Train Letterbox and the 0km Point – Shinagawa Station

In the middle of Shinagawa station, on the floor above the train lines is an often overlooked point of local history: the 0km point for the Yamanote train line and the virtually unknown Hinkaku train line. Few people visit Tokyo without once riding on the green circular Yamanote line (山手線) and even fewer realize that Shinagawa station is the starting point of the line, going towards Shinjuku station and finally ending at Tamachi station. Hence, Shinagawa station is considered the 0km point of the most important Tokyo train line. There is one more train line starting here, the Hinkaku line (品鶴線), that started out a freight train line between Shinagawa and the Tsurumi stations, in 1929. These days the old tracks of the Hinkaku line is used by the Shonan Shinjuku line that connects Tochigi, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures with Tokyo.

The 0km spot is honored by a special Japan Post letter box in the shape of and old “kabocha densha”, the traditional green and orange colored trains that are never seen in Tokyo these days but one rural train line in Gunma at least kept the color scheme. If you are a fan or themed letter boxes you shouldn’t miss the one in Omiya station, or even the panda shaped one in Ueno.

Oh, and this is old hat for people who have been in Tokyo a long time, speaking of the Yamanote line, but the Shinagawa Station is actually located inside Minato Ward (and not the Shinagawa Ward), and Meguro Station is located inside Shinagawa Ward (and not the Meguro Ward). Almost half of Shinjuku Station is located inside Shibuya Ward. At least the Shibuya Station is actually inside the Shibuya Ward. Very confusing!