Shin-Osaka station is the place where you change to/from Shinkansen. If you travel in Osaka, you may use this station at least once. All Shikansen trains stop at this station and many limited express trains on conventional lines stop or depart from this station, Shin-Osaka.
In this post, I would like to show you some images and explain about this station. You will get the information about transfer among trains.
Overview
Shin-Osaka station is composed of four levels, Shinkansen tracks on 4th floor, fare gate and concourse on 3rd floor and conventional line’s tracks on ground floor. On 2nd floor, there are some shops and restaurants. But as long as you transfer the trains in this station, you don’t see 2nd floor.
Shin-Osaka station is one station and three minutes away from Osaka station (Umeda area). But the atmosphere in Shin-Osaka is totally different from Osaka station, Umeda area. Shin-Osaka station has lots of restaurants and shops but it is much fewer than Osaka and Umeda stations.
On the other hand, the average hotel rate is cheaper than Umeda area. It takes only 3 minutes by a local train. If your budget is tight, Shin-Osaka may suit your trip plan.
You can find everything you need about Shin-Osaka station in the movie below too:
Ticket gate/Exit
There are three ticket gates, East, South and Central on 3rd floor.
If you want to exit from conventional line’s platform, you can use East exit only. Other two exit, South and Central are located in Shinkansen concourse. You cannot access to these two exits without Shinkansen ticket. If you use Japan Rail Pass, you can go through Shinkansen concourse without any extra charge. You don’t need to exchange any Shinkansen ticket. All you have to do is showing your Japan Rail Pass at Shinkansen
There is Shinkansen ticket gate in the concourse. When you transfer to/from Shinkansen, you need to go through this gate. You must have Shinkansen ticket, Japan Rail Pass, JR West Sanyo Area Pass, JR West Sanyo-Shikoku-Kyushu Pass or JR West Kansai WIDE Area Pass to access to Shinkansen platform/concourse. JR West Kansai Area Pass do NOT cover Shinkansen trains.
Tracks and platforms
There are 10 tracks / 5 platforms for conventional lines on ground floor and 7 tracks / 4 platforms for Shinkansen on 4th floor.
Shinkansen on 4th floor
There are seven tracks, #20-#27.
Track# | Name of line / Destination |
20-22 | The Sanyo Shinkansen and the Kyushu Shinkansen for Okayama, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kumamoto, Kagoshima-Chuo |
23-27 | The Tokaido Shinkansen for Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo |
Conventional lines on Ground floor
You can get on a local commute train, a rapid service train and a limited express train on the conventional lines at track #1-10.
Track# | Name of line / Destination |
1,2 | ■ Osaka Higashi line local train for Hanaten, Kuhoji ■ The limited express Haruka and The limited express Kuroshio for Kyoto |
3 | ■ The limited express Haruka for Kansai Airport ■ The limited express Kuroshio for Wakayama, Shirahama, Shingu |
4 | ■ The limited Express Thunderbird for Fukui, Kanazawa, Wakura-Onsen ■ The limited express Wide View Hida for Gero, Takayama ■ Special Rapid / Rapid train for Takatsuki, Kyoto (during peak hour only) |
5,6 | ■ Kyoto line local train, rapid and Special Rapid for Takatsuki, Kyoto, Maibara, Tsuruga |
7,8 | ■ Kobe line local train, rapid and Special Rapid for Sannomiya, Kobe, Himeji ■ Takarazuka line for Takarazuka, Shin-Sanda, Sasayamaguchi |
9,10 | ■ The limited express Konotori for Fukuchiyama, Kinosaki-Onsen ■ The limited express Super Hakuto for Himeji, Tottori, Kurayoshi ■ Special Rapid / Rapid train for Sannomiya, Kobe, Himeji (during peak hour only) |
Access to/from Osaka station and minimum connecting time at Shin-Osaka station
If you access to/from Osaka station (Umeda area), you can take any trains on conventional lines, the limited express, special rapid, rapid or local. All trains stop at Shin-Osaka and takes only 3 minutes to get Osaka station. Special rapid, rapid and local trains run very frequently. You can hop on the train to get Osaka.
In regards to transfer, the minimum transfer time is 10 minutes according to JR West. But if you will plan to purchase the Shinkansen ticket on the spot, you may spend another 10 minutes. If you really worry to miss the train, expect to spend another 5 minutes, total 15 minutes. However you can purchase the Shinkansen ticket at any major JR stations in advance.
Access to/from Namba station by Osaka Subway Midosuji line
If you go to another downtown core, Namba, Osaka Subway Midosuji line is the best way to get there. You can access to Namba by JR lines. But it is a detour and JR Namba station is not located at the center of Namba area. Midosuji line Shin-Osaka station is located at 2nd level. Shinkansen Central ticket gate is the closest to subway station. I show you how to transfer between Shinkansen and subway Midosuji line below.
If you transfer to subway from Shinkansen train, minimum transfer time is 10 minutes. But if you transfer from the conventional line trains, you might spend another 5 minutes to transfer. T
How to transfer to/from Subway Midosuji line
Use Central exit.
Once you get out from Central exit, you will find the sign of subway on your left hand.
Follow the signage and go down.
There are many signage and just follow.
You will find subway ticket gate soon.
It takes 5 minutes to transfer from ticket gate to ticket gate. It is quite easy.
Comments
We will be travelling from Hiroshima to Kyoto, Kyoto to Nara, Nara to Kii Tanabe, Kii Tanabe to Miyajima.
Will the Kansai Hiroshima Regional Pass be ok?
This will take us 7 days, so was thinking of buying 2 x 5 day pass
Thanks
Hi Lynn,
You may use 2 X Kansai Hiroshima area pass. But if you want to reserve your seat on the train, JR Pass 7 days is your choice too.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/other-rail-passes/rail-pass-for-visitors/japan-rail-pass-user-guide-how-to-use-jr-pass-to-its-maximum.html
Please see the link below to find the difference between reserve and non reserve.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/travel-tips/reserved-seat-vs-non-reserved-seat-how-to-get-a-seat-on-non-reserved-car.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
My son has forgotten his mobile phone iPhone 5 S in the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka. Departed at 11.03am from Tokyo . If it is found can someone please call me on +61422007736. We are in Osaka for 2 nights. If found we can come and collect it from Osaka JR station
Really appreciate your help
Hi Kaushik,
You should go to Shinkansen Shin-Osaka station and tell the station staff that your son left his phone in the train. You should contact them as soon as possible. In most of cases, it is reported to the station staff.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
Hi Takeshi,
We will stay at Nippombashi and would like to travel to Kyoto via JR Kyoto Line. Can we start the trip at Shin-Osaka station? if so, which platform should be catch the JR Kyoto train?
Do we need to reserve the tickets?
Thanks in advance,
Chau
Hi Chau,
You can get Shin-Osaka by subway from Nippombashi. Most common way to get Kyoto from Shin-Osaka is special rapid train.
https://jprail.com/trains/sort-by-type/rapid-service/special-rapid-service.html
It leave from #12 or #13. It’s a sort of commute train. You cannot reserve even if you want.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
Hi Takeshi san,
I seem to find the JR maps of the stations quite confusing. Can you please clarify – if we arrive on Shinkansen at Shin-Osaka station at platform 20 and need to transfer to another Shinkansen at platform 23, must we travel down the escalator to another floor then travel up another escalator back to the new platform?
Secondly, we will have 20 minutes between trains at Shin-Osaka, would we have enough time to go from platform 20, run over to the Eki-Marche, then back to platform 23?
Cheers.
Hi Michael san,
You are right. You need to go down and up.
I think you have a time to drop by Eki-Marche. However if you go there, you need to go through Shinkansen transfer gate. If you use a regular ticket, make sure that you can slot your ticket or not. Please ask the station staff before you go through.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
Hi Takeshi,
I am meeting a friend in Shin-Osaka that is coming from Tokyo in Shinkansen. I will be travelling from Kyoto and we are planning on taking Midousiji Line. Which meeting point would you recommend us? I am terrible at train stations and get lost pretty easily.
Greetings!
Hi Laura,
Shinkansen transfer gate is the best option.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
Takashi-san,
How are you? I am an American in need help on which train passes I should use while in the Kensai region from October 27-November 10. There are so many choices and I am doing so many different things this time. I have a few questions on parts of my trip:
I have my ICOCCA card from last year’s trip. I don’t think there is any value on it other than the Y500 deposit.
10/27 (Friday): KIX to Shin-Osaka (nothing else.
Question #1: With my ICCOCA card, how much do I pay to take the Haruka Express to get to shin-osaka.
My other question is, I am planning the following day trips in succession (starting from Shin-Osaka Station):
11/1: Shin-Osaka to Himeiji (see the castle in morning)-Himeji-Kobe (want to tram to take city views, visit chinatown, see the starbucks, go to suspension bridge tower and if I have time go to Meriken Park)-return to Shin-Osaka
11/2: Shin-Osaka to Nara (spend day in Nara)-return to Shin-11/3: Shin-Osaka to
11/4: Shin-Osaka to Kii Katsuura Station (see Nachi Falls mid day and eat lots of Toro and Uni in restaurant near Katuura Station?
11/5: Kii Katsuura to Kyoto Station.
Question #2:
From 11/1 to 11/5 is the Kensai Wide Area Pass worth buying?
Hi Tony san,
1. Don’t use ICOCA to take Haruka. You can purchase Haruka discount ticket at 1,300 yen.
http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/icoca-haruka/
If you use ICOCA, you have to pay regular base fare and limited express surcharge. It’s much more expensive than Haruka discount ticket.
2. Kansai wide area pass is the best choice.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
Hi Takeshi,
I am arriving from Tokyo on Hikari shinkansen and only have 4 minutes to transfer to Limited Express Haruka to KIX. I purchased ticket at the ticket office using JapanRail Pass. Am I correct that I arrive at track 21/22 and need to run to track 11? Is 4 minutes enough? i checked the online ticket website and it showed the same recommendation as the ticket counter, but I am afraid the time is too short to transfer tracks! What do you think?
Hi Richard,
It will be very challenging. Shinkansen platform is quite long. You need to run and you must find the right direction. Honestly 4 minutes is very tough for me. If I were you, I take earlier Hikari or later Haruka.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
Hi Takeshi,
I bought Shinkansen Tickets from JR Tokai for my trip to Tokyo on Thursday, May 19 at 3:58 pm. What Platform will the train be departing from? I will be coming from the Kaiyukan area so I will start by taking the subway from Osakako Station to Shin-Osaka Station.
Hi Jason,
You may find it at departure/arrival information board at the gate. Please see the link below about signage in the station:
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/travel-tips/signage-and-announcement-in-the-station-and-train.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
Hi Takeshi,
I will be taking Midosuji line from Shinsaibashi to Shin-Osaka and then taking the JR Special Rapid Service for YASU to Kyoto using JR pass.
May I know how to transfer to take the JR Specical Rapid Service?
Thank you
Jojo
Hi Jojo,
You can proceed to east gate to get conventional line platform from subway line. There are lots of signage and easy to find it.
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com
Hi Takeshi,
I will be arrived from Kansai Airport using Ltd Haruka and already exchange my JR pass, if I want to use shinkansen (Hikari) to Tokyo what should I do after arrived, what floor and platform do I need to go.
Do I need to reserved seat in the ticket counter and is it accessible due to I’m travelling with my family (2 children) and bring several large luggage.
regards,
Afif H
Hi Afif H,
You can move conventional line platform on ground floor to Shinkansen platform on 3rd floor. There are lots of signage and you cannot miss it.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/travel-tips/signage-and-announcement-in-the-station-and-train.html
You can reserve tickets for Shinkansen in advance, like Kansai airport station. I usually complete to book for all trains when I exchange JR pass.
Please see the link below about luggage.
https://jprail.com/travel-informations/travel-tips/baggage/managing-luggage-how-to-carry-your-baggage-on-board-and-how-to-store-your-baggage-at-the-station.html
Cheers,
Takeshi / JPRail.com