Taxi drop off at Tokyo Station

I am a disabled traveler needing to find the best taxi drop off location at Tokyo station to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano. I would like the location that will have access to the Shinkansen platforms 20-23 wIth elevator. Thank you.

There are dedicated zones for taxis (getting on and off), and get off zone is usually right in front of the station. In the case of Tokyo Station there are many gates, the closest to the Shinkansen platforms is Yaesu Gate. So tell the driver you want to get off at Yaesu-guchi.

Once inside, there should be an information counter. Ask there for the elevator location, since it might not be within that passage, but rather to the L or R once you get to your tracks.

Thank you for your quick reply😀

in this kind of hospitality japan is No1 in the world ..
they make every where accessible for all human being .
dont worry about it . taxi will make sure you get in safely then train master will take over from taxi driver. you will get to your destination safely.

The back Yaesu Gate is seconds from the shinkansen platforms.

In (JR) Tokyo Station, there is no single gate which is officially called as Yaesu Gate; "Yaesu Gate(s)" is a general name for several gates which are around the main building�fs southeast end.

there are many gates, the closest to the Shinkansen platforms is Yaesu Gate.

The back Yaesu Gate is seconds from the Shinkansen platforms.

It can be more than one thousand seconds to go between Yaesu Central Gate and (one of the (two) platform(s) for the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

You may have to search for a slope and/or wait for an elevator.
I recommend that you allow at least 15 minutes, after getting off a taxi, to go via Yaesu Central Gate and Shinkansen North Transfer Gate to the Shinkansen platform (for Tracks 20 and 21 or Tracks 22 and 23) on foot plus by elevator, and five more minutes to find your car (and, if reserved, also your seat).

You may see also signs for Shinkansen South Transfer Gate, but there are no elevators to connect the concourse inside this gate and the platforms.

In Tokyo Station, the area inside JR common gates is divided into three separate zones.
There are transfer gates between any two of these three zones.
: non-Shinkansen zone for JR-East lines with JR common gates.
: Shinkansen zone of JR-East for Tohoku (, Yamagata, Akita, Hokkaido), Jo(')etsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen with Shinkansen gates, which is often indicated by a green-and-white Shinkansen pictogram.
http://nihonkai.exp.jp/hm/sign/norikae-sks-th.html
: Shinkansen zone of JR-Central for Tokaido (and San(')yo) Shinkansen with Shinkansen gates, which is often indicated by a blue-and-white Shinkansen pictogram.

As you see, the two JR regional companies have Shinkansen zones separately.
Also, same or similar names are used to refer to different entrances of the station and/or gates for two or three different zones, which can be confusing even to Japanese travelers.

So, please pay attention to names of gates and Shinkansen lines, so that you can take a correct route to the platform.

needing to find the best taxi drop off location at Tokyo Station

It seems, in the current Google Street View, that a taxi disembarking-only space is just in front of Tokyo Station�fs Yaesu Central Entrance (, near Daimaru Department Store).

Presumably you can
1. get off a taxi at the disembarking space,
2. go into the main building
via Yaesu Central Entrance through the doors in the right half,
3. go forward for about 70 meters,
4. see ahead a Tokaido and San(')yo Shinkansen gate at a corner,
5. turn to the left at that corner then go forward a little,
6. find Yaesu Central Gate on your right,
7. turn to the right then pass through the gate to the non-Shinkansen zone,
8. go forward for about 70 more meters
until you pass by a staircase on your left which leads up to Tracks 10 & 9 platform,
9. turn to the right
then go across the street to the foot of a wide staircase leading up to the Shinkansen concourse,
10. find an up escalator or a V-shape slope then take it up to the concourse,
11. find there Shinkansen North Transfer Gate,
12. pass through the transfer gate to the Shinkansen zone,
13. confirm your Shinkansen train�fs track on the electric signboard,
14. find the correct elevator
15. and take the elevator to the platform for your Shinkansen train�fs track.

- East Japan Railway Company [JR-East]: Tokyo Station
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/stations/e1039.html
: Also the Shinkansen zone of JR-Central is shown in this map.

to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano.

When will you travel?

(Living in a Tokyo Bayside zone, maybe I during a weekend can check the above-mentioned route in Tokyo Station.)

Thank you very much for your considerate and detailed information. We are travelling to Karuizawa today and feel much more confident, thanks to your support. This was my first time asking a question on this forum and I am grateful that you spent the time to help me. 😊🚄🍱

We made it to Kauiwawa! Thank you everybody!

For all future travelers:

Getting off the taxi at the Yaesu central entrance works out. LIke omotenashi-san said, be prepared to walk a few minutes. Entering the station on the first floor, there is one small elevator right in the middle. This elevator is useful to go down to the basement floor if you have time to grab a meal at the food and ramen alleys or to shop at Okashiland (candyland) or at Character Street. Our 10 year oldson loves Yokaiwatch, so he was thrilled to see the Yokaiwatch store as the first store of Character Street. The Pokemon store was at the far end of Character Street.

If you plan on spending more than 5000 yen total in shopping, (only at stores that display the RED Japan Tax Free sign), foreigners can get the tax returned, but only if you first REGISTER at the TAX FREE counter on the 1 st floor next to Sagawa Takyubin (next to Sagawa Express). If you have a lot of luggage with you (like us), it may not be worth the inconvenience to get to this Tax Free Counter, but for those who are planning to spend a lot of money, the inconvenience may be worth it.

Please note, the central elevator I just described is not the elevator you use for the trains.

Near this central elevator on the first floor, there is a store called Ekiben
Matsuri, that sells different bento boxes from various parts of Japan. There is a display window, but not everything in the window is available in the store. For example, my son wanted the lunch that came in a train replica. The train ekiben box was located towards the furthest wall of the store, and only two types were available. The store was packed and almost impossible to manuver (it was around noon, lunch time). My suggestion is for one person to wait outside with the luggage while the other person grabs the ekiben. The registers are all to the left with long lines that move quickly.
(There are lockers and luggage storage service in the station that you may want to use if you have several hours to spend at Tokyo Station).

Going to the shInkansen platform, from the 1st floor, we found the Hokuriku Shinkansen sign (green) and walked towards it, and found that it is a half a level up. There is a ramp on the right side of the stairs, and a short escalator on the left side of the stairs. We got to this area almost 45 minutes before our train, and our train was not yet posted on the digital sign that displays the platform number. After finding out that our train was arriving at platform 20, we found the elevator to the platform,(towards the right) and took the elevator up. (Please note, the elevators in Tokyo Station are small and barely fit few stollers and luggage, so you may have to wait to use it). Otherwise, we got to the platform a little too early. There are no chairs to sit on. There is a small bento store and vending machines. If you have your seat already reserved (highly recommend you do that ahead of time), getting to the platform 15 minutes before your train should be enough.

We reserved our seat, two days before, at Shinagawa Station, when we exchanged our JR East Rail Pass receipt (at this station, you have to go to the small JR Information booth next to the central JR train exit to exchange the rail pass) then go to the JR Midori ticket office, to reserve your shinkansen ticket. This was our first time taking the Hokuriku Shinkansen. We tried to reserve the Hakutaka trains (newer) instead of the Asama trains. We asked for seats closest to the luggage rack. It worked out great, as we got Car 6, row 1 seats a,b,c, and we were able to put our 3 luggages behind our seats (and we didn't have to use the luggage rack which was across the aisle). For you travelers who like to travel without luggage, I recommend you send your luggage by the delivery service instead. I really appreciate the omotenashi spirit of Japan, but for us US travelers, who are not used to the crowds, doing a little research before getting to Tokyo Station will help minimize the stress.

I hope my post helps! And thanks again to all of you who answered my question🙂HAPPY TRAVELS!!! 🇯🇵🚄🍱

"Kauiwawa"???
Do not mistake the spelling "Karuizawa"!

There are some mistakes in it, so it can not be perfectly helpful.
In rail stations English route guide a lot, and you can see the major stations map in English.(answered already)
(It was only you thought that "There is only Japanese in Japan.".)
"JR EAST PASS" can be exchanged even purchased at the airports near Tokyo HND and NRT(except midnight early morning arrival).
Also if you have reserved seat ticket, 1 min before there enough, even if it is said that Shinkansen runs high speed, it does not accelerate dangerously like a rollercoaster.
Sending luggage does not arrive at the next destination during the same day, just bringing extra items to Japan is a waste.
Shopping in Japan is not expensive for everyting than the country you live in.

If really want to share your experience, you should make it with more details on WordPress, FB or YouTube.
(You can do it on this site though.)
http://www.japan-guide.com/community/

Late at the party, but maybe Ueno would have been easier than Tokyo?