Shinjuku Station, located between Shinjuku Ward and Shibuya Ward in Tokyo, is one of the city’s most important transportation hubs. It is jointly operated by several companies, including JR East, Keio Corporation, Odakyu Electric Railway, Tokyo Metro, and Toei Subway. The station itself has 36 platforms and more than 200 exits. When combined with five adjacent interconnected stations, the total number of platforms reaches 51, making it the busiest station in the world. It holds a Guinness World Record for passenger traffic, with more than 3.5 million people passing through daily—a number comparable to the population of a medium-sized city in Japan when also counting nearby stations such as Seibu-Shinjuku Station and Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Station.
The station’s history dates back to 1885, when it first opened as part of the Nippon Railway line between Akabane and Shinagawa. Later, additional private railways connected to it, including the Kōbu Railway (the predecessor of today’s Chūō Line), the Keio Electric Railway (now Keio Corporation), and the Odawara Express Railway (now Odakyu Electric Railway). This led Shinjuku to gradually emerge as a key subcenter of Tokyo. With urban development, the west side of Shinjuku Station was redeveloped into a subcenter area filled with skyscrapers, further boosting the station’s functions and passenger flow.
Shinjuku Station is not only a transportation hub but also a core area for commerce and culture. Surrounding the station are department stores, entertainment facilities, office towers, and hotels. The east, west, and south exits are all interconnected by underground passages and shopping complexes, creating smooth pedestrian flow. In addition to railway and subway lines above and below ground, the station provides direct access to Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal (Busta Shinjuku), the largest highway bus terminal in Japan. It connects to 39 prefectures across the country, making Shinjuku a major gateway for both domestic and international travelers.
