Train from Osaka to Himeji

If I take the Shinkansen to Himeji, should I book the ticket a couple days in advance?

Also, I know that trains such as the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, you pay short distance tickets at a machine.
Is this also the case for subway trains in Tokyo, and trains/subway in Yokohama, Osaka, and Kyoto? Does it work the same?

Thanks.

If you are going from Osaka to Himeji, I would simply take the local JR Kobe/Sanyo line - "Shin Kaisoku (Special Rapid)." It takes about one hour from Osaka to Himeji. (Note that to get on Shinkansen, you'd have to take one station back east to Shin-Osaka.)

Yes, for short distances, you can buy tickets from ticket vending machine at the stations.

Can I take JR Kobe line straight from Osaka to Himeji?

Is this the right train?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JR_Kobe_Line

When I try to find the fare on here

http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/

It doesnt show the Kobe Line.
How much would the ticket be from Osaka to Himeji, on the Kobe Line?

Thanks again.

Nathan the Special Rapid train AK was talking about runs on that (the Kobe/Sanyo Line).

The cost by JR train is 1450yen.

Yes, you can take one train straight from Osaka to Himeji. It costs 1,450 yen. Be sure to find Special Rapid, that will get you there in about one hour.

I hesitated to write the JR train line name for a moment, because the same line is sometimes called Sanyo Line, and at other times Kobe Line. Actually the section from Osaka to Himeji is called Kobe Line, and the section beyond Himeji further to west seems to be called Sanyo Line. But yes, that is the right one. (On Jorudan, it appears as Sanyo Line.)

If you read the article you'll see that the "Kobe Line" is a nickname used for portions of the Tokadio line.

Jourdan gives you an answer as the Tokaido-Sanyo line.

It really doesn't matter.

It matters as long as you get on that Rapid train.

Taking a local train on that line will take you considerably longer amount of time.