Sendai Station (Miyagi)

Sendai Station
仙台駅
Sendai Station
Location
Prefecture Miyagi
(See other stations in Miyagi)
City Sendai
Ward Aoba
Neighborhood etc. 1 Chuo
(in Japanese)宮城県仙台市青葉区中央1丁目
History
Year opened 1887
Rail services
Station number(s) N10 (Nanboku Line)
T07 (Tozai Line; under construction)
Operator(s) JR East
Sendai Airport Transit
Sendai Subway
Line(s) Tōhoku Shinkansen
Akita Shinkansen
Tōhoku Main Line
Senzan Line
Senseki Line
Jōban Line
Sendai Airport Line
Nanboku Line
Tozai Line (under construction)
Statistics 83,540 passengers/day (JR East, FY2013)
Large bus terminal(s) attached to the station

Sendai Station (仙台駅 Sendai-eki) is a major railway station in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. It is a stop for all Akita and Tōhoku Shinkansen trains, the eastern terminus for the Senzan Line, and major stop on both the Tōhoku Main Line and Senseki Line. It is located on the border between Miyagino and Aoba Wards in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.

Lines

Sendai Station is served by services operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), Sendai Airport Transit, and Sendai Subway. The station is served by the following lines.

JR East

Sendai Airport Transit

Sendai Subway

Station layout

Senseki Line underground platforms

Although the main JR train station and the subway station are physically separate, there are underground passageways connecting the two. The main Sendai Station is above-ground, and is a hub for JR East containing both the Tōhoku and Akita Shinkansen lines and several other local lines. The above-ground portion of Sendai Station lies in Aoba-ku, and is situated so that tracks run roughly north-south. In the station's easternmost section, underground and across the ward border in Miyagino-ku, is the platform for the east-west Senseki Line. Originally, this platform was also above ground; but in 2000, the line was extended to Aoba-dōri to the west, and the line was re-routed underground beneath the rest of the station.

The Nanboku subway line lies to the west, and can be accessed from the main station via underground passageways at both ends of the station. The platform for the subway at Sendai Station is actually closer to Aoba-dōri Station than the other JR lines in Sendai Station. In fact, there is a transfer-only gate between the subway and Senseki Line platform at Aoba-dōri Station.

Surrounding area

West (Main) Exit

West exit night view

The area outside the west exit of Sendai Station is the traditional center of activity around the station. This is because the area is closer to the central business district of Sendai, which initially developed around Sendai Castle.

The area is home to some of the largest department stores in Sendai. The S-Pal department store and the Station are directly connected to each other. A large elevated walkway outside the exit provides access to other departments stores, such as the Loft Department Store, Sakurano Department Store, the Jujiya Co. Sendai Store, and EBeanS. EbeanS is home to Junkudo Sendai, the largest bookstore in the Tohoku Region. The AER Building, a large office building built through recent redevelopment, is also located in the area and is home to various offices and stores, such as Maruzen, another large bookstore.

The area around the Asaichi-dori street, next to EBeanS is known as the Sendai Asaichi (Sendai morning Market), although stores are open all day long. The Asaichi is home to a wide variety of small stores that mainly sell Japanese foods.

The Sendai Metropolitan Hotel can be directly accessed via the elevated walkway and is extremely convenient for visitors unfamiliar with the area. The entrance to Sendai's largest shopping malls, such as the Clis Road Shopping District and the Ichibancho Shopping District, are located close to the exit of the elevated walkway, and a bus exchange area and taxi pool can be found under the walkway.

East Exit

The area outside the east exit of Sendai Station is the "new" side of the station. It traditionally had a smaller concentration of businesses compared to the west side. The fact that the area was not damaged by World War II bombing also delayed development in the area.

The municipal government decided to conduct redevelopment in the area in 1960. The redevelopment project is still in progress, but the area has already been largely renovated with a new bus exchange area and taxi pool. The Yodobashi Camera Sendai Store, one of the largest electronics retailers in Sendai, is located right outside of the east exit. BiVi Sendai, a department store, is also located close by. The east side of the station is also close to many entertainment venues, such as Beeb Sendai, Sendai Sunplaza, and Zepp Sendai. Miyagi Baseball Stadium is also within walking distance.

History

The station first opened on 15 December 1887.[1]

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2013, the JR East station was used by an average of 83,540 passengers daily (boarding passengers only), making it the busiest JR East station outside of the Greater Tokyo Area. It is also the busiest JR East station in Miyagi Prefecture and the 52nd-busiest on the JR East network as a whole.[2]

The passenger figures (boarding passengers only) for previous years are as shown below.

Fiscal year Daily average
1913 1,628[3]
1960 43,089[3]
1971 58,799[3]
1984 64,634[3]
2000 78,195[4]
2005 76,723[5]
2010 74,672[6]
2011 64,498[7]
2012 80,171[8]
2013 83,540[2]

References

  1. Sendai Station information. East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved on 13 August 2008. (Japanese)
  2. 2.0 2.1 各駅の乗車人員 (2013年度) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2013)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 日本国有鉄道停車場一覧 [JNR Station Directory]. Japan: Japanese National Railways. 1985. p. 480. ISBN 4-533-00503-9.
  4. 各駅の乗車人員 (2000年度) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2000)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  5. 各駅の乗車人員 (2005年度) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  6. 各駅の乗車人員 (2010年度) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2010)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  7. 各駅の乗車人員 (2011年度) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2011)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
  8. 各駅の乗車人員 (2012年度) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2012)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Retrieved 12 September 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sendai Station (Miyagi).

Coordinates: 38°15′37″N 140°52′55″E / 38.26028°N 140.88194°E