My Trip To Japan: Inside Shinagawa Station

I stayed at the Shinagawa when I was in Tokyo last year. Shinagawa Station was a 3 or 4 minute walk from the hotel. At Shinagawa Station there are multiple train lines that connect there. The main trains that I used were the Yamanote Line that circles Tokyo, the NEX that travels to Narita Airport, and the JR Shinkansen that took me to the Kyoto and Osaka area.

After entering the station you have to go up one level to catch most of the trains. This photo was taken around 5:30 am. In about an hour there will be thousands of people running (REALLY) in every direction. It will take you a little while to get used to this. It can be very intimidating. The general rule for riding the escalator in Tokyo is to stand to the left and walk to the right. There is some allowance if you have luggage, so don't worry about that. Sometimes the line for the escalator standing will be long. You can either wait or just walk up the escalator. That is what I usually did. Usually the stairs are marked on which side is up and which side is down. For the most part, the people in Tokyo obey the signs. If you are unsure, just wait for someone follow them.

NOTE: For some reason the people in Osaka like to do the exact opposite of the people in Tokyo. In Osaka people stand on the right and walk on the left when they take an escalator.

 

If you continue straight, you will find the platforms for the JR Shinkansen trains that travel all over Japan. You will also find the NEX train platform. If you go to the right, you will find the local trains. The JR Yamanote train platform is through the ticket gates and then immediately to the right and downstairs. Also, to the left in the photo you will find the JR Shinkansen ticket office. You can buy tickets for the Shinkansen trains and get your tickets with your JR Tourist Pass there. Just past the gates on the right is the ticket office where you can exchange your JR Tourist Pass. Also, there is a foreign exchange booth on the right just past the gates. I found Shinagawa Station one of the easiest large train stations to navigate around.

Here are the ticket gates to get to the local trains. To the right there is a place to buy day or trip tickets. If you buy a SUICA card (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), there will be a pad on the gate to touch and debit money from your card. If you buy tickets there is a place to insert the ticket and a place to retrieve it after it has been debited. I think it is a must to get a SUICA card. I got mine at the airport and put 10,000 yen on it. That is about $100. That will last a long time. You can also use your card at some stores and vending machines. I also used mine at Narita Airport at the gift stores closed to my gate. I think I had less that $0.40 left on the card when I left Japan. If you have more, there is a place at the airport to get a refund on the unused portion of your Suica card.

To the left of the gates is a booth manned by train personel. If you need help that is a good place to go. Also, if you have a special pass, like the JR Tourist Pass, you show it to them to gain entry to the train platforms. I have more photos of train stations scattered around my computer. I can provide more detail later on some of the other others of the train stations.