Kyōto Station

Kyoto Station
京都駅
Kyoto Station Building (Karasuma side)
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 West, JR Central, Kintetsu, Kyoto Municipal Subway
Statistics 239.6 million passengers/year (2012)[1]
Major bus terminal(s) attached to the station

Kyoto Station (京都駅 Kyōto-eki) is a major railway station and transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan's second-largest 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.

History

The first Kyoto Station
The second Kyoto Station
The third Kyoto Station

The governmental railway from Kobe 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 Kyoto Station opened for service by decree of Emperor Meiji on February 5, 1877.[2]

In 1889, the railway became a part of the trunk line to Tokyo (Tokaido 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.[3]

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. This station burned to the ground in 1950, and was replaced by a more utilitarian concrete facility in 1952.

The current Kyoto 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 façade 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.

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

Lines

Kyoto Station is served by the following railway lines:

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

JR West / JR Central

JR
Kyoto Station
京都駅
Hachijō-side building of Kyoto station
Location
Prefecture Kyoto
City Kyoto
Ward Shimogyō
Neighborhood etc. 901 Higashi-Shiokōjichō (JR West)
8-3 Higashi-Shiokōji Takakura-chō (JR Central)
Coordinates34°59′7.65″N 135°45′27.92″E / 34.9854583°N 135.7577556°E
Postal code600-8212 (JR West)
600-8214 (JR Central)
(in Japanese)京都市下京区東塩小路町901（JR西日本）
京都市下京区東塩小路高倉町8-3（JR東海）
History
Year opened 1877
Rail services
Operator(s) JR West
JR Central
Line(s) Tokaido Shinkansen (JR Central)
Tokaido Line(Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line), Nara Line, Sanin Line (Sagano Line) (JR West)
Statistics 162.7 million passengers/year (2012)[1]
Shinkansen tracks
Nara Line tracks

Layout

The station has a side platform and four island platforms serving eight tracks for the Tokaido Line (Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line) and Kosei Line at ground level, three dead-end platforms serving four tracks for the Sanin Line (Sagano Line) to the west of platform 0 at ground level, and two dead-end platforms serving 3 tracks to the south of platform 7 at ground level. Two island platforms serving four tracks for the Shinkansen are elevated, above the platforms for the Kintetsu Kyoto Line.

0 ■Hokuriku Line limited express trains for Fukui, Kanazawa, and Toyama
■Tokaido Line, Chuo Line, Takayama Line limited express trains for Maibara, Nagano, and Takayama
■Biwako Line part of special rapid trains for Kusatsu and Maibara on weekday mornings
■Kosei Line part of special rapid trains for Katata and Ōmi-Imazu on weekday mornings
■Kusatsu Line for Kibukawa and Tsuge (evening, night)
2, 3 ■Biwako Line for Kusatsu and Maibara
■Kosei Line for Katata and Ōmi-Imazu
4, 5 ■JR Kyoto Line for Ōsaka and Sannomiya
6, 7 ■Kinokuni Line limited express trains Kuroshio for Shirahama and Shingū
■Chizu Express Line limited express trains Super Hakuto for Tottori and Kurayoshi
■Kansai Airport Line limited express trains Haruka from Maibara and Kusatsu for Kansai Airport
■limited express trains from the Hokuriku Line, Tokaido Line for Osaka
■JR Kyoto Line rapid trains and special rapid trains for Osaka and Sannomiya in the morning
8, 9, 10 ■Nara Line for Uji and Nara
30 ■Kansai Airport Line limited express trains Haruka for Kansai Airport
■Sagano-Sanin Line limited express trains (partly) for Fukuchiyama, Kinosaki Onsen, Higashi-Maizuru, and Amanohashidate
31 ■Sagano-Sanin Main Line limited express trains for Fukuchiyama, Kinosaki Onsen, Higashi-Maizuru, and Amanohashidate
■Sagano-Sanin Line part of trains for Kameoka, Sonobe, and Fukuchiyama
32, 33 ■Sagano-Sanin Line local trains and rapid trains for Kameoka, Sonobe, and Fukuchiyama
34 ■ Disembarking only for trains at platform 33  
11, 12 ■Tokaido Shinkansen for Nagoya and Tokyo
13, 14 ■Tokaido Shinkansen for Shin-Osaka and 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

for the Hokuriku Line
for the Tokaido 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 Sanin Line, the Maizuru Line and the Kitakinki Tango Railway lines

Adjacent stations

« Service »
Tokaido Shinkansen
Nagoya   Nozomi   Shin-Osaka
Maibara   Hikari   Shin-Osaka
Maibara   Kodama   Shin-Osaka
Tokaido Line (Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line), Kosei Line
Yamashina   Special Rapid   Takatsuki
Yamashina (local)   Rapid (mornings)   Nagaokakyō (rapid)
Yamashina   Local (JR Kyoto Line daytime rapid)   Nishiōji
Nara Line
Terminus   Miyakoji Rapid   Tōfukuji
Terminus   Rapid   Tōfukuji
Terminus   Regional Rapid   Tōfukuji
Terminus   Local   Tōfukuji
Sagano Line (Sanin Line)
Terminus   Rapid   Nijō
Terminus   Local   Tambaguchi

Kintetsu

Kintetsu
Kyoto Station
京都駅
Location
Prefecture Kyoto
City Kyoto
Ward Shimogyō
Neighborhood etc. 31-1 Higashi-Shiokoji Kamadonochō
Coordinates34°59′4.82″N 135°45′27.05″E / 34.9846722°N 135.7575139°E
Postal code600-8215
(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) Kintetsu Kyoto Line
Statistics 36.9 million passengers/year (2012)[1]

Layout

The station has three levels. Four dead-end platforms serving four tracks are located on the second floor. The 1st floor is a shopping street and the 3rd is the platforms for the Shinkansen (JR Central).

1, 2 ■Limited express trains for Nara, Kashiharajingu-mae, Ise-Shima
1, 2, 3, 4 ■Local trains and express trains for Tambabashi, Shin-Tanabe, Yamato-Saidaiji, Nara, Tenri, Kashiharajingu-mae

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
Kyoto Station
京都駅
Location
Prefecture Kyoto
City Kyoto
Ward Shimogyō
Neighborhood etc. Higashi-Shiokōji
Coordinates34°59′7.97″N 135°45′36.44″E / 34.9855472°N 135.7601222°E
(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
Statistics 40.0 million passengers/year (2012)[1]

Layout

The station consists of one underground island platform serving two tracks.

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

Viewpoint on about the fourth or fifth floor. To the right is the interior of the facade on the north (Karasuma Street) side

Nishinotoin Gate

Hachijo Gate

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "第8章 都市施設" [Chapter 8: Urban facilities]. 京都市統計書 [Statistics of Kyoto City] (in Japanese). City of Kyoto. 2014.
  2. ↑ Ishino, Tetsu et al. (eds.) (1998). 停車場変遷大事典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 34, vol. II. ISBN 4533029809.
  3. ↑ Ishino, supra, pp. 298, 351
  4. ↑ "JR Nishinihon Tōkaidō Honsen Maibara–Kōbe kan Senro Haisen Ryakuzu". Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese) (Kōyūsha) (January 2008, No. 561): inserted sheet between pp. 34–35.
  5. ↑ Kawashima, Ryōzō (2009). Tōkaidō Rain Zensen Zen'eki Zen-Haisen vol. 6 (Maibara eki–Ōsaka eria) (in Japanese). Kōdansha. pp. 17–18. ISBN 978-4-06-270016-0.

External links

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Coordinates: 34°59′07″N 135°45′30″E / 34.985407°N 135.758450°E