Shinagawa (品川駅; -eki) is the first major station south of Tokyo Station and is a major interchange between the Tokaido Shinkansen, several JR commuter and regional lines as well as the private Keihin Kyūko (京浜急行) line. Despite its name it is not located in Shinagawa Ward but just to the north in Minato Ward.

Lines

• Shinagawa is served by the following lines:
• Keihin Kyūko Keihin Kyūko Main Line
• JR Keihin-Tohoku Line
• JR Tokaido Main Line
• JR Tokaido Shinkansen
• JR Yamanote Line
• JR Yokosuka Line

Layout

The station lies in a broad, shallow cutting with all tracks running generally north-south. North of the station a large railway works is located.

The Keihin Kyūko line platforms are on the western side of the station at a higher level than the JR platforms. Some Keihin Kyūko trains terminate at Shinagawa while others continue on to join the Toei Asakusa underground (subway) line (都営地下鉄浅草線) at Sengakuji (泉岳寺駅).

The main JR station concourse is situated above the platfoms running east-west across the breadth of the station. A freely traversible walkway, providing a valuable pedestrian link between divides the restricted station areas into two sections. The southerly section contains a number of shops and market-style stalls.

JR platforms:

• 1, 2: Yamanote Line
• 3, 4: Keihin-Tohoku Line
• 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12: Tokaido Main Line
• 13, 14: Yokosuka Line

Note that cross-platform interchange between the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines is only available from the next station, Tamachi. Only two of the Tokaido Main Line platforms are in regular use, the others are only used occasionally by special services.

The Shinkansen platforms were opened on October 1, 2003, to relieve congestion at the Tokyo terminus. Platforms are on the east side of the station and are raised somewhat above the other platforms.

History

Shinagawa is one of Japan's oldest stations, opened in June 1872, four months before Shinbashi Station. Nothing remains of the original structure. Recently, in connection with the construction of the Shinkansen platforms, and also to improve access to the new commercial development "Shinagawa Intercity" (品川インターシティ, Link) on the eastern side of the station the station concourse (located above the platforms) has been extensively redeveloped.

Adjacent Stations

Akihabara is also known as Akihabara Electric Town (Akihabara Denki Gai). It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo station, Tokyo, Japan. It is sometimes shortened to Akiba by locals. While there is an official locality named Akihabara nearby, part of Taito-ku, the area known as Akihabara (including the JR railway station of the same name) to most people is actually Soto-Kanda, a part of Chiyoda-ku. (read more)

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