Ueno Station

Ueno is the quiet alternative to Tokyo Station for anyone heading north. Every Shinkansen on the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Joetsu and Hokuriku lines stops here a few minutes after leaving Tokyo, and the station is a fraction of the size. If you are staying in the north or east of the city, or near Asakusa, it is usually the better place to board.

It is also one of the nicer places in Tokyo to kill an hour, because Ueno Park and its museums are directly across the road.

What runs from Ueno Station

• Tohoku, Hokkaido, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen, all northbound services from Tokyo. The Tokaido line to Kyoto and Osaka does not come here.
• Keisei Skyliner to Narita Airport, around forty minutes, from the separate Keisei Ueno station a short walk away.
• Yamanote line and Keihin-Tohoku line around the city.
• Joban line north east towards Mito and the coast.
• Ginza and Hibiya subway lines, which make Asakusa and Ginza easy.

The platforms are a long way down

This is the one thing worth knowing before you arrive. The Shinkansen platforms at Ueno are four levels underground, and getting from the street to the train means a long run of escalators. Allow a good ten minutes from the ticket gates, more with a suitcase. People who treat it like an ordinary platform miss trains here.

Using a rail pass here

Your Japan Rail Pass covers all the Shinkansen lines from here, the Yamanote line and the Joban line. It does not cover the Keisei Skyliner to Narita, which is a private railway, nor the subway. If you want to reach Narita on the pass, the Narita Express runs from Tokyo and Shinagawa rather than from here.

Getting to Narita

The Skyliner is the fastest train to Narita Airport from anywhere in Tokyo, around forty minutes non stop. It is not covered by a rail pass, but if your pass has expired or you are not using one, it is the route to take. Keisei Ueno is a separate station a couple of minutes walk from the JR building, on the park side.

Ueno Park

Step out of the park exit and you are in it. The Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the zoo and the Shinobazu pond are all within a ten minute walk. In cherry blossom season the park is one of the busiest spots in the city. If you have time before a northbound train, this is the best station in Tokyo to have it.

Eating

Ameyoko, the market street running south from the station under the railway, is the place. It started as a black market after the war and is now a loud, cheap strip of food stalls, seafood and discount shops. The station itself has an Ecute shopping concourse with good ekiben and bakeries for the train.

Tickets and guides from Ueno

If you are booking individual journeys rather than using a pass, these are the routes that start here.

• Tokyo To Sendai tickets

And the longer route guides, with times, seat tips and what to see when you arrive:

• Tokyo To Sapporo route guide

Common questions

Can I get to Kyoto or Osaka from Ueno?

Not directly. The Tokaido Shinkansen runs from Tokyo and Shinagawa only. From Ueno take the Yamanote line to Tokyo Station, about eight minutes.

Is Ueno a good place to stay?

Good value and well connected, with a lot of mid range hotels, and handy for both northern Shinkansen and the Skyliner. It is quieter in the evening than Shinjuku or Shibuya.

Which is better for the Tohoku Shinkansen, Tokyo or Ueno?

Same trains, same price. Ueno is smaller and easier if you are staying nearby. Tokyo Station is the terminus, so if you want a guaranteed seat in a non reserved car, boarding there gives you first pick.

More in Japan’s Major Train Stations

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