A Walk Around Tokyo Station

Activity > Tokyo > Sightseeing > Tokyo Station

Most people are focused on going from point "A" to point "B" in Tokyo Station.  The pace is fast and the navigational skills needed to dodge weeve and slide around slow-pokes, "wrong-way-walkers" and grandmas takes lots of practice.  I myself am usually rushing through, pushing my suitcase, "B-lining" for a platform to be whisked off to some interesting location.  However, this time I decided to visit Tokyo station... for fun.  Is that strange?  Yeah... maybe LOL but actually it was quite interesting.

Tokyo Station is huge, no, HUGE.  I think Shinjuku Station has more people pass through it on an average day but I think going by the actual station size, Tokyo is bigger (don't quote me here! just my opinion for walking through both many times).  I have been through Tokyo station probably over a hundred times so I know where things are and where to go but for the first time tourist, I'm sure it is daunting.  My only suggestion is before making your passage through the station, arrive early (if possible) take a big breath, relax and try to find some hockey equipment to wear so you can check people out of the way and be protected when you yourself are "nudged".  JUST JOKING! LOL its amazing how so many people can fly through the station without ever touching each other and especially in Japan where everyone is so polite.

There are plenty of maps (in English too) around the station AND English Speaking Information Booths (although they can be a bit hard to find). Most signs have both Japanese and English so you can usually manage to find the platform you need to be on.  If not, just ask somebody... yeah, people are rushing quickly but they are always happy to help a poor lost tourists if you ask them.  Here is an "internal" map of the station: Tokyo Station Map by the official Japan Railroad website. At first glance it looks extremely complicated but just take a minute to view it and things may come into perspective.

Talk about "People Watching"!  I think I can see more people in 15 min. in Tokyo Station than I did in 18 years in my home town!  You have the businessmen, the office ladies, the shoppers, the tourists and a bajillion other reasons for passing through. I ducked into a coffee shop, grabbed a cup of coffee, sat near a window that faced out toward the main corridor and enjoyed "People Watching".  "There sure are a lot of tourists!" I thought.  I remember years ago hardly ever seeing tourists in Tokyo Station but these days I feel like there are a lot!  Japan has finally become the "main" tourist destination is should be with all the amazing and fascinating things it has to offer. Then I thought "Poor Tourists"... pulling or pushing their heavy suitcases meandering left and right looking down at their maps. But, its all part of the "Travel and Adventure" experience!

A "Key Thing" tourist usually don't know about is the "Bento", Japanese box lunch.  At a train station they are called "Eki Ben",  "Eki" means station and "Ben" is the first part of "Bento".  When Japanese travel they always stop in at a Bento Shop and get an "Eki Ben" before heading out on their journey.  A great tasting Eki Ben can make your trip fun, delicious and filling!  There are tons of Eki Ben shops inside Tokyo Station but you will have to look around for them (you can see some images of them on this page).  Also, if you have a little extra time you may want to head over to Daimaru Department store and get a Bento.  They are a little more expensive (around 1,500 yen+) but boy are they good!  A "typical" bento will cost you around 1,000 yen going up to 3,000 yen.  I wouldn't suggest getting one of the cheap 500-800 yen Bentos because what they have in them is not worth eating.  So, if your going to be jumping on the Shinkansen to head out to Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Kanazawa are wherever, before jumping on your train head into a Bento shop!

I myself grabbed a Bento and sat down to eat it on a bench within the station. Took out my little "Jokes and Gags" notebook I keep notes in and once again enjoyed the madness as I ate.  It was actually a lot more fun than I imagined, just "visiting" Tokyo Station.  I went down some passages I had never gone, checked out some shops I had never been in and took some time to watch the craziness of the station in action.  I mean... if your in Japan for only a week its not a "prime" destination to visit but if your just passing through... don't rush it:)  Slowly make your way through the station and take some time to look left, right and enjoy what it has to offer.