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Tokyo Station (東京駅; -eki) is a
train station located in the center of
Tokyo in the Marunouchi (丸の内) business district near the Imperial Palace grounds
and somewhat to the north of the
Ginza (銀座) commercial district. It is the starting point and terminus
for all of Japan's
Shinkansen lines and is also served by many local and regional
commuter lines. Unusually for a major Japanese station it is not linked to
any private
railway lines.
Lines
The following lines pass through or terminate at Tokyo Station:
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ChuŨ Line (中央線)
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Keihin-TŨhoku Line (京浜東北線)
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KeiyŨ Line (京葉線)
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SŨbu Line (総武線)
-
TŨkaidŨ Main Line (東海道本線)
-
TŨkaidŨ Shinkansen(東海道新幹線)
-
TŨhoku Shinkansen (東北新幹線)
-
Yamanote Line (山手線)
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Yokosuka Line (横須賀線)
Additionally Tokyo Station is served by the
Eidan Marunouchi undergrund (subway) line (営団丸ノ内線). It is linked by a
series of underground passageways to the
Otemachi underground (subway) station (大手町駅) complex served by the
TŨzai (東西線),
Chiyoda (千代田線),
Hanzomon (半蔵門線) and
Mita (三田線) lines.
The Tokaido Shinkansen line is operated by the
JR
TŨkai group, all other lines by
JR East Japan.
Narita Express (成田エクスプレス) airport trains from
Ikebukuro (池袋),
Shinjuku (新宿) and
Yokohama (横浜) call at the Yokosuka line platforms.
Layout
The main station consists of 10
platforms raised above street level running in a north-south
direction. The main station facade on the western side of the station is
brick-built and was fashioned after
Amsterdam's main station. The main concourse runs east-west below the
platforms. The Shinkansen lines are on the east side of the station. The
Sobu / Yokosuka line platforms are below ground to the west of the
station; the Keiyo line platforms are below ground somewhat to the south
of the main station. The whole complex is linked by an extensive system of
underground passageways which merge with surrounding commercial buildings
and shopping centres.
History
Tokyo Station was opened in 1914 with the completion of a section of
line linking the
Tokaido Main Line's original terminus at
Shinbashi (新橋) to the
TŨhoku Main Line's terminus at
Ueno (上野). Much of the station was destroyed during the firebombings
of
1945, including an impressive dome that had also been patterned after
Amsterdam's station. The station was significantly expanded in the 1960's
to handle the new Shinkansen services; recently, it has become so
overcrowded that JR has had to extend Shinkansen service to
Shinagawa (品川).
The Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station, facing the Imperial Palace, dates
back to the original 1914 opening; the
Yaesu side, facing
Nihonbashi, is more recent and primarily accommodates the Shinkansen.
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