How to Transfer to the Shinkansen in Yokohama: Tips From a Local

This service includes sponsored advertisements.

Read to learn the differences between Yokohama and Shin-Yokohama Station, access, and how to transfer to the Shinkansen (bullet train). Our writer, a Yokohama resident, explains in detail all about the two stations with pictures.

Written by

moet

Born in Yamagata Prefecture. I have experience working in community development at the foot of Mt. Fuji and PR for local products across the country, and am currently working in Tokyo to disseminate information about Yamanashi Prefecture. A mother of one who loves local gourmet food and alcohol.

Yokohama's only Shinkansen (bullet train) station is Shin-Yokohama Station.

Now, Yokohama Station and Shin-Yokohama Station are two different train stations. In a straight line, they’re separated by at least seven kilometers.

There are two main methods of transportation to Shin-Yokohama Station from Yokohama Station via the JR Yokohama Line and the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line. It would take over 70 minutes to walk on foot and is not a viable mode of transportation.

Additionally, the total travel time from Yokohama Station to Shin-Yokohama Station is around 20 minutes, including transfers.

Transferring to the Shinkansen in Yokohama

1. Shin-Yokohama Station Overview
2. How to Travel to Shin-Yokohama from Yokohama Station
- JR Yokohama Line
- Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line
3. Why You Shouldn’t Take the Bus or Taxi to Shin-Yokohama
4. How to Transfer to the Shinkansen
- JR Yokohama Line → Shinkansen
- Municipal Subway Blue Line → Shinkansen
- Shinkansen Ticket Office, Convenience Store, Souvenirs

1. Shin-Yokohama Station: A Tokaido Shinkansen Stop

Shin-Yokohama Station, the third stop on the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, is serviced by a total of five lines. Those lines are the Tokaido Shinkansen, JR Yokohama Line, Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line, Sotetsu Shin-Yokohama Line, and Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Line (*).

* Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Line: a new line on the Tokyu Railway that opened in 2023. There are only three stops on the Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Line which are Hiyoshi, Shin-Tsunashima, and Shin-Yokohama Station. This made it possible to access Shin-Yokohama from Shibuya in 20 - 30 minutes without any transfers.

The station itself isn’t very large, but you can easily enjoy shopping and food nearby. Cubic Plaza Shin-Yokohama (Japanese) is a building directly connected to the station, while Gourmet Street (Japanese) is located inside the aforementioned building.

Spots like the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, Yokohama Arena, and Nissan Stadium are located near the North Exit, the station’s main entrance, and is visited by crowds of people during events. It’s likely many people visit the station to either transfer to the Shinkansen (bullet train) or utilize the nearby hotels and event halls.

Next, we explain how to access Shin-Yokohama Station from Yokohama Station in a way that’s easy to understand and with pictures.

2. How to Travel to Shin-Yokohama from Yokohama Station

JR Yokohama Line: The Inexpensive and Standard Route

The JR Yokohama Line is recommended if you want to travel to Shin-Yokohama Station from Yokohama Station at a low cost.

At JR Yokohama Station, take the Yokohama Line bound for Hachioji on Platform 4. Travel time is around 12 minutes (11 minutes on Rapid, 13 minutes on Local) and costs 180 yen. It is relatively cheap compared to the subway.

After you arrive at Shin-Yokohama Station, being able to access the Shinkansen tracks from the JR Line platform in a relatively short amount of time is another benefit to this method.

Keep in mind that there are very few escalators that go up to the Yokohama Line platform (1F) from the ticket gate floor (B1F) at Yokohama Station. Please take either the stairs or elevators which are available at the Central South Gate and Central North Gate respectively.

If you plan to take the JR Line from the Minato Mirai area, then you can take the train from either Sakuragicho Station or Kannai Station. Depending on the time, it may be faster to take the Keihin-Tohoku Line for Omiya to Higashi-Kanagawa Station, then transfer to the Yokohama Line.

Yokohama Municipal Subway (Blue Line): Convenient from the West Exit or Downtown

The Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line (Subway) is another way to access Shin-Yokohama Station.

Travel time is around 10 minutes. You can arrive at Shin-Yokohama with a rapid train in eight minutes at the fastest, while a local train will stop at every station and arrive in about 11 minutes. Another benefit is that bad weather conditions will hardly affect the subway. It costs 250 yen, which is 70 yen more expensive than the JR Line.

The entrance to the Subway is located by Yokohama Station’s West Exit while being near the Sotetsu Line platform, restaurants, and Takashimaya. It also takes very little time to access the subway from facilities (Sogo, Bay Quarter, etc.) by the East Exit and the Keikyu Line.

If you plan to take the Subway from the Minato Mirai area, then you can get on at Takashimacho Station, Kannai Station, or Sakuragicho Station.

3. Why You Shouldn’t Take the Bus or Taxi to Shin-Yokohama

Besides the train lines, route buses and taxis are also an option as transportation methods. However, our writer would not recommend it from a local’s perspective.

These reasons include the fact it takes about 30 minutes to move in congested traffic, there are very few buses on the route, and both bus stops and taxi stands are a bit far from the station ticket gates.

We recommend you take the JR Line or Subway when traveling from Yokohama to Shin-Yokohama unless there is a particular reason you need to be on the road.

4. How to Transfer to the Shinkansen

If you are traveling from Yokohama Station to Shin-Yokohama to take the Shinkansen, then it’s absolutely fine to take either the JR Line or Subway! Our resident writer recommends the JR Line as it provides a relatively smooth experience when transferring to the Shinkansen tracks and for its inexpensive price.

Travel time to the Shinkansen ticket gates is three minutes from the JR Line and five minutes from the Subway.

How to Transfer from the JR Yokohama Line → Shinkansen

Once you alight from the JR Yokohama Line, take the stairs or escalators up (M3F) from the train platform floor (1F).

Follow the signs and take the stairs or elevator down to the ticket gate floor (2F). You can access the Shinkansen tracks without exiting the JR ticket gates as Shinkansen transfer gates will be available on both sides.

How to Transfer from the Municipal Subway Blue Line → Shinkansen

Next is the Subway (pictured above). The platform is on B2F, so head to Exit 1 once you alight and go upstairs.

Once you’re on the second floor concourse, enter through the Shinkansen track gates (East Entrance or West Entrance).

Where to Buy Tickets, Convenience Stores, and Souvenirs

Want to buy your Shinkansen ticket at Shin-Yokohama Station? Ticket machines and the ticket office are available by the Shinkansen ticket gates.

There are convenience stores (Kiosks) located in seven places throughout the station with two being outside the JR ticket gates, two inside the JR ticket gates, and three inside the Shinkansen ticket gates. Souvenirs, bento lunch boxes, and other items are also sold near the station ticket gates, so you can effortlessly make your purchases with relatively little wait time.

Effortless Travel and Transfer at Shin-Yokohama Station!

In this article, we explained how to access Shin-Yokohama Station from Yokohama Station, a Kanagawa terminal station, and how to transfer to the Tokaido Shinkansen.

We hope this article will be helpful the next time you sightsee and shop in Yokohama, or for your future travels to Nagoya and Osaka!

Read also

Written by

moet

The information presented in this article is based on the time it was written. Note that there may be changes in the merchandise, services, and prices that have occurred after this article was published. Please contact the facility or facilities in this article directly before visiting. Some of our articles contain affiliate links. We kindly ask our readers to exercise careful judgement when making a purchase or booking a service online.