Hello! Japan fans! It’s too cold in Japan today, but it’s warm during the day and the news is reporting that pollen has started to fly.That’s too early, isn’t it? Really?
Today I would like to introduce you to Takanawa Gateway Station, which is home to Japan’s first completely unmanned convenience store, a futuristic convenience store that I’ve always wanted to visit.
- The unmanned convenience store is located inside Takanawa Gateway Station on the JR Yamanote Line.
- Let’s try shopping at an unmanned convenience store
- Takanawa Gateway Station itself is nice and it’s not crowded so I recommend it.A hidden gem!
- Development is underway to open Takanawa
- Let’s go to Takanawa Gateway Station before the town opens and the unmanned convenience store!
The unmanned convenience store is located inside Takanawa Gateway Station on the JR Yamanote Line.
Now, let’s take a look at the unmanned convenience store! The unmanned convenience store is located inside Takanawa Gateway Station, the first new station on the JR Yamanote Line in about 50 years.
Do you know Takanawa Gateway Station? It is a station located on the Tokyo Bay side of the Yamanote Line, between Shinagawa and Tamachi, and is within walking distance from both stations.
The station will open in 2020, the year of the Tokyo Olympics. (Unfortunately, the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed to 2021 due to the effects of COVID-19.)
Since it is close to the bay, you can see the Gate Bridge leading to Odaiba from inside the station! It is a convenient location, but I will explain later why a new station was built here! First of all, there is a convenience store!
Let’s try shopping at an unmanned convenience store
Takanawa Gateway station itself is not large, so once you get off the train and take the escalator from the platform to the ticket gate, you will see the unmanned convenience store right in front of you. You won’t get lost.
The exterior is stylish with its glass exterior! JR stations are known for their KIOSKs, but this one doesn’t have the distinctive green sign and is made of open glass.
This is what it looks like from a distance. The station building itself is stylish, and the unmanned convenience store looks great. There is a Starbucks above the convenience store, which makes it even more stylish.
The store isn’t large, but you can easily shop by going through a gate, walking down a one-way street, and paying at the end.
What’s noteworthy is the number of cameras on the ceiling! There are an incredible number of cameras watching your movements as you shop!
Recently, many paid parking lots have been abandoning the gate system and instead installing only cameras, but as Japan’s productive population is declining, it may be that we will see an increase in these types of systems where cameras are used only when an emergency occurs.
The company written on this shopping bag, “Touch to go,” is the operator of the unmanned convenience store..
If you look at the website of the company that operates it, it seems to be installed in Gala and other places too! I will try it out in other stores and see what the differences are!
Takanawa Gateway Station itself is nice and it’s not crowded so I recommend it.A hidden gem!
Takanawa Gateway Station was designed by the great Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, and both the interior and exterior of the station are very futuristic. It feels like something out of a movie.
No matter where you take a photo, it will come out beautifully! As it is a modern station, there are no electrical wires that are common on trains, so it’s hard to believe that this is a station in the city!
You can see the Yamanote Line passing by. And best of all, the station is so empty that you wonder if it’s really the Yamanote Line! There are no people in the station when you take a photo! It’s hard to believe you’re in Tokyo!
I think it was a weekday afternoon, but can you tell there was no one on the platform? The station is new and the town hasn’t opened up yet, so not many people get off. It’s a hidden gem!
Development is underway to open Takanawa
Currently, in front of Takanawa Station, JR East is working on a big project to open up the town. This was originally a JR East train depot, but with the recent opening of the Ueno-Tokyo Line, the site became available, and they decided to start development on the new station as well.
However, the train depot is still there, so you can see various trains as shown in the photo, including the Tokaido Shinkansen. Train enthusiasts may enjoy being able to see a variety of trains, including those on the Yamanote Line.
For more details about the development, please check the official JR East website.
Let’s go to Takanawa Gateway Station before the town opens and the unmanned convenience store!
The town is scheduled to open at the end of March this year. Hopes are high for the development of the area around Takanawa Station, which is also close to Haneda Airport!
Before the opening of Ippon-deki-machi, few people get off at the station, making it a hidden gem! This might be your last chance to take your time looking around the stylish station premises and the futuristic unmanned convenience store, and take a good look at the trains in the depot.
Keep an eye on the future evolution of Takanawa Gateway Station, and be sure to stop by when you’re heading towards Shinagawa or before returning from Haneda Airport!
fanfan japan!!
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