Shinjuku Station

Shinjuku is one of the biggest station in Tokyo, roughly serving around 2 million passanger everyday, its is very busy. Added by the sheer number of exit in Shinjuku station, one could get lost easily (I did). In Japan, pay attention to which exit you should take. You could end up in completely different road/buidling you originally intend to. Also, the position of the train that you take will definitely take you to different exit.

For instance, I wanted to go to West Exit so I can go to my language school in Nishishinjuku, but since I came from Seibu-Ikebukuro Line, I tend to get the JR Yamanote Line on the middle to last car (train car 9/10) because that is the nearest car from Ikebukuro. But since I take the last car, when I arrived in Shinjuku the nearest exit is south exit. South Exit will take me to Odakyu hotel. Which is very far from where I wanted to go. So what I supposed to take is the front cars from Seibu-Ikebukuro, and take the middle car (6-8) so I can get out in the right platform which is closest with the exit I want (west exit). You might find this confusing but, wait until you are there, experience it yourself (lol).

The volume of people in the rush hour in the morning is just crazy, its really like the sea of people. So the people usually already know what car they should be in to get to the nearest exit to their destination. Otherwise, it will be difficult. There are guide in English, of course, but the rushy work people won't let you stay hesitate to figure out where you should go to. You better ready and prepared and know where you want to walk. If you are going to Shinjuku for a tourism trip, then I suggest you to come before or after the rush hour.

There are several exit station in Shinjuku.
Central, West, East, North, South exit. These are located under different massive department store: Odakyu, Keio, Lumine,etc.

Shinjuku Station Map (from Odakyu website). Pay attention where your arrival station and your transfer station/your exit destination

If you lost, don't worry, even Japanese native would not know how to navigate in the Shinjuku station unless they walked there every day. So you're not alone. But here, if you will live/stay around Shinjuku, here is some guide that I think quite helpful from Odakyu about Shinjuku underground.

Most of the big station in Tokyo located under department store. Moreover, sometime it serves as transfer station to other line. JR Line, Metro Line and other lines are served by different companies but they could be paid by same card (suica or pasmo in Tokyo. Other city has different card, Osaka for instance use Icoca).

Shinjuku station in the morning

Have a nice trip!

Plaupla
Shinjuku. July 13, 2015.