JR Tokyo Station Yaesu Side

As you may know, JR Tokyo Station has two completely different atmospheres at its Marunouchi and Yaesu sides. The Marunouchi side is made of solid brick and has a sense of history, while the Yaesu side, which has been undergoing full-scale renovation since the “Tokyo Station Renaissance” began in 2006, is now a functional and modern side, with Yaechika, Gransta Yaesu, and Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, which also includes a bus terminal, located nearby, and continues to upgrade.

Recently, we assisted a wheelchair user who arrived at Haneda Airport from Sweden, then moved directly to Tokyo Station and took the Shinkansen to Kyoto. When using the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen, entering through the Yaesu Central South ticket gate allows the user to use the elevator to go up to each platform, minimizing the time and distance required to board the Shinkansen. However, there are some issues, so we will explain them step by step, including the overall situation.

Although the Yaesu side is crowded, there is a wide variety of shopping and dining options, and it seems that there is room for improvement in terms of ease of use of public transportation, which is hard to believe for the entrance to Tokyo Station. As part of the improvement measures, Tokyo Bus Terminal Yaesu has been incorporated into Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, and more routes have been made available that make it easy to board and disembark even on rainy days. However, the Yaesu side bus stop, where many express buses still depart and arrive, is only partially covered, so you must be prepared to get wet in the rain. Perhaps as a consideration by the staff, umbrellas are provided near the boarding area.

Getting on and off a taxi is also a little difficult. There is a taxi stand near the Yaesu Central Gate next to the bus stop, and it also has a partial roof. Even though there is a large taxi waiting area, the number of taxis that come is less than expected, and there is a constant long line of people waiting for a taxi during the day.

The taxi drop-off point is available in front of the Yaesu North Exit. Many taxis try to enter the drop-off point from Sotobori-dori Street, which passes right in front of the Yaesu Side of Tokyo Station, to drop off passengers, but since the drop-off point is less spacious, it is common to see passengers who cannot wait and get off at Sotobori-dori Street when it is very crowded. If you have a vehicle with a wheelchair lift installed on the rear gate like the Wilgo, even if you can stop, another vehicle will stop right behind you and you will not be able to deploy the wheelchair lift (one on wheelchair will not be able to get off). In addition, even though it is prohibited, recently there are vehicles waiting for passengers. It is almost chaotic.

Separating the boarding and disembarking areas is certainly not a mistake, but the boarding area is spacious but no cars come there, while the disembarking area is less spacious even though many cars come there. It seems like the balance is just too bad. The taxi disembarking area also includes private vehicle boarding and disembarking area, so drivers who are not used to it may need a fair amount of courage to go through this taxi chaos and reach the private vehicle boarding and disembarking area further ahead. In rainy weather, there is nothing to protect taxis or private vehicles from the rain…

To avoid such a poor environment, we took them to Yaechika Parking (formerly Tokyo Station Yaesu Parking West Parking), which has ample parking spaces for people with disabilities. Next to the parking space on the second basement floor, there is an elevator that can take you right to the Yaesu Central South Side ticket gates, where you can go up to the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen platforms. Take the elevator to the first floor, exit the elevator hall, and turn left, and you will see the Yaesu Central South Side ticket gates for the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen right in front of you.

This route allows access to the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen without suffering from bad weather or difficulty getting on and off, but it does have some issues. Previously, it was possible to reserve parking spaces for the disabled, but now they are no longer accepted. Also, vehicles over 2.1m in height cannot enter this parking lot. It is unfortunate that many high-roof welfare vehicles fall into this category. There is no height restriction in the Y section, which was expanded when Gransta Tokyo opened, but there is a height restriction in the passageway and section from the entrance to Y section. It would be nice if Tokyo Station, the gateway to Tokyo, could take another step toward improvement.