Shinjuku Station – the Busiest Transportation Hub in Tokyo

It’s a large complex of what is called Shinjuku Station. As a primary transportation hub in Tokyo, you can find JR train lines, metro lines, private railways, highway buses, etc. converge there. With extremely large traffic flows, it has been developed into a grand block for travelling, shopping, sightseeing and hotels. Here is the complete guide of this labyrinth of hub especially for first-time visitors.

JR Shinjuku Station

Shinjuku Station Map

Transportation: The Principal Part – JR Shinjuku Station

JR Shinjuku Station is a major train station of JR railways in Tokyo downtown. It is rarely for Shinkansen trains, but principal normal JR railways go through Shinjuku Station. There are 16 platforms in total for trains to stop at on the ground, of different lines and disparate directions. No.1 to No.16 platforms line in rows from east to west, while No.5 & 6 platforms a little south to others.

Platforms & Railways of JR Shinjuku Sta.:

Platform Number	Railway Route	Destinations/Direction The Train Bound For
1	Saikyo Line (JA)	For Shibuya, Osaki (Some for Ikebukuro, Omiya, Kawagoe)
	Shōnan–Shinjuku Line (JS)	For Yokohama, Ofuna, Odawara, Zushi
2	Saikyo Line (JA)	For Shibuya, Osaki For Ikebukuro, Omiya, Kawagoe
	Shōnan–Shinjuku Line (JS)	For Yokohama, Ofuna, Odawara, Zushi
3	Saikyo Line (JA)	For Ikebukuro, Omiya, Kawagoe For Shibuya, Osaki
4	Saikyo Line (JA)	For Ikebukuro, Omiya, Kawagoe
	Shōnan–Shinjuku Line (JS)	For Omiya, Utsunomiya, Takasaki
5 & 6	Narita Express (N’EX)	Shinjuku-Narita Airport
7 & 8	Chuo Line (JC) – rapid trains	For Ochanomizu, Tokyo Sta.
9 & 10	Chuo Line (JC) - limited express	For Kofu, Matsumoto
11 & 12	Chuo Line (JC) – rapid trains	For Nakano, Tachikawa, Takao
13	Chuo-Sobu Line (JB) - local trains	For Suidobashi, Akihabara, Chiba
14	Yamanote Line (JY) - city trains	For Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa
15	Yamanote Line (JY) - city trains	For Ikebukuro, Tabata, Ueno
16	Chuo-Sobu Line (JB) - local trains	For Higashi-nakano, Nakano, Mitaka

Platforms at JR Shinjuku Station

JR East Travel Service Center

JR East Travel Service Center provides visitors with train schedules, tour guides, ticket service, and other information. There are 2 service centers at JR Shinjuku Station, near the exits.
  East Exit: 09:00-18:00
  New South Exit: 08:00-19:00

  Read more about JR Trains in Tokyo Downtown

Satellite Stations of Metro, Private Railways & Highway Bus

Close to JR Shinjuku Station, satellite stations offer tourists great transfer options to anywhere around Tokyo. Metro lines take you to travel into the city, while private railways of Odakyu, Keio & Seibu and highway buses, as Shinjuku is the terminal, would go to the surrounding areas.

Satellite Shinjuku Metro Stations:

Satellite Metro Sta.	Location to JR Shinjuku Sta.	Metro Lines
Shinjuku Sta. (M08)	West Exit / East Exit in the north (-1F)	Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M)
Shinjuku Sta. (S01 & E27)	South Exit (2F)	Toei Subway Shinjuku Line (S) Toei Subway Oedo Line (E)
Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Sta. (E01)	West Exit (north, -1F)	Toei Subway Oedo Line (E)
Shinjuku-Sanchome Sta. (M09, S02 & F13)	East Exit (north, -1F) Central East Exit (-1F) South East Exit (2F)	Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M) Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line (F) Toei Subway Shinjuku Line (S)

  Read more about Metro in Tokyo

Satellite Shinjuku Private Railway Stations:

Station	Location to JR Shinjuku Sta.	Routes	Destinations
Odakyu Shinjuku Sta. (OH 01) Odakyu Electric Railway	Central West Exit (-1F) South Exit (2F)	Odawara Line (OH)	Odakyu Sagamihara, Odawara
		Limited Express Romancecar	Hakone-Yumoto
		Enoshima Line (OE)	Katase-Enoshima
		Tama Line (OT)	Karakida
Keio Shinjuku Sta. (KO 01)	Central West Exit (-1F)	Keio Line (KO)	Chofu, Hashimoto / Keio-hachioji, Takaosanguchi
	South Exit (2F)	Keio Shin/New Line (KO)	Sasazuka
Seibu Shinjuku Sta. (SS 01) Seibu Railway	East Exit (north, -1F)	Shinjuku Line (SS)	Kodaira, Hon-Kawagoe / Haijima

  Read more about Private Railways around Tokyo

Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal:

  Location: 4F, go upstairs by elevator or escalator at Koshu-Kaido Exit & New South Exit (2F) of JR Shinjuku Station
  Accessible Routes: Major cities in Honshu, Shikoku & Kyushu
  See Also: Highway Bus Travel & Bus Stations in Tokyo

Escalators to Expressway Bus Terminal

Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal

Besides, there are also taxi stands and bus stops on the fringes. For example, Limousine airport bus stop is in front of Keio Department Store there, on the western side.

Tips on Transfers at Shinjuku

  Except for Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line and Seibu railways, the passageways to other lines gather on the west and south sides of JR Shinjuku Station.

Underground Entrance to Odakyu Lines

  You need to go outdoors to reach Seibu Shinjuku Sta., while other lines are accessible via indoor passageways.
  Odakyu lines are transferable with JR lines without check out. You can find the gate to Odakyu Lines inside the Central West Gate or South Gate.
  Keio New Line is connected with Toei Subway Shinjuku Line. Thus, you can find Keio New Line through the way to Toei Subway Shinjuku Sta., not the entrance to Keio Line.
  Please watch the signboards and direction indicators all the time. It’s helpful to follow the indicated direction.
  If you have any difficulty in finding your way, please ask the staff at the hub politely.

Shopping & Dining – Japanese Featured Station with Malls & Shops

Shinjuku Station area is also an economic center in addition to the function as a transportation hub. There are a number of shopping malls, stores as well as restaurants in and out of the stations. While larger shopping malls are on the periphery, many brand stores, shops, restaurants and small snack bars are in JR and the satellite stations of Shinjuku.

It would be surprised to find that you can enjoy shopping even around big-name fashion stores when waiting for your train, meanwhile have economical options for hanging out or dining. Even on the platform, you can also try a snack at the snack bar if the train doesn’t arrive.

Shopping Malls around Shinjuku Station

Major Shopping Malls there:

Mall	Location	Features
NEWoMan Shinjuku	South of JR Shinjuku Sta.	Fine boutiques for women, cafés, restaurants
Lumine 1	South Exit West to Shinjuku Mylord & south to Keio Departure Store	11 floors, fashion mall
Lumine 2	South East Exit, north to Koshu-Kaido Dori	7 floors, fashion items & household commodities
Lumine EST	East Exit / Central East Exit	10 floors, largest among 3 Lumine malls at Shinjuku; apparel and accessories, restaurants
Odakyu Department Store	Central West Exit,  Odakyu Shinjuku Sta. in the middle of JR Shinjuku Sta. & Odakyu Department Store	A wide variety of goods, including luxury bands, affordable costume, deli, and restaurants
Keio Department Store	Central West Exit, western side to Odakyu Departure Store	Big retail complex
Shinjuku Mylord	South Exit, southwest to JR Shinjuku Sta.	Relatively smaller mall aiming at young ladies
Takashimaya Shinjuku Department Store	South to JR Shinjuku Sta.	Mainly luxury goods

Hotels around Shinjuku Station

As Shinjuku Sta. is a most bustling area in Tokyo, hotels of all classes are available near the station. West to the west exit of JR Shinjuku Sta., Hilton Tokyo (5 star) is not the nearest but the highest-end in the area.

Hyatt Regency (4 star), Keio Plaza Hotel (4 star), Shinjuku Washington Hotel (4 star), Hotel Century Southern Tower (4 star), Shinjuku Prince Hotel (3 star), Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku (3 star), Citadines Central Shinjuku (3 star), etc. are also great choice around the stations.

For budget travelers, more budget hotels and even capsule hotels also offer a comfortable experience there.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office

Omoide Yokocho

Nearby Attractions

  Kabukicho: East Exit (north passage) of JR Shinjuku Sta.; the busy entertainment block with glittering lights at night, Kabukicho Ichibangai is the main street
  Golden Gai: near Shinjuku-Sanchome Sta., eastern side of Kabukicho; the famous bar street with local izakayas
  Omoide Yokocho: by Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Sta., West Exit (north) of JR Shinjuku Sta.; local foodie alley with small restaurants and izakayas offering good food
  Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building: by Tochomae [Tokyo Metropolitan Government] metro station of Toei Subway Odeo Line, west to JR Shinjuku Sta.; the city hall of Tokyo, a skyscraper to overlook the whole city, while Mt. Fuji seeable on very clear days
  Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden: Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station of Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, east by south to JR Shinjuku Sta.; the large garden combining Japanese and French styles

Read More: Shinjuku District