Kyōto Station

Kyōto Station
京都駅
Location
Prefecture Kyoto
(See other stations in Kyoto)
City Kyoto
Ward Shimogyo
(in Japanese) 京都市下京区
Rail services
Operator(s) JR Central, JR West, Kintetsu, Kyoto Municipal Subway
Major bus terminal(s) attached to the station

Kyōto Station (京都駅 Kyōto-eki?) is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest train station building (after Nagoya Station) and is one of the country's largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof. It also housed the Kyoto City Air Terminal until August 31, 2002.

Contents

History

The governmental railway from Kōbe reached Kyoto on September 5, 1876, but the station was under construction and a temporary facility called Ōmiya-dōri (Ōmiya Street) Temporary Station was used until the opening of the main station. The first Kyōto Station opened for service by decree of Emperor Meiji on February 5, 1877.[1]

In 1889, the railway became a part of the trunk line to Tokyo (Tōkaidō Main Line). Subsequently the station became the terminal of two private railways, Nara Railway (1895, present-day Nara Line) and Kyoto Railway (1897, present-day Sagano Line), that connected the station with southern and northern regions of Kyoto Prefecture, respectively.[2]

The station was replaced by a newer, Renaissance-inspired facility in 1914, which featured a broad square (the site of demolished first station) leading from the station to Shichijō Avenue. Before and during World War II, the square was often used by imperial motorcades when Emperor Showa traveled between Kyoto and Tokyo. The station was spacious and designed to handle a large number of people, but when a few thousand people gathered to bid farewell to naval recruits on January 8, 1934, 77 people were crushed to death.[3] This station burned to the ground in 1950 and was replaced by a more utilitarian concrete facility in 1952.

The current Kyōto Station opened in 1997, commemorating Kyoto's 1,200th anniversary. It is 70 meters high and 470 meters from east to west, with a total floor area of 238,000 square meters. Architecturally, it exhibits many characteristics of futurism, with a slightly irregular cubic facade of plate glass over a steel frame. The architect was Hiroshi Hara.

Kyoto, one of the least modern cities in Japan by virtue of its many cultural heritage sites, was largely reluctant to accept such an ambitious structure in the mid-1990s: The station's completion began a wave of new high-rise developments in the city that culminated in the 20-story Kyocera Building. Hence some criticize the station's design for taking part in breaking down the traditional cityscape.

Aside from the main building on the north side of the station, the Hachijō-guchi building on the south side was built to house Tōkaidō Shinkansen which started operation in 1964. The underground facilities of the station, including the shopping mall Porta beneath the station square, was constructed when the subway opened in 1981.

Lines

Kyōto Station is served by the following railway lines:

In addition to the lines above, the following lines, among others, have through services to Kyōto Station:

JR West / JR Central

JR
Kyōto Station
京都駅
Main Entrance of Kyōto station
Location
Prefecture Kyoto
City Kyoto
Ward Shimogyō
Neighborhood etc. 8-3, Higashi-Shiokōji Takakura-chō
Postal Code 600-8214
(in Japanese) 京都市下京区東塩小路高倉町8-3
History
Year opened 1877
Rail services
Operator(s) JR Central
JR West
Line(s) Tōkaidō Shinkansen (JR Central)
Tōkaidō Line(Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line), Nara Line, San'in Line(Sagano Line) (JR West)

Layout

There is one side platform and four island platforms serving eight tracks for the Tōkaidō Line (Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line) and Kosei Line at ground level, three dead-end platforms serving four tracks for the San'in Line (Sagano Line) to the west of platform 0 at ground level, and two dead-end platforms serving three tracks to the south of platform 7 at ground level. There are two island platforms serving four tracks for the Shinkansen, which are elevated.

0 ■Hokuriku Line limited express trains for Fukui, Kanazawa, Toyama
■Tōkaidō Line, Chuo Line, Takayama Line limited express trains for Maibara, Nagano, Takayama
■Biwako Line Part of special rapid trains for Kusatsu, Maibara on weekday mornings
■Kosei Line Part of special rapid trains for Ōmi-Shiotsu, Tsuruga on weekday mornings
2, 3 ■Biwako Line for Kusatsu, Maibara
■Kosei Line for Katata, Ōmi-Imazu
4, 5 ■JR Kyoto Line for Ōsaka, Sannomiya
6, 7 ■Kinokuni Line limited express trains for Shirahama, Shingū
■Chizu Express Line limited express trains "Super Hakuto" for Tottori, Kurayoshi
■Kansai Airport Line limited express trains "Haruka" from Maibara and Kusatsu for Kansai Airport only
■Limited express trains from the Hokuriku Line, Tōkaidō Line for Osaka
■JR Kyoto Line Rapid and special rapid trains for Ōsaka, Sannomiya in the morning
8, 9, 10 ■Nara Line for Uji, Nara
30 ■Kansai Airport Line limited express trains "Haruka" for Kansai Airport
■Sagano-San'in Line limited express trains (partly) for Fukuchiyama, Kinosaki Onsen, Higashi-Maizuru, Amanohashidate
31 ■Sagano-San'in Line limited express trains for Fukuchiyama, Kinosaki Onsen, Higashi-Maizuru, Amanohashidate
■Sagano-San'in Line part of trains for Kameoka, Sonobe, Fukuchiyama
32, 33 ■Sagano-San'in Line local trains and rapid trains for Kameoka, Sonobe, Fukuchiyama
34 ■ Disembarking only for trains at platform 33  
11, 12 ■Tōkaidō Shinkansen "Nozomi", "Hikari", "Kodama" for Nagoya, Tokyo
13, 14 ■Tōkaidō Shinkansen "Nozomi", "Hikari", "Kodama" for Shin-Ōsaka, Hakata
Track layout of Kyōto Station (JR West area)[4][5]
Hachijō side (South)
Brown (2 tracks): Nara Line to Uji and Nara
Blue (4 tracks):
Tōkaidō Main Line
(Biwako Line)
to Maibara, Nagoya and Tokyo
Kosei Line
to Omi-Imazu and Tsuruga		 Black (1 track):
Freight Line
to Kyoto Freight Station
Blue (4 tracks):
Tōkaidō Main Line
(JR Kyōto Line)
to Ōsaka and Kōbe
Purple (1 track):
San'in Main Line
(Sagano Line)
to Fukuchiyama
Karasuma Side (North)

Limited express trains and express trains

for the Hokuriku Line
for the Tōkaidō Line, the Chūō Line, and the Takayama Line
for the Sanin region via the Chizu Express Chizu Line
for the Hanwa Line, Kansai Airport Line and the Kinokuni Line
for the San'in Line, the Maizuru Line and the Kitakinki Tango Railway lines

Adjacent stations

« Service »
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
Tōkaidō Line (Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line), Kosei Line
Yamashina   Local (Including rapid service of the JR Kyoto Line after the morning)   Nishiōji
Yamashina (local)   Rapid service (operated in the morning)   Nagaokakyō (rapid service)
Yamashina   Special Rapid Service   Takatsuki
Nara Line
Terminus   Local   Tōfukuji
Terminus   Regional Rapid Service   Tōfukuji
Terminus   Rapid Service   Tōfukuji
Terminus   Miyakoji Rapid Service   Tōfukuji
Sagano Line (Sanin Line)
Terminus   Local   Tambaguchi
Terminus   Rapid Service   Nijō
Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central)
Tōkaidō Shinkansen
Maibara - Shin-Ōsaka

Kintetsu

Kintetsu
Kyōto Station
京都駅
Location
Prefecture Kyoto
City Kyoto
Ward Shimogyō
Neighborhood etc. 31-1, Higashi-Shiokoji Kamadonochō
(in Japanese) 京都市下京区東塩小路釜殿町31-1
History
Year opened 1928
Rail services
Operator(s) Kintetsu Corporation
Line(s) Kyōto Line

Layout

1 ■Limited Express for Nara, Kashiharajingu-mae, Ise-Shima
2, 3 ■Local trains and Express for Tambabashi, Shin-Tanabe, Yamato-Saidaiji, Nara, Tenri, Kashiharajingu-mae
4 ■Under construction Scheduled to be completed in 2012

Adjacent stations

« Service »
Kyōto Line
Terminus   Local   Tōji
Terminus   Semi-Express (only in the morning on weekdays)   Tōji
Terminus   Express   Tōji
Terminus   Limited Express   Kintetsu-Tambabashi

Kyoto Municipal Subway

Kyoto Municipal Subway
Kyōto Station
京都駅
Location
Prefecture Kyoto
City Kyoto
Ward Shimogyō
Neighborhood etc. Higashi-Shiokōji
(in Japanese) 京都市下京区東塩小路
History
Year opened 1981
Rail services
Station number(s) K11
Operator(s) Kyoto Municipal Subway
Line(s) Karasuma Line

Layout

There is an island platform with 2 tracks underground.

1 ■Southbound trains for Takeda, the Kintetsu Kyoto Line (Shin-Tanabe, Nara)
2 ■Northbound trains for Shijō, Karasuma Oike, Kokusaikaikan

Adjacent stations

« Service »
Karasuma Line (K11)
Gojō (K10) - Kujō (K12)

Surroundings

Karasuma Gate

Nishinotoin Gate

Hachijo Gate

References

  1. ^ Ishino, Tetsu et al. (eds.) (1998) (in Japanese). Teishajō Hensen Daijiten - Kokutetsu JR Hen. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 34, vol. II. ISBN 4533029809. 
  2. ^ Ishino, supra, pp. 298, 351
  3. ^ See ja:京都駅跨線橋転倒事故
  4. ^ "JR Nishinihon Tōkaidō Honsen Maibara–Kōbe kan Senro Haisen Ryakuzu" (in Japanese). Japan Railfan Magazine (Kōyūsha) (January 2008, No. 561): inserted sheet between pp. 34–35. 
  5. ^ Kawashima, Ryōzō (2009) (in Japanese). Tōkaidō Rain Zensen Zen'eki Zen-Haisen vol. 6 (Maibara eki–Ōsaka eria). Kōdansha. pp. 17–18. ISBN 978-406-270016-0. 

External links

Stations of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen
Stations of the Biwako Line (Tokaido Line, Hokuriku Line)

(for Tsuruga <<) Nagahama · Tamura · Sakata · (for Ōgaki and Nagoya <<) Maibara · Hikone · Minami-Hikone · Kawase · Inae · Notogawa · Azuchi · Ōmi-Hachiman · Shinohara · Yasu · Moriyama · Rittō · Kusatsu · Minami-Kusatsu · Seta · Ishiyama · Zeze · Ōtsu · Yamashina · Kyōto (>> for Osaka)
Stations of the JR Kyoto Line (Tokaido Line between Kyoto and Osaka)

(for Maibara and Ōmi-Imazu <<) Kyōto – Kyōto kamotsu - Nishiōji - Katsuragawa - Mukōmachi - Nagaokakyō - Yamazaki - Shimamoto - Takatsuki - Settsu-Tonda - Ibaraki - Senrioka - (Suita Signal Box) - Kishibe - Suita - Higashi-Yodogawa - Shin-Ōsaka (>> for Nishikujō) - Ōsaka (>> for Kobe and Takarazuka)

San'in Connecting Line (Freight Branch Line) : Kyōto kamotsu - Tambaguchi / Kyōtoshijō Branch Line (Freight Branch Line, Abandoned in 1984) : Umekōji - Kyōtoshijō
Stations of the Kosei Line
Stations of the Sagano Line (Sanin Main Line)
Stations of the JR West Nara Line
Stations of the Kintetsu Kyoto Line

Kyōto • (Hachijō) • Tōji • Jūjō • Kamitobaguchi • Takeda • Fushimi • Tambabashi • Momoyamagoryō-mae • Mukaijima • Ogura • Iseda • Ōkubo • Kutsukawa • Terada • Tonoshō • (Kizugawa) • Shin-Tanabe • Kōdo • Miyamaki • Miyazu • Komada • Shin-Hōsono • Kizugawadai • Yamadagawa • Takanohara • Heijō • Yamato-Saidaiji ( >> Nara Line • Kashihara Line)

old line in Fushimi-ku: Fushimi • Tambabashi • Momoyamagoryō-mae