Tokyo Travel—Know More about Shinagawa Station

Japan has some of the world's most infamously crowded trains, particularly the nation's capital, Tokyo. According to the transport ministry, the 10 most congested lines in the greater Tokyo area were:^[1]

• Tozai subway line
• Odakyu line
• JR Yokosuka line
• JR Chuo line
• Tokyu Denentoshi line ( to Shibuya)
• JR Tokaido Line
• JR Sobu Express
• Chiyoda subway line
• JR Keihin Tohoku Line.

In this article, we will cover one of the most busiest train stations in Tokyo—Shinagawa Station (品川駅) .

Shinagawa Station (品川駅)

In ONLY in JAPAN * GO video, John has bought Toei 1 Day Pass with:

• Unlimited one-day use of the Toei Subway, Toei Bus, Tokyo Sakura Tram(Toden Arakawa Line), and Nippori-Toneri Liner
• Adult: 700 yen Child: 350 yen
• Where to buy: Automatic ticket vending machines at all Toei Subway stations and on Toei buses / trams, etc.

However, John has found a hard lesson about using the Pass because he was trapped inside the Shinagawa Station without being able to "exit" from it because 

• Shinagawa Station is really complicated for most first-time visitors
• You need a valid ticket to exit at the correct exit gates

Video 1.  Shinagawa Station—Tokyo Rail Adventure Guide (YouTube link)

Below video could be helpful for you to understand the complicated track systems of Shinagawa Station.

Video 2. 【品川駅】 Shinagawa Station (YouTube link)

Travel Tips

If you ever need to travel through Shinagawa Station and make a connection there, do follow below recommendations:

1. Avoid morning rush hours (7:00 to 9:00) and evening rush hours (17:00 to 19:00)
2. Choose Prepaid IC Card (e.g., Suica, Pasmo, Icoca, etc.) or Greater Tokyo Pass instead of John's Toei 1 Day Pass (or other limited access Pass) as shown in the video.
• You use IC Card for its convenience.  However, IC cards generally do not provide any discounts over regular tickets.  The IC cards are virtually identical to each other in terms of coverage. The cards mainly differ on where they can be purchased and refunded. Therefore, most people will want to purchase the card available in the first city where they arrive, e.g. Suica or Pasmo in Tokyo or Icoca in Osaka.
• "Greater Tokyo Pass" is a Plan Ticket which allows unlimited rides for 3 days on railway lines and streetcars operated by 12 companies and ordinary fixed-route buses of 52 companies in the Kanto area.
3. Plan your trip with Hyperdia  in advance and choose the simplest route option (e.g., least transfers/connections) and stick with it

References

1. How to Avoid Crowded Trains
2. Shinagawa Station, the Great Escape | Tokyo Rail Adventure Guide
3. TOKYO.【品川駅】.Introduction to Tracks of Shinagawa Station
4. IC Cards
5. Hyperdia
6. Tokyo Subway Ticket
• Cover all Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines 
7. Tokyo Monorail Guide