Hamamatsucho station guide. How to transfer JR, Tokyo Monorail and Subway lines

Station information
JR Hamamatsucho stations platforms
JR Hamamatsucho stations platforms

Hamamatsucho is one of the stations on Yamanote line in downtown Tokyo. This station is not a mega station, such as Tokyo, Shinjuku. But this station is the hub of local transportation in downtown Tokyo. JR Yamanote line and JR Keihin Tohoku line connects many places in downtown Tokyo. Tokyo Monorail connects Haneda airport and Hamamatsucho.

And there is subway Daimon station. This stations is different name from Hamamatsucho station. But actually these stations are located in same place. You can catch Toei subway Asakusa line and Oedo line at Daimon station.

I believe many of travelers who visit Tokyo may use this station. I would like to tell you about these stations in this post.

JR and Monorail Hamamatsucho station overview

Stairs to South and Central gates
Stairs to South and Central gates

Hamamatsucho station is located on Yamanote line between Tokyo and Shinagawa. Only trains of Yamanote line and Keihin Tohoku line depart and arrive at Hamamatsucho station. Yamanote line is loop line. You can access to most part of Tokyo, such as Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Shibuya, Tokyo, Ueno, Akihabara and Shinagawa. Keihin Tohoku line runs between Omiya and Yokohama. It runs through eastern part of Tokyo, such as Ueno, Akihabara, Tokyo, Shinagawa.

Hamamatsucho station is the terminal station of Tokyo Monorail too. It connects Hamamatsucho and Haneda airport. If you arrive and/or depart at Haneda airport, you may take this monorail train and need to change train and monorail here at Hamamatsucho station.

Station structure, tracks and platforms

Signage of tracks and platforms of JR lines
Signage of tracks and platforms of JR lines

Before I start to explain about this station, I would like you to refer the station map in JR East official site. It is shown in English.
JR East official site, Hamamatsucho station English map

Hamamatsucho station is four levels structure on the ground. JR trains, Keihin Tohoku line and Yamanote line platforms are located on the second floor. Tokyo Monorail platforms are located on fourth floor. These platforms are connected walkway on third floor.

JR and Monorail stations are connected by the walkway directly. You can change trains easily.

Platforms (JR)

Track#Lines/TrainsDestination
1Keihin Tohoku lineTokyo, Ueno, Omiya
2Yamanote lineTokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro
3Yamanote lineShinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku
4Keihin Tohoku lineShinagawa, Yokohama, Kannai, Ofuna

JR Hamamatsucho station has only two platforms and very simple layout. You cannot miss the direction.

Platforms (Tokyo Monorail)

TrackDestination
Arrivalalighting only
DepartureTennozu Isle, Haneda Airport
Monorail departure platform
Monorail departure platform
Stairs and escalators to transfer gate from Tokyo Monorail platform

Tokyo Monorail Hamamatsucho station has only one track. The platforms are both side of track. One platform is for arrival and the other is for departure. This is very simple too.

Find your hotels in 500 cities throughout Japan!!!

 

Hotels in Haneda airport
Hotels in Shinagawa station
Hotels in Asakusa
Hotels in Hamamatsucho

Ticket gate/Exit

South gate
South gate

JR and Monorail Hamamatsucho stations have three ticket gate, north, central and south.

This map shows location of gates
This map shows location of gates

Central and south gates are located on the bridge at third floor. Central gate is the transfer gate to Tokyo Monorail. If you transfer between JR trains and Monorail, you can go through Central gate to change the trains. You do not need to go up and down. You can move at same level.

Inside of Tokyo Monorail Central/Transfer gate
Walkway between Monoral transfer gate and JR platforms

If you use JR Pass, JR East Pass, Tokyo Wide Pass, Hokuriku Arch Pass, just show your pass to go through ticket gate. All these passes cover Tokyo Monorail too.

South gate is also connected with the walkway to World Trade Center building.

North gate is located at the north end of Hamamatsucho station and it is on the ground floor. If you change Toei subway lines, you can find the entrance to subway Daimon station near this gate.

Stairs to North gate
Stairs to North gate
North gate
North gate
Outside of North gate
Outside of North gate

Toei Subway Daimon station

Asakusa line ticket gate (C) Nyao148 [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Asakusa line ticket gate (C) Nyao148 [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

As I mentioned above, subway Daimon station is same location as Hamamatsucho station. You can find the entrance to Daimon station near north gate of Hamamatsucho.

You can catch two subway line trains at Daimon station.

  • Asakusa line – Oshiage, Asakusa, Sengakuji, Gotanda, Nishimagome
  • Oedo line – Shinjuku, Yoyogi, Tsukijishijo, Hikarigaoka

Please refer the map of Tokyo subway system in the link below:

Route map of Tokyo subway lines

Tip for traveler who wants to go to Asakusa from Haneda

When you go to Asakusa from Haneda (or reverse), you can catch Tokyo Monorail from Haneda to Hamamatsucho and take subway Asakusa line from Hamaatsucho to Asakusa. Especially if you will use JR Pass, JR East Pass or Tokyo Wide Pass, you can take Tokyo Monorail by these passes. You can save your cost for Haneda to Hamaamtsucho.

However if you want to take more convenient and easier way, you can catch Keihin Kyuko railway train from Haneda. Many Keihin Kyuko trains run through subway Asakusa line. You can get Asakusa from Haneda directly. Even though this route is not covered by JR Pass, JR East Pass or Tokyo Wide Pass at all, Keihin Kyuko and subway route is the easiest way for getting Asakusa from Haneda.

Station structure, tracks and platforms

Unfortunately only Japanese station map is available. I put the link below.

Toei Subway Daimon station map (Japanese)

It looks very complicated. But each lines have two tracks. Asakusa line depart and arrive at track #1 and #2 on basement first floor. Oedo line depart at track #3 and #4 on basement 5th floor. Oedo line is much newer line and runs in very deep underground. There was no space in shallow underground.

Platforms

Track#Lines/TrainsDestination
1Asakusa lineSengakuji, Gotanda, Nishimagome
Shinagawa, Haneda airport via Keihin Kyuko Railway
2Asakusa, Oshiage
Narita airport via Keisei Railway
3Oedo lineRoppongi, Shinjuku, Hikarigaoka
4Shiodome, Tsukijishijo, Ryogoku, Tochomae

Ticket gate and exit

B2 entrance is located just in front of JR Hamamtsucho station North gate.
B2 entrance is located just in front of JR Hamamtsucho station North gate.

There are many exits in this station. All exits have number, such as A1, B1. B2 is the nearest exit to Hamamatsucho station.

Both Asakusa line and Oedo line have ticket gates. But both platforms are connected inside ticket gate. If you enter at the wrong line, you still can proceed to the platform where you want to take subway train. There are many signage in the station. Just follow the signage and you can find the location.

I am glad if this post assist you to build your plan.

Comments

  1. Alexandra says:

    Hi
    I will come to Japan this July for the first time and I was wondering if I got all the right info. So we will arive at Haneda and from there we will get on Tokyo Monorail until Hamamatsucho Station. From there we will Exit and Enter at the Daimon Station and get on the Asakusa line to get to Higashi Nihombashi Station. I think that this is the shortest way to get to Higashi Nihombashi. It’s that right?

  2. Jesse Tucek says:

    Hi,

    Transferring from the Monorail to Yamanote Line at Hamamatsucho station, to go to shinjuku, can I purchase another ticket at Hamamatsucho station for the Yamanote line?

  3. Ralf says:

    Hi, I wat to go from Hamamtsucho to Narita Airport. Therefore I have to change the train at Tokyo Station. From Tokyo Station I want to go wtih the Narita Express. Do I have to buy at the Ticket Office at Hamamtsucho Station 2 tickets: 1 ticket for Narita Express and 1 ticket to go from Hamamtsucho to Tokyo Station? The Narita Express has to be reserved? The train from Hamamtsucho to Tokyo Station needs no reservation? I am for the first time at Tokyo Station. How much time does a foreigner need to change the platform? 15 Minutes?
    Regards Ralf

  4. James Swarts says:

    Excellent web site. Thank you for the great information. Coming from United States. Do we still need to buy our certificate before we get to Japan or can we get the tourist pass after we arrive in Tokyo?

  5. Mike says:

    Hi, I am staying at Mitsui Garden hotel shiodome italia-gai, Minato Ward. I would like to go to Shin Osaka station by the shinkansen. I am using a JR PASS. Can you guide how to reach there from my hotel at Mitsui? Thanks.

  6. Isabelle says:

    Hi
    I am planning a family trip with 2 kids age 9 and 3 this coming December . I have planned what to see and need your advice on buying the transport ticket and route to use .

    Upon arrival at Haneda I planned to take the train to Hamamatsucho to my stay at Asakusa.

    Day 1 Haneda to Asakusa (arrival @ 2235)
    Day 2 Mount Fuji day tour (ground arrangement done)
    Day 3 Roppongi
    Day 4 Shinjuku
    Day 5 Disneyland
    Day 6 Disneyland
    Day 7 Kyoto (stay at Kyoto)
    Day 8 Kyoto
    Day 9 Osaka (day trip to Osaka)
    Day 10 Osaka
    Day 11 Tokyo

    The sequence maybe will not fixed but roughly planned these are the area I wish to go.

  7. frans says:

    Dear Helpers, this is my first time going to japan and i have JR Pass. My question is : Are hansomone line, tobu skytree line, asakusa line and rinkai line can use JR Pass or not ? . Thank you for your help.

  8. Venice says:

    Hi my husband and I are travelling to Japan in October. We will be staying at a hotel in Yokohama near the cruise terminal. We need to get to Hamamtsucho station to connect with a day tour to Mt Fuji. Can you tell us which train we can take to get us there. We will have a Suica card each to use while we are in Tokyo. Can we also use this card to at home the train from Narita airport to Yokohama.

    Thanks for your help.

    • Hi Venice,

      I don’t know the exact location of cruise terminal. But you can get Yokohama station first by subway or other trains. And then take JR Keihin Tohoku line. You can get Hamamatsucho from Yokohama by Keihin Tohoku line directly. You can use Suica for this trip and trip from Narita to Yokohama.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  9. SOONg says:

    Hi
    I am planning a family trip with 2kids age 12 and 14 to tokyu this year end . I have roughly plan what to cover and need your advice on buying the transport ticket and route to use .
    Upon arrival at Haneda I planned to take the airport limo to my stay at ikebukuro.
    Day 1 Haneda to ikebukuro , shop around nearby and Shinjuku area
    Day 2 Mount Fuji day tour (pick up at Keiso plaza hotel)
    Day 3 Disney land
    Day 4 Disney sea
    Day 5 asakusa area and ueno zoo
    Day 6 Tokyo tower and imperial palace
    Day 7 ikebukuro to Haneda by airport limo
    The sequence maybe will not fixed but roughly planned these areas.

    Please advice should I get the 3 days of metro and subway pass or jus jus the if card .
    And also I saw at the airport website , getting out of Haneda airport I can use the Keikyu line, if I suppose to choose this route and how to approach on that . I have luggages with me so it’s better not to have too many transfers if possible .

    Thank you so much for advising .

    • Hi SOONg,

      You can purchase Limousine bus and subway ticket combo deal.
      http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/airport_bus/index.html

      I think 48 hours subway ticket is okay because you will take JR train to get Disney which is not covered by subway pass. You can use subway pass on day 5 and 6.

      You can take Keihin Kyuko but if you take it, you have to change the train at Shinagawa to get train to Ikebukuro. Limousine is much easier to get there because it’s direct.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

  10. adi segal says:

    i look at http://www.hyperdia.com/
    and got that from SHINAGAWA to SHINJUKU(JR)
    i have to use JR Yamanote Line(Outer loop) ,
    but whey it show that i go to OSAKI station even i ride the same line ffrom OSAKI to SHINJUKU(JR)?i have to Transfer train?

    • Hi Adi,

      In most of cases, you don’t need to transfer. The reason why is cause of operation system. Yamanote line is loop line. But in train operation, Osaki is departure/arrival stations. It’s just a system. You can ignore.

      Cheers,

      Takeshi / JPRail.com

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