Japanese) without paying in advance? My uni says they will pay the driver when I arrive.
Also, since I’ll need to tell the driver this, what’s the best way to put it? I’m thinking something like ‘少し待ってください。あの大学職員が払います’ when we arrive (hoping that I can see them). Would that be enough?
Thank you for any help!
3 comments
>Where is the best place near the bus drop off point (just by Sannomiya Station) to hail a taxi?
Have a look at the station map; they’ve indicated the designated taxi stands.
[https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/th/travel/shopping/shopgrm/kobe/pdf/station_sannomiya.pdf](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/th/travel/shopping/shopgrm/kobe/pdf/station_sannomiya.pdf)
>My uni says they will pay the driver when I arrive.
Are they expecting you to call them when you get into the taxi somehow so that they know when you’ll be arriving? Is there a specific drop off point where there is going to be a person waiting to pay the driver? I’d ask them for some clear directions on this point. If you’re expected to call them from the taxi then I’d say just hand the phone to the driver and they can explain it themselves.
Kobe Sannomiya is a major downtown station. There will be a taxi stand with taxis lined up waiting for passengers. Possibly several taxis stands, since it’s a sprawling multi-line station.
Finding a taxi will not be an issue.
>Also, since I’ll need to tell the driver this, what’s the best way to put it? I’m thinking something like ‘少し待ってください。あの大学職員が払います’ when we arrive
That would probably be fine. I think you’re overthinking it, though. Assuming you communicate your ETA to the university staff, they will almost certainly be waiting for you, and will be able to talk to/pay the driver themselves.
> 少し待ってください。あの大学職員が払います
A little weird / backwards because you’re not explaining that they need to wait BECAUSE of the payment. I’d say something like:「運賃は学校によって負担しますので、ちょっと待ってください。」(As the fare will be covered by the school, please wait a moment.)