Tokyo Station, Japan

Tokyo Station is located in the Marunouchi district in central Tokyo. It serves as a major transportation hub, providing access to Shinkansen services, local JR lines, the Tokyo Metro, and nearby business and shopping districts.

It is recommended to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure, especially if you are traveling by Shinkansen. Tokyo Station is large and busy, so extra time can help you locate your platform and find your carriage position.

Yes, Tokyo Station offers numerous coin lockers and luggage storage services throughout the station. Several baggage delivery counters are also available for travelers with large suitcases.

Tokyo Station opened on December 20, 1914, with four platforms, and was built to a design by the architect Tatsuno Kingo. The station features a historic red-brick Renaissance style, with a facade said to be inspired by Amsterdam's Central Station, and the Marunouchi building's architectural style follows this same European Renaissance influence, with elegant Neo-Baroque inspired ceilings inside. Tokyo Station survived the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 with little damage, but it suffered serious damage during World War II due to bombing; a major renovation restored the station's original design in 2012, rebuilt close to its original 1914 look. The Tokyo Station Hotel opened on November 2, 1915, inside the station itself, and was restored and reopened alongside the rest of the building in 2012 — a small piece of wealth and history hiding in plain sight.

Tokyo Station is Japan's central station — the main hub for Shinkansen bullet trains, JR lines, and the Tokyo Metro, handling more daily train movements than almost any other terminal in the country.

The Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station faces directly toward the Imperial Palace, just a short walk across the plaza — an easy stop to combine with your train journey, with the Imperial Palace East Gardens making a good place to stretch your legs before or after a long journey.

Have your ticket or IC card ready before you reach the ticket gates — they can back up with hundreds of passengers during peak hours, so know your platform and line in advance.

Tokyo Station has more open space than its reputation as a maze suggests — beyond the platforms, there are genuine sights worth a stop, from the Tokyo Station Gallery's exhibitions to quiet corners of the Marunouchi side away from the crowds.

The Marunouchi side, facing the Imperial Palace, is home to the historic red-brick station building and the Marunouchi Building office and retail tower. The Yaesu side, on the opposite end, is centred around the Yaesu Exit and its underground shopping streets, including Yaesu Chikagai's 180-plus outlets, and connects directly to the Daimaru Tokyo department store and onward to Nihonbashi.

Tokyo Station connects to the Yamanote Line, Chuo Line, and Sobu Line on the JR network, plus the Marunouchi Line on the Tokyo Metro, in addition to being the main terminal for Shinkansen bullet trains heading to Kyoto, Osaka, and beyond. It also links to Otemachi Station through underground passageways.

Tokyo Station handles about 460,000 passengers and roughly 4,000 train movements every day, spread across platforms and concourses running the entire length of several city blocks between the north, south, east, and west sides of the building.

Tokyo Station has a reputation as a bit of a maze, with hundreds of signs and a number of exits to keep track of, but finding your way gets easier once you know the Marunouchi and Yaesu sides are the two main ways to orient yourself.

For train times, fares, and route details, this page's Popular Train Routes section above covers the main Shinkansen connections to Kyoto and Osaka — a good place to start before booking your journey.