Japan is famous for its world-class public railways. From ultra-high-speed shinkansen (bullet trains) to reliable local services, Japan’s trains are celebrated for good reason. As the nation’s capital, Tokyo is the nexus of Japan’s vast rail network and home to its biggest and busiest stations. That said, which is the worst train station in Tokyo?
Most stations in Japan are crowded, with seven of the world’s ten busiest among them. They’re also infamous for confusing layouts. Winding passageways intermeshed with department stores, restaurants and shopping arcades are characteristic of Tokyo stations. Even locals can get lost in them. Opinions are divided, however, on which is the worst station in Tokyo. And even the best train lines for living in Tokyo.
Read on to learn about five of the worst stations in Tokyo, and you can be the judge.
Shinjuku Station
Photo: iStock voyataWhether you’re a first-time tourist or a seasoned commuter, navigating the world’s busiest train station is an overwhelming experience. Ask any Japanese or foreign traveler to describe it, and they’ll likely compare Shinjuku station to a maze.
Shinjuku station houses eight department stores, over two hundred exits, twelve lines and thirty-five platforms. Add a backdrop of seemingly endless construction work, and you will have a recipe for getting well and truly lost.
The redevelopment is nearing an end, and designs for the improved Shinjuku Grand Terminal aim to make navigation much smoother. Unfortunately, the projected completion date is 2046, so Shinjuku station will likely stay on this list for a few decades.
- Passengers Per Day: 3.6 million
- Lines: 12
- Platforms: 35
Shibuya Station
Photo: iStock Davslens PhotographyShibuya is another major station caught in construction upheaval. The result is constantly shifting transfer routes between the station’s fragmented train lines, along with increased congestion and confusion. Entrances to the JR station are especially packed, and narrow platforms mean Shibuya is the least well-equipped for demand of all major stations on the Yamanote line.
Yet more serious complaints come from parents with strollers, wheelchair users, and anyone else who cannot use Shibuya station’s many staircases and escalators. The dearth of elevators represents an unacceptable lack of accessibility for Tokyo’s second-busiest station.
The saving grace? Shibuya’s redesign is set to be completed by the end of the decade, and it should make the station one of Tokyo’s most attractive and easy to use.
- Passengers Per Day: 3 million
- Lines: 9
- Platforms: 14
Ikebukuro Station
Photo: PIXTA/ RyujiTokyo’s third-busiest station is a divisive entry on this list. Some passengers appreciate the straightforward grid-like floor plan. The station is indeed easy to navigate compared to Shinjuku and Shibuya. But detractors say it isn’t getting around the station, and that’s the issue – it’s getting out.
Ikebukuro has eight major exits, but getting to the right one takes a long time. Following the station’s signposting is the best way to orient yourself since almost everything inside looks the same. Unfortunately, many signs don’t include exit numbers, meaning it’s easy to get sucked into one of the station’s surrounding department stores if you’re not careful. Retail therapy, anyone?
- Passengers Per Day: 2.7 million
- Lines: 8
- Platforms: 26
Tokyo Station
Photo: iStock/ woojpnFrom the outside, Tokyo station is by far the capital’s most beautiful train station. The iconic red brick façade makes it one of the city’s most beloved landmarks. Unfortunately, the station’s appeal is little more than skin-deep.
Passengers’ biggest complaint about Tokyo station is the almost complete separation of the Marunouchi and Yaesu sides. Taking the wrong exit can result in circumnavigating the entire building to reach your destination, with few convenient shortcuts.
Transfer times between some lines are also excessive. The Keiyo line in particular feels as though it belongs to an entirely different station. All of this is especially frustrating for travelers booked onto the shinkansen, for whom time is of the essence. Perhaps no station in Tokyo requires as much pre-planning for safe connections.
But hey, at least the building is pretty.
- Passengers Per Day: 1.1 million
- Lines: 16
- Platforms: 28
Otemachi Station
Photo: iStock/ winhorseTokyo’s largest subway station is another commuter hub known for staggering transfer times. Walk between the Hanzomon and Tozai lines for the first time, and you might question whether you’re still in the same station you started from.
Otemachi’s layout isn’t as confounding as the bigger stations on this list, but it also lacks the perks of major hubs like vibrant shopping or dining options. A transfer might take you through the basement floor of a nondescript office building instead, but that isn’t quite the same. Otherwise, it’s just an underground network of gray tunnels that feel like they will never end.
On the bright side, commuting via Otemachi will help you increase your daily step count.
- Passengers Per Day: 312,000
- Lines: 5
- Platforms: 10
It’s Not All Bad
Photo: PIXTA/ momoNot all of Tokyo’s stations are a passenger’s nightmare. Shinagawa and Ueno are two major stations that integrate multiple train lines and shinkansen services in logical configurations, with all the requisite shops and restaurants along the way.
Harajuku station is another success story. Recent renovations have added room to breathe, and the old station’s popular wooden façade will be reconstructed by 2026. Let’s hope it’s a redesign that bodes well for bigger-scale transformations in the future.
What do you think is the worst station in Tokyo? Did we include it on this list? Let us know in the comments.
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Ueno is an awful station, cramped and exits and connections to Shinkansen are troublesome. There are like minimal shops except in the Iriya / Park Exit. So not sure why it was praised here.
I assume this is worst stations to navigate is what you mean as the headline is a bit general. Worst station could factor in crowds, delays, molesters etc. This article was lacking. If you are disabled or don’t have a stroller there are many other stations that are awful to navigate i.e. Nakano.
The most severe problem at Ikebukuro station is that the Tobu (which means East-Musashi) department store is located on the west side of the station. In contrast, the Seibu (West-Musashi) department store is on the east side. It would be confusing for anyone who understands Japanese.
Harajuku used to be the worst, but now Ikebukaro has taken the title. Shibuya has gotten better. I think knowing the difference between “gates” and “exits” before you meet up with someone or giving someone directions has to be the most importnat thing for a newbie riding the trains in Tokyo. That, and having a phone with navi that actually works.
The new central thruway that cuts through Shinjuku station has made all the difference in the world! It took years of construction, but it was well worth it.
I’m surprised Kitasenju station isn’t on the list. One of the most deceptive things about the station is that one can easily and unwittingly change from one of the multiple carriers to another without entering or exiting a wicket. That is likely a benefit to the pass card owning commuters, but it causes confusion even for natives when they get off and find they need to pay up upon exiting.
I don’t find any stations in Tokyo challenging. However, I’ve lived here for 38 years, so I’ve had plenty of time to learn each one. In the past, the worst station was the old Shinagawa Station. It was too old and basic for the number of people using it. The current one is vastly better.
Personally, I’d rank Ikebukoro higher than Shibuya or Shinjuku. One, because the interior architecture is disorienting in its sameness, like you mentioned, but two it’s much warmer than the other big stations, and in the summer months that just makes it feel that much more oppressive. Finally, because of the way the different lines and platforms intersect, it feels like you are more liable to end up cutting across a crowd than flowing with it, which just adds to the confusion… but you’re right about the shopping.
That may just be my perspective as a foreigner, though. And it’s important to note that, despite how overwhelming and crazy the subways of Tokyo may seem, it is genuinely remarkable how efficient they are compared to how busy they are. Just awesome.
Article is so accurate. All those stations are like mouse labyrinths. 😂 I have said the exact same thing in the image captions when in those stations. Shibuya is so difficult to find the exit you need. If you pick the wrong exit in Ikebukuro, you could be walking many km around the station to get to your destination.
However that being said, they still are extremely well organized, efficient, and use every possible inch of available space to put those stations. All those stations are amazing structures. It boggles the mind how they were built.