Transit Hub · Takanawa / Shinagawa

Takanawa Gateway Station 高輪ゲートウェイ駅

Kengo Kuma's timber-and-membrane Yamanote Line station, opened in 2020, now the front door to Takanawa Gateway City, JR East's new waterfront district completed in 2026.

About

The first new Yamanote Line station in half a century, Takanawa Gateway was built on former rail yards between Shinagawa and Tamachi and designed by Kengo Kuma to evoke folded origami. Its roof combines steel, laminated timber and a translucent fluorine membrane, so the concourse is filled with soft daylight and the whole space feels more like a gallery than a commuter stop. A glass wall lets you watch Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku trains glide beneath you. Outside, Takanawa Gateway City has grown up around it: the LINKPILLAR towers opened in 2025, and MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, whose exterior was also designed by Kuma's office, opened in March 2026. During construction, remains of the Takanawa Embankment, the sea causeway that carried Japan's first railway in 1872, were unearthed nearby, and part of it is being preserved as a historic site.

Highlights

• Folded, origami-inspired roof of laminated timber and translucent membrane
• Daylit concourse with full-height glass over the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku tracks
• Direct walkway into Takanawa Gateway City and its shops and restaurants
• MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, a short walk away (opened March 2026)
• Remnants of the 1872 Takanawa Embankment, Japan's first railway causeway

Tips

• Come on a sunny day around midday when the light through the roof is at its best.
• The concourse is calm compared with neighbouring Shinagawa; it is a good place to change trains if you hate crowds.
• Combine with a walk south to Sengakuji, the temple of the 47 Ronin, about 10 minutes away.
• Check MoN Takanawa programming in advance; exhibitions are themed by season and may need timed tickets.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Coin Lockers · Takanawa Gateway StationLuggage Storage · 120 m away
• JW Marriott Hotel TokyoStay · 190 m away
• Sengaku-jiTemple · 400 m away
• Shinagawa Station · Coin Lockers (Central Concourse & Shinkansen side)Luggage Storage · 850 m away
• Shinagawa Station Central Free Passage (Commuter Rush)Photo Spot · 890 m away
• Shinagawa Station · Baggage Counter (Event Space YK, inside Central Gate)Luggage Storage · 900 m away
• Shinagawa StationTransit Hub · 910 m away
• The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo, Autograph CollectionStay · 920 m away