Shinjuku Station.The Odakyū's home terminal. Like Tokyo Station, Shibuya Station, and Ueno Station, one of Tokyo's great railway hubs. Quite its busiest. Indeed, reputedly, the world's busiest. Six railway companies. A dozen railway and subway lines. sixty-plus Entrances/Exits (iriguchi/deguchi). Fourteen major platforms. More than three million passengers overall. A.m. to p.m. Human motion and flow through its automatic ticket gates and stairways. Shinjukueki serves as train and train-change centre, a people centre, and a Japan centre. Etymologically: The New Inn. Other Shinjuku Lines, in equal rank with the Odakyū-sen, are part of JAPAN RAILWAY EAST. Known simply as the JR.

GET YOUR TICKET

PASMO and SUICA. Twin all-purpose ticket-passes (regular tickets are kippu). Either will do (PASMO originally was issued by private companies like the Odakyū, SUICA by the Japan Railway or JR). Simply buy one and it can endlessly be renewed by paying in any amount. Renewable everywhere – stations, kiosks, vending machines. Besides travel you can use it to pay for newspapers, snacks, drinks, and stores will give you points from purchases to help recharge the card. Press ‘English’ on the ticket-machine screen and each service is available in your own language. Tokyo, to date, is the only major city where you can use these plastic beauties for all public transport. Not just the Odakyū but every train and bus-line in Tokyo.