JR_Okubo_Station_-_2022_Jan_17_various_18_04_52_888000

is a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

on the Chūō-Sōbu Line in

Shinjuku, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

, Japan, operated by

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

(JR East).

Station layout

Ōkubo has a single

island platform An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular on ...

serving two tracks. Westbound trains to Mitaka stop at track 1, while eastbound trains to central Tokyo and

Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...

use track 2. In addition, there are two express tracks east of track 2; these are used by

Chūō Line (Rapid) The is the name given to rapid services on the eastern section of the Chūō Main Line operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between and stations. The official map shows services travel as far as Otsuki. Basic data *Operat ...

trains that bypass the station.

Platforms

History

Ōkubo station opened on 5 May 1895 as part of the Kinoe railway with both passenger and freight rail services. On 1 October 1906, the station and all trains serving were nationalised into

Japanese National Railways The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pref ...

(JNR). Twenty-five years later in 1931, freight services were discontinued at Ōkubo station. Upon the privatisation of JNR on 1 April 1989, Ōkubo station became part of

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

, which comprises all trains serving the eastern and northern sections of

Honshu , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...

. Beginning in November 2001, the

Suica is a prepaid rechargeable contactless smart card, electronic money used as a fare card on train lines in Japan, launched on November 18, 2001. The card can be used interchangeably with JR West's ICOCA in the Kansai region and San'yō region i ...

RFID-based electronic ticketing system has been accepted at Ōkubo station.

Surrounding area

Ōkubo station is located in the northern section of

Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

in the neighbourhood of the same name. One of Tokyo's largest Korean areas, Ōkubo is to the northwest of the centre of Shinjuku. Specifically, the station lies to the south of and west of the

Yamanote Line The Yamanote Line ( ja, 山手線, Yamanote-sen) is a loop service in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban ...

-enclosed city centre, making it the first stop westbound outside of central Tokyo. About to the east lies

Shin-Ōkubo Station is a railway station on the Yamanote Line in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Opened on November 15, 1914, it is close to the large local Korean ethnic neighborhood. Shin-Ōkubo Station has only one exit ...

on the Yamanote Line. Despite their proximity as well as being owned by JR East, the two stations are not connected. Passengers wishing to change from the Chūō-Sōbu Line to the Yamanote Line must do so at the next eastbound stop,

. Near the station, Okubo-dori (Okubo street) and surrounding side streets are lined with shops selling Korean food and pop-culture items. Also in the vicinity are Korean-themed bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.''

Hiragana Times ''Hiragana Times'' (ひらがなタイムズ) is a magazine published in Japan, and its audience is foreigners residing in Japan. The ''Hiragana Times'' is unique in that all the articles are written in both English and Japanese, with no bias b ...

'', "Okubo - Tokyo's Popular Korea Town", Volume #293, March 2011, pp. 34–37.

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2011, the station was used by an average of 23,997 passengers daily (boarding passengers only).

References

External links

JR East Ōkubo Station
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okubo Station Railway stations in Japan opened in 1895 Chūō-Sōbu Line Chūō Main Line Stations of East Japan Railway Company Railway stations in Tokyo