Society | Jan 30

New Harajuku Station building unveiled ahead of March opening

The new Harajuku Station building in Tokyo’s pop-culture hub, which is set to open on March 21 in time for the Tokyo Olympic Games, was unveiled to the media Wednesday by East Japan Railway Co.

The new station facility, which is on the capital’s busy Yamanote loop line and located south of the current wooden building, is a two-story structure that straddles the train tracks and has exits facing the Meiji Jingu shrine grounds and the upscale Omotesando avenue, according to JR East.

Glass walls for the concourse allow in plenty of sunlight and give the building a bright, modern feel. Interior work, such as tiled floors, was also being readied.

Harajuku Station is a gateway to one of the capital’s centers for youth culture and street fashions, clustered around the nearby bustling Takeshita shopping street and Omotesando, as well as to the major tourist site of Meiji Jingu shrine. “The concourse and ticket gates have become more spacious, so the station will be pleasant to use. We want people to be able to access the Olympics and Paralympics venue in a secure and safe manner,” said Toshiaki Kobayashi, the stationmaster at Harajuku Station.

The original Western-style wooden station building, which was constructed nearly 100 years ago, will be dismantled following the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games due to its narrow shape and failure to meet fire-safety standards. But elements of its design will be incorporated in a new nearby commercial building separate from the new station.

The station was given a face-lift ahead of the Tokyo Games this summer, during which nearby Yoyogi National Stadium will host handball matches.


MORE Society NEWS

The Imperial Household Agency has announced that Princess Kako, the second daughter of the Akishino family, is scheduled to visit Greece in late May to promote international goodwill.

The Taiji Town Whale Museum in Wakayama Prefecture conducted a memorial service on Tuesday for marine mammals and fish that have died in captivity.

A startling projection has been unveiled, suggesting that if current trends continue, every Japanese person might eventually be named 'Sato'.

POPULAR NEWS

Four men have been arrested by Tokyo police for allegedly recruiting women for prostitution in the United States via a website, promising encounters with affluent clients and high earnings.

For the first time in 73 years, Japan has unveiled a newly constructed whaling mother ship, equipped with drone technology for whaling operations in the Antarctic Sea.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Nara Prefecture has disciplined its former Youth Division Chief following a controversial dance party incident.

Residents of Japan's oldest student dormitory, self-managed for over 100 years, are digging in as Kyoto University attempts to evict them from the premises.

A Japan Airlines flight en route from Melbourne to Narita Airport encountered sudden severe turbulence on April 1, causing injuries to several cabin crew, including a broken leg.

FOLLOW US