The Survival Guide to Shinjuku Station

Ah, the station that everyone dreads: Shinjuku Station — the busiest in the world. You’ll probably have to pass through at some point. Cue internal scream. But it’s okay. With this survival guide, you’ll master the different exits. You might even end up loving it (no promises, though). Read on:

Pro tip: After making it out of the station, experience Shinjuku to the fullest on this popular food tour.

Shinjuku Station: The basics

Shinjuku Station is a vast, multi-level station operated by several different railway companies, each with their own section. It has 35 platforms — more than 50 if you count directly connected stations — and a whopping 200-plus exits. No wonder navigating it feels like a maze. That said, the station is neatly connected by underground passageways which can get you from one side of the station to the other.

Layout

The layout of Shinjuku Station is complex, but here is a general breakdown of the floor layout, according to the official JR and Keiō maps.

• B1F: East Gate, Central East Gate, West Gate, and Central West Gate. Access to Lumine Est, JR Underground Ticket Office, Keiō Line Entrance and Subway (Marunouchi and Ōedo Line) Entrances.
• 1F: JR train line platforms.
• 2F: South Gate, Southeast Gate, New South Gate. Access to Lumine 2, JR Shinjuku Miraina Tower, NEWoMan, and JR East Travel Service Center.

Note: The Toei Ōedo Line stop here is technically its own station — the platform is deep down on B7F — but it is directly accessible from Shinjuku Station. (Don’t confuse it with Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station, a separate Ōedo Line station nearby.)

Note: Shinjuku Station is also connected to Shinjuku-sanchōme Station by a long underground passageway — easy access for rainy days.

What train lines stop at Shinjuku?

The following train lines stop at Shinjuku Station:

• JR Lines: Yamanote Line, Saikyō Line, Chūō Line (Rapid), Chūō-Sōbu Line, and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line. Limited-express trains, including the Narita Express, also stop here.
• Keiō Lines: Keiō Line and Keiō New Line.
• Odakyu Railway: Odakyu Odawara Line, including the Limited Express Romancecar.
• Subway Lines: Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Toei Ōedo Line, and Toei Shinjuku Line.

Pro tip: Get unlimited subway rides for 24 to 72 hours with a Tokyo Subway Pass.

What bus services stop at Shinjuku?

• Local buses: Inner-city buses departing from Shinjuku Station West Exit, operated by Toei Bus and Kanto Bus. There’s also the Shinjuku WE Bus, which takes you around the most famous spots and hotels (¥100 per ride, or ¥300 for a day pass).
• Sightseeing buses: Travel around Tokyo with the “All Lines One-Day IC Pass” (part of Keiō Bus), departing from Busta Shinjuku (Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal).
• Highway buses: Depart from Busta Shinjuku located directly opposite the South Exit. Key destinations include Mount Fuji, Osaka and the Kansai region, the Japanese Alps (Nagano, Kanazawa, etc.), Hakone, Shizuoka, theme parks such as Tokyo Disneyland, and Airport Limousine Buses (to Haneda and Narita).

Pro tip: Planning to travel by bus to other parts of Japan? Check out these key bus operators: Keiō Bus, JR Bus, Odakyu Highway Bus, and Willer Express.

Facilities

Shinjuku Station has all the practical facilities you could need. These include restrooms (bring some handsoap or sanitizer in case they don’t have though), ticket offices, travel centers, shops (like NewDays), and even a Travelex (near the Keiō Line Entrance). On top of this, there are accessible toilets and a variety of elevators.

Lockers at Shinjuku Station

There is no shortage of lockers in Shinjuku Station. However, they tend to fill up fast, so it’s best to store your stuff earlier in the day or, at least have a few other options in mind.

If you are looking for lockers, just head to one of the exits. There are even some lockers located inside the ticket gates. Some exact locations include next to the NewDays near the East Exit (East Concourse), up the stairs near the Keiō Line entrance, and next to “Food Pocket”.

Additionally, outside the Marunouchi Line gates, there is a Tokyo Metlocker Plus — a special type of locker that offers same-day delivery to around 500 hotels in Tokyo (drop off your bags by 2 p.m. and they’ll arrive by around 7 p.m.).

Pro tip: If you have no luck snagging a locker in the station, it’s best to use an app service like Bounce.

Ticket offices and tourist information

Shinjuku Station is a major hub for travel outside of Tokyo, making it a great place to find ticket offices, travel centers, and other useful services for your journey.

• JR EAST Travel Service Center (New South Exit and East Exit): Book and exchange JR tickets, purchase IC cards, and get assistance with rail passes.
• Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center (West and South exits): Plan trips and buy tickets for Odakyu lines, including services to Hakone and Enoshima. If you’re Hakone-bound, the Hakone Free Pass covers the round-trip plus unlimited local transport.
• Tokyo Metro Shinjuku Station Passenger Information Center: Get help navigating the Tokyo Metro network and purchase subway passes.
• Tokyo Tourist Information Center (Busta Shinjuku): Pick up sightseeing maps, book tours, and get general travel advice for Tokyo and beyond.

There are also a variety of Passport Reader and Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machines, where you can purchase and reserve train tickets on your own.

Navigation tips for Shinjuku Station

The part you have all been waiting for: what is the ultimate hack for navigating this station? Well, there isn’t one ultimate hack, but there are a few tried-and-tested things you can do to feel less overwhelmed on arrival.

Note: Our editor has lived in Tokyo for years and still gets overwhelmed when she passes through Shinjuku Station. Her approach is to just get the heck out of the station as fast as possible and figure the rest out in the fresh air.

Know your exits

First, it’s worth checking in advance which exit you’ll need. Luckily, you can check this on Google Maps — though we don’t recommend using it to navigate inside the station. Here’s our basic rundown of each main exit at Shinjuku Station:

• East Exit: Kabukichō, The Godzilla Head, 3D Cat Billboard, Golden Gai, and shopping complexes like Lumine Est, Bic Camera, and Don Quijote.
• West Exit: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Observatory, Omoide Yokocho, and Yodobashi Camera.
• South Exit: Busta Shinjuku (Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal) and department stores like Shinjuku Takashimaya and NEWoMan. For Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Flags shopping complex — which has a highly recommended rooftop BBQ — head to the Southeast Exit.

Note: The East and West exits each have a Central counterpart (Central East and Central West) which lead to the same general areas, but may be quicker depending on your exact destination.

Follow the signs

A basic but practical tip. Shinjuku Station has a lot of signs — even if some of them can be confusing. Our advice would be to stick specifically to the route that the signs are pointing — no shortcuts — otherwise, you’ll end up lost. Also, you can find maps throughout the station, so it’s worth taking a look at those to get your bearings.

If push comes to shove, it’s best to go into one of the information centers and ask for directions. Alternatively, just head out the nearest exit and go outside to the street, and start navigating again on Google Maps.

Catching the Shinkansen at Shinjuku Station

You cannot catch the Shinkansen from Shinjuku Station. However, you can use the Yamanote Line to get to Shinagawa Station and Tokyo Station (where the Shinkansen does depart from).

Note: The Shinkansen also departs from Shin-Yokohama Station, reachable via a direct (no-transfer) Fukutoshin Line train from neighboring Shinjuku-sanchome Station — just confirm on the platform signage that your train continues through to Shin-Yokohama, since not all do.

Things to do in and around Shinjuku Station

We reckon it’s worth facing your fears and going through the station, as the surrounding areas have much to offer. As highlighted in our exit breakdowns above, many of Shinjuku’s popular tourist spots like Kabukichō, Golden Gai, Omoide Yokocho, and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden are just a short walk away from the station.

There are also a few game arcades near the Southeast Exit, where you can try some claw machines or grab some gashapon (capsule toys). And, of course, there are a lot of shops and department stores to browse around. More on those below.

Shopping at Shinjuku Station

You can easily while away the hours just shopping in the station. As mentioned, the station is next to, and connected to, a few different department stores.

These include Lumine (which is split into three separate buildings), NEWoMan Shinjuku, and Takashimaya. On top of this, there are also two underground shopping malls, Shinjuku Subnade and Odakyu Ace.

Entertainment at Shinjuku Station

Honestly, there’s not much entertainment in the station itself — unless you count being lost. You just need to step outside the station though, and you are surrounded by tons of options. From going to the Godzilla-themed Toho cinema to seeing a free view of the city from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, there is so much to see and do a short walk away from the station.

Where to eat at Shinjuku Station

Shinjuku Station is full of restaurants and cafés. If you tap through the JR gates (near the South Exit), you can have a coffee at Beck’s Coffee or some quick soba before boarding your train.

Alternatively, near the main Keiō Line Entrance, you can enjoy some curry. And if you go into one of the department stores like Lumine, they have many more options. Just note, these restaurants tend to be very busy on weekends.

Pro tip: For a nice brunch, we recommend Sarabeth’s (Lumine 2 Shinjuku branch).

History

So how did it become Japan’s busiest station? Interestingly, back when the station opened in 1885, it served fewer than 50 people daily — crazy to think. It gradually grew with the addition of the Chūō Line in 1889 and the Keiō Line in 1915, but things really started to change when the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 pushed businesses westwards to Shinjuku, which had been largely unscathed.

A few years later, in 1927, the Odakyu Line also opened, further increasing the number of commuters. On top of this, post-war reconstruction brought entertainment districts like Kabukichō, bringing in even more people.

In 1965, the Yodobashi Purification Plant relocated, freeing up prime real estate in the area for skyscrapers and department stores. All this development helped solidify Shinjuku’s position as a commercial center and its station as the gateway to it.

Shinjuku Station: Frequently asked questions

Is Shinjuku actually the busiest station in the world?

Yes, Guinness World Records has actually crowned Shinjuku Station as the world’s busiest station, recording a daily passenger footfall of 2,704,703 (in 2022).

For comparison, Gare du Nord in Paris, which ranks second, sees around 700,000 people a day.

How complicated is Shinjuku Station?

Honestly, for visitors not used to big stations, navigating Shinjuku Station can be overwhelming. If you’re worried, avoid it during weekday rush hours — roughly 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.to 8:30 p.m. — until you’ve got your bearings. As a general rule, follow the large East, West, and South signs rather than trying to find specific exit numbers.

Does the Shinkansen stop at Shinjuku Station?

No. The closest Shinkansen stops are Tokyo Station and Shinagawa Station — both a direct ride from Shinjuku. The Chūō Line (Rapid) gets you to Tokyo Station in around 15 minutes, while the Yamanote Line reaches Shinagawa Station in around 20 minutes.

How do I get to Shinjuku Station from the airport?

From Narita, the easiest option is the Narita Express — a direct 90-minute ride. See our full guide to getting from Narita to Shinjuku. From Haneda, take the Airport Limousine Bus, or ride the Keikyū Line to Shinagawa Station and transfer to the JR Yamanote Line. More options in our Haneda Airport transport guide.

While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change.