Never miss your train stop again: East Japan Railway Co (JR East) is following in Tokyo Metro’s footsteps and introducing an easy numbering system from October 2016.
The idea is to help foreign travelers navigate the railway system, which can be tricky if you’re not familiar with the different lines and station names. With the new numbering system, you’ll only need to remember the number of your stop – although there will also be two letters denoting which line you’re on and an outline representing its official color, just in case you end up on the wrong line altogether.
For example, as shown below, Shinjuku Station will have the code JY17, with the J standing for JR, and the Y referring to Yamanote Line – surrounded by a green block.
Larger stations that are home to many different lines will also be coded with an abbreviation of their names, for example UEN for Ueno Station, TYO for Tokyo Station, and SJK for Shinjuku Station. And station names will be translated into Chinese and Korean in addition to the existing English.
– Annemarie Luck
Image: Shutterstock
