New Harajuku Station building unveiled ahead of March opening

Jan 30, 2020 | News On Japan

Jan 30, 2020 (Japan Times) - The new Harajuku Station building in Tokyoâ€™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 capitalâ€™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 capitalâ€™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. â€œThe 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,â€ 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.

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