Start using JR Harajuku Station new station building today March 21 6:27

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A new station building at Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line, which had been under construction for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, was completed and started using from the first train on the 21st. The oldest wooden station building in Tokyo, on the other hand, has completed its role and marked the end of its 96-year history.

Harajuku Station is the oldest wooden station building in Tokyo built in 1913, but it was decided to be dismantled due to insufficient fire resistance, etc., and it became the last train on the last train before dawn on the 21st.

Then, at 1:10 am on the 21st, the station staff at Harajuku station lined up in a row, saying "Thank you for 96 years" and the station shutter was closed.

From the first train on the 21st, business will start at the new station building next door, and when the shutter of the station is opened at 4:10 am, you will immediately enter the station building and take pictures and purchase admission tickets in commemoration. You can see the railroad fans who do it.

The new station building is a two-story steel bar with a total floor area of ​​about four times that of the previous station building. The former platform is now divided into two sections, one on the outside and one on the inside, so that congestion can be eased. .

A 59-year-old man from Hyogo Prefecture said, “Last week, the opening of the Takanawa Gateway Station was a busy March for railway fans. The previous station building had a history and taste, The station building is also beautiful. "

The characteristics of the new station building

The new station building will be built next to the wooden station building, and will have a two-story steel bar with a total floor area about four times larger than before.

The design of the new station building is based on the concept of “beige that does not overly assert” with the concept of harmony with the surrounding Meiji Jingu Shrine and Yoyogi Gymnasium.

The first floor is a ticket gate and concourse, and entrances will be provided on the Meiji Jingu side in addition to Takeshita Street and Omotesando.

In addition, the number of elevators has been increased, multifunctional toilets accessible to wheelchair users have been prepared, and a baby rest room has been newly installed.

In addition, there will be a convenience store on the first floor and a coffee shop centered on Tokyo on the second floor.

On the other hand, the former platform has become a dedicated platform for the outside and inside, respectively, which means that congestion can be eased.

Harajuku station building history and features

Harajuku Station was opened in 1987, and the second-generation wooden station building was built in 1913, the year of the Great Kanto Earthquake.

During the Pacific War, Aoyama Street and Omotesando were burned in the field due to the “Mt. Air Raid” in May 1945, and Harajuku Station was miraculously escaped from burning and has been used for nearly 100 years.

The two-story station building has a design called "half timber style" in Europe, where the pillars are exposed to the outside of the building, featuring weather vanes with octagonal towers with white outer walls and roofs.

However, before the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, JR East announced the rebuilding of the station building four years ago in 2016, saying that the station was aging, as many users were expected.

After that, in response to comments from local residents requesting the preservation of the station building, JR East set up a forum for discussions and considered measures to take.However, last November, it was judged that preservation was difficult due to problems with fire resistance, etc. I decided to dismantle.

The wooden station building will be demolished after the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, but a building reconstructed with materials that meet fire resistance standards will be built nearby.