Vol.7 Why Are There Different Shinkansen Entrances at Tokyo Station?

When you try to take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, you may notice something a little confusing.

“There are several Shinkansen ticket gates. Which one am I supposed to use?”

The reason is actually quite simple: the Shinkansen trains at Tokyo Station are operated by different railway companies depending on where you are going. Once you know this, navigating the enormous Tokyo Station becomes a little easier.

Shinkansen services from Tokyo to destinations such as Sendai, Morioka and Aomori in the Tohoku region, Nagano and Kanazawa, and Niigata are operated by JR East.

JR East’s corporate color is green. At Tokyo Station, look for signs for the Tohoku, Yamagata, Akita, Hokkaido, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen, and they will lead you toward the JR East Shinkansen ticket gates.

On the other hand, the Tokaido Shinkansen, which travels from Tokyo toward Nagoya, Kyoto and Shin-Osaka, is operated by JR Central. JR Central’s corporate color is orange, but blue is widely used on Tokaido Shinkansen signs, so looking for the blue Shinkansen signs can be an easy way to find the right direction.

In other words, even though the Shinkansen trains depart from the same Tokyo Station, they are actually operated by different companies.

For example, if you are traveling from Tokyo to Sendai, you will use JR East. If you are traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto, you will use JR Central.

You might wonder, “They’re both Shinkansen trains, so why are the entrances different?” Once you know that different companies operate them, the reason makes sense.

What is even more interesting is that Tokyo Station serves as a major dividing point between these two Shinkansen networks.

Head north from Tokyo and the Shinkansen can take you to Tohoku, Hokkaido, Niigata, Nagano and Hokuriku. Head west and it can take you to Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and farther into western Japan.

Tokyo Station truly is a huge Shinkansen hub connecting different parts of Japan.

For international travelers, “JR” may look like the name of a single railway company. In reality, however, Japan’s JR network is divided into separate regional companies, including JR East, JR Central and JR West.

When taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, first check the name of your train and its destination.

Sendai, Aomori, Niigata, Nagano or Kanazawa → JR East

Nagoya, Kyoto or Shin-Osaka → JR Central (Tokaido Shinkansen)

Simply remembering this difference can make finding your Shinkansen entrance at Tokyo Station much easier.

The next time you walk through Tokyo Station, take a closer look at the Shinkansen signs. Once you understand why the ticket gates are separated, this complicated station may suddenly start to make a lot more sense.