Yotsuya Station 四谷駅
Kojimachi Exit, Yotsuya Station, looking towards the Atre building
©Japan Visitor
Yotsuya Station on the border between Shinjuku and Chiyoda wards is a large, conveniently located train station containing a lot of facilities, about 20 minutes walk west of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo.
Yotsuya Station is in the south-eastern corner of Shinjuku ward, Tokyo. It is on the border between the Yotsuya district of Shinjuku ward and the Kojimachi district of Chiyoda ward.
Yotsuya Station serves four railway lines: the two above-ground Chuo-Sobu lines (station nos. JC-04 and JC-14 respectively) and the underground Marunouchi Line (station no. M-12) and Namboku Line (station no. N-08).
Yotsuya Station is in two halves, divided by Shinjuku-dori Avenue where it goes over the ornate wrought-iron Yotsuya-mitsuke Bridge. These halves are connected by underground passageway.
The station building on the north side of Yotsuya-mitsuke Bridge is underneath the chic, modern Atre shopping mall, and provides easy access to the JR Chuo-Sobu lines. The station can be accessed from the north and south entrances of Atre, from the two sloping Yotsuya entrances, and the Kojimachi entrance.
The station building on the south side of the bridge is distintively fronted by a huge concrete-walled chasm with a lawn at the bottom of it. A street level pedestrian walkway goes to the station entrance (the "Akasaka Exit") for easy access to the subway platforms and the southern end of the JR platform.
Yotsuya Station Lines
Tokyo Metro operates both subway lines at Yotsuya, so you can transfer between them without exiting the ticket gate.
Yotsuya Station straddles a valley, so access even to the JR Chuo-Sobu Line is downstairs. The Namboku Line is underground, the JR Sobu and Chuo lines run along the bottom of the valley, and the Marunouchi Line is actually elevated above the JR lines - although this is not necessarily obvious to the casual user of Yotsuya Station.
Yotsuya Station Exits
Yotsuya Station has three main exits: the Akasaka Exit, which provides direct access to all three lines, the Yotsuya Exit, which provides direct access to the Sobu and Chuo lines and indirect access to the two subway lines, and Kojimachi Exit, which provides direct access to the Chuo and Sobu lines, and and indirect access to the two subway lines.
Tickets
A pre-paid card such as Pasmo or Suica, is the recommended way to travel on Tokyo trains, but paper tickets can also be purchased at the station.
JR Yotsuya Station has a Midori no Madoguchi general ticket office on its B1 floor, just to the right of the ticket machines. It is open 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on weekends and public holidays.
Barrier-Free Yotsuya Station
Barrier-Free Access to the Subway Lines
Barrier-free access to the Marunouchi Line and Namboku Line is from the Akasaka Entrance. Entering the Akasaka Entrance, directly to your right is the elevator down to the Marunouchi Line platform. Turning right again, in the far corner is the elevator down to the Namboku Line.
Barrier-Free Access to the JR Lines
There are three ways of accessing the JR Chuo-Sobu lines by wheelchair at Yotsuya Station.
South Exit of the Atre shopping building: there is an elevator directly to the right upon entering.
Yotsuya Exit near Yotsuya-mitsuke Kita Intersection: go down the slope, past the entrance on the left to the Namboku Line, around to the right past the taxi stand, and there is an inconspicuous elevator at the left. The slope is gentler than that of the Yotsuya Exit near Yotsuya-mitsuke Intersection
Yotsuya Exit near Yotsuya-mitsuke Intersection: go down the slope, and there is an inconspicuous elevator at the bottom.
Train Times
The following are the first and last train times for each line at Yotsuya Station. Weekdays/weekends are given where necessary. Times are accurate as of February 2019.
- JR Lines
Sobu Line service (yellow) westbound: first train 4:39 am, last train 47 minutes past midnight; eastbound: first train 4:51 am, last train 50 minutes past midnight. Same for both weekdays and weekends/public holidays.
Chuo Line (Rapid) service (orange) westbound: weekdays first train 6:57 am, last train 9 minutes past midnight, weekends/public holidays first train 6:17 am, last train 10 minutes past midnight; eastbound: weekdays first train 6:09 am, last train 11:51 pm, weekends/public holidays first train 6:43 am, last train 10:42 pm.
- Marunouchi Line
Bound for Ogikubo: weekdays first train 5:28 am, last train 32 minutes past midnight, weekends/public holidays first train 5:28 am, last train 23 minutes past midnight; Bound for Ikebukuro: first train 5:07 am, last train 11 minutes past midnight.
- Namboku Line
Bound for Meguro: first train 5:13 am, last train 26 minutes past midnight; Bound for Akabane-Iwabuchi: first train 5:17 am, last train 17 minutes past midnight.
Next Stations
The stations next from Yotsuya Station on the Chuo Line (Rapid) are Shinjuku Station to the west and Ochanomizu Station to the east.
The stations next on the Sobu Line are Shinanomachi Station to the west and Ichigaya Station to the east.
The stations next on the Marunouchi Line are Yotsuya-Sanchome Station to the west and Akasaka-mitsuke Station to the south.
The stations next on the Namboku Line are Nagatacho Station to the south-east and Ichigaya Station to the north-east.
Yotsuya Station Shopping
The Atre Yotsuya shopping building north of Yotuya-mitsuke Bridge occupies the 1st and 2nd floors, with JR Yotsuya Station occupying the B1 floor. Atre Yotsuya is one of a chain of station shopping malls, and offers somewhat up-market shopping - consciously aimed more at women than men. The 1F "Dining Garden" floor is mainly food and cafes, and the 2F "Living Garden" floor is mainly clothing and aesthetic care. There is also a pleasant outdoor terrace garden on the 1F. Atre Yotsuya is barrier-free. Hours differ by store, but the cafes, for example, are generally open between about 7:30 am and 10 pm.
The Kojimachi Exit building, with its outer "garden walls," has a large café with an upstairs floor.
Nearby Yotsuya Station
The Geihinkan Akasaka Palace is a short walk south of Yotsuya Station.
Sophia University ("Jochi Daigaku" in Japanese) is just across from Yotsuya Station, with the St. Ignatius Catholic Church.
The Hanzomon Gate of the Imperial Palace Tokyo is about 15 minutes walk east of Yotsuya Station, along Shinjuku-dori Avenue, through the Kojimachi business district. Hanzomon Gate cannot be entered, but Chidorigafuchi Park on the edge of the moat is a pleasant blossom viewing spot in spring.
