Shin-Osaka Station

We took the train from the station near our hotel to this main station and plan to switch to a bullet train to Tokyo. We arrived early and had a spot of breakfast. The station is huge and bustling with activities but the signages were clear and well placed. We got our tickets and they were very friendly and helpful to suggest the best possible seats to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji as we near Tokyo later. After that, we headed out to the platform and waited there. I love watching the trains pulling in and out of the station intermittently.

Shin-Osaka Station is the essential travel hub for exploring Osaka and Japan at large. While it might feel like a sea of travelers, it's a surprisingly well-equipped station with clear signage in multiple languages, making it easy to navigate your journey. The Golden Rule for Visitors: All Shinkansen bullet trains stop here. If you are traveling between cities like Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto, or Fukuoka on the high-speed rail, you will use Shin-Osaka Station. For local trains, subways, and city exploration in central Osaka, you'll head to the separate Osaka Station (Umeda) about 4km away. Navigating the Hub: A Simple Layout Despite its size, the station's layout is logical: · 4th Floor: The Shinkansen platforms where bullet trains arrive and depart. · 3rd Floor (Concourse Level): The heart of the station. This is where you'll find the Shinkansen ticket gates, JR ticket offices, major shops, and the "Travel Service Center Shin-Osaka" tourist information counter for advice and JR Pass activation. · 2nd Floor: Access to the Midōsuji subway line (red line, perfect for reaching Umeda or Namba) and the arde! shopping mall with restaurants and pharmacies. · 1st Floor: Local bus terminal, taxi stands, and more dining options. Before You Go: Key Travel Tips · Transfer Time: Allow at least 10-15 minutes to transfer between the Shinkansen and local JR or subway lines, as it involves navigating different levels of a large station. · Luggage: Make use of the abundant coin-operated lockers on nearly every floor. Sizes vary, and payment is easy with coins or IC cards like Suica. · Eating Well: You don't have to leave hungry! Look for authentic Osaka flavors inside the station, such as: · Takoyaki Wanaka for Osaka's famous octopus balls. · Kushikatsu Daruma for crispy, deep-fried skewers. · 551 Horai for flavorful pork buns (butaman). · Entree Marche, the station's largest souvenir shop on the 3rd floor, also sells perfect train bento boxes for your journey. Verdict: Shin-Osaka Station is designed for efficient travel, not as a tourist destination itself. Come prepared knowing your platform and with enough time for transfers. Once you master its straightforward flow, it becomes the smooth, stress-free gateway that lets you focus on the adventures that await in Osaka and beyond.

After spending four days exploring Yokohama and Tokyo, we traveled to Osaka via the Shinkansen (bullet train) and the experience was outstanding from start to finish. The ride was incredibly smooth, quiet, and impressively punctual, living up to Japan’s world-class transportation standards. With assigned seating, there’s no rush or confusion when boarding, and the seats themselves are surprisingly spacious and comfortable, offering generous legroom, a real bonus for longer journeys. There’s overhead space for carry-on sized luggage, and for those with larger suitcases, a reservation fee applies for designated luggage space, so it’s worth checking in advance. The interior of the train was nice and clean, and the ride felt almost effortlesseven while traveling at over 300 km/h. It’s an incredibly efficient and relaxing way to move between major cities while enjoying views of the Japanese countryside. Whether you're traveling for leisure or business, the Shinkansen offers a truly premium travel experience. Highly recommend!

Straightforward and easy to ride, we took the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Nagoya, signboard was clear just follow then you will have no issue.

Shin-Osaka station is the second Osaka train station hub but the major factor here is the Shinkansen to Tokyo and Fukuoka. Here there are many bento box stores, restaurants and shops. During my time there was also tons of Expo memorabilia. It was convenient to go to the airport here. You can arrive here from Tokyo in a little under 2 hours 30.

Smooth Travels Through Shin-Osaka Station – A Model of Japanese Efficiency If you’re planning a trip through Japan, chances are you’ll pass through Shin-Osaka Station — and let me tell you, it’s an experience worth talking about. From the moment I stepped into the station, I was struck by how well-organized and efficient everything was. The signage is clear in both Japanese and English, making navigation stress-free even for first-time visitors. Whether you’re heading to Tokyo on the Shinkansen (bullet train) or transferring to a local line, everything is streamlined to keep you moving with ease. The station is clean, modern, and surprisingly calm despite being a major transport hub. Staff members are polite and helpful, always ready to assist with directions or ticket inquiries. The ticket machines are easy to use, and the entire boarding process is smooth — platforms are clearly marked, and trains arrive on time to the second. One thing I truly appreciated was how orderly the boarding system is. Passengers line up neatly, no pushing or crowding, and there’s a genuine respect for personal space. Inside the train, seats are clean, spacious, and comfortable — perfect for relaxing or catching up on some work while gliding across the country at high speed. In summary, Shin-Osaka Station is more than just a transit point — it’s a perfect introduction to Japan’s culture of precision and hospitality. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or just starting your journey through Japan, this station sets the tone for what to expect: calm, convenience, and world-class organization.

Shin-Osaka Station is a major and very well-organized transportation hub. Transfers between the Shinkansen, JR lines, and the Osaka Metro are smooth and clearly signposted. The station has plenty of convenience stores, restaurants, and souvenir shops, making it easy to enjoy a meal or pick up gifts before traveling. A reliable and comfortable starting point for trips across Japan.

Plus: the station is very large and convenient with a lot of the shops, food and drinks, convenience stores. There are thousand of bullet trains and JR trains from here to almost all the cities around Japan. Minus: because it is too large with a lot of the platforms so it might take you up to 20 or 30 minutes to go around and look for the exact train and platform of yours. Remember to Arrive in time. The ticket counter is super busy with 50 people standing in the line. Try to avoid buying tickets at the station, by buying online in advance. If you like Hello Kitty cat, remember to book in advance your seat on that pink bullet train. However, it seems to go slower than the normal bullet train (my train took 1.5 hour longer to go from Osaka to Hiroshima than the normal bullet train).

Mind-boggling train depot!!! The size, number of levels, and complexity are just amazing! It where the high speed bullet train, Shinkansen, stops for Osaka. It's also where you transferred to local trains to get to other vicinity of Osaka. The number one tip I can give is make sure you study the ticket purchase information, and understand how to read the information boards in the station. Otherwise, it could be challenging and even frustrating trying to find your way around here. Lots of eateries of Japanese delicacies so you could always have nice foods on your train rides. Also, great place for people watching! It is by far the busiest train station I've ever visited. Great place for photos and videos as well.

The Shin-Ōsaka Station (新大阪駅) train station is very busy!! Thousand and thousands of people go thru here everyday!!! Lots of food options and a few Starbucks.

We used this train station to take the bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo. We arrived about 40 mins before our train and already purchased tickets via the internet prior to arrival. The station was really clean and since it was our first time in Japan, we were able to find assistance with where to go, speaking with someone in English. The station has great signage, including where to stand on the platform for your specific train car. Very nice train station experience was had here!

Another great JR station, end point for our shinkansen ride to and from Tokyo. Easy to access rail transportation to many points within Japan. If you are in Japan and need from Osaka to a distant point a ride on the shinkensan is a must do trip.

Zooming through Japan on the Shinkansen from Osaka is like stepping into the future. The station itself is sleek and well-organized , signs are clear, trains run like clockwork, and everything just works. You can grab a bento box, hop on board, and be in Tokyo before your playlist ends. Super clean, ultra-fast, and way more comfortable than flying. Pro tip: sit on the Mt. Fuji side if you're heading east!

Amazing, clean and great. We had our first bullet train ride from Osaka to Kyoto. Memorable!

took the shinkansen to and from osaka and tokyo! nice and friendly staff members to help this street vendor called haichiki had the best katsu egg rice bowl oh my lord and curry udon delish -- so many other foods and services within here! great place to get lost in/ waste time

The bullet train from Kyoto is a short 15 minute ride. Easy to get around, just follow the signs or ask the station staff. They are very nice and eager to help. Easy to get to central Osaka from here or go to neighboring areas of Japan. Clean station Limited English speaking staff

This is a big and modernized station that now includes operation of the Shinkansen bullet trains in addition to the JR (Japan Railway) trains and subway trains.  There are also a ton of quality eateries here on all 3 floors of this station and there are directories everywhere for such.   It seems a standard Japanese configuration for the big rail stations to have many quality eateries co-located in the station, particularly if they service the Shinkansen lines.  You can easily find a satisfying as well as economical snack, lunch, or dinner at this station.  We in fact enjoyed a very delicious and economical soba noodle dinner at one of their eateries (no English name) on 1F. We also took a subway train from here and transferred at another station to a shopping destination and it was easy using the map and ticketing machine with their English option.  It was actually a blessing in disguise to first see the very intimidating Tokyo Ikebukuro station (second busiest in all of Japan) at rush hour, because after seeing that station, any other station probably in the entire world feels like a calm walk in the park.

Japan never cease to amaze me or any foreigners with their impeccable service, cleanliness, and assortment of shops! Grand Central back home is like dirt level tier compared to the big stations (mainly the ones for Shinkansen hubs). Love their train system. Love their food! Love the polite ladies who keeps the public restrooms clean & tidy! All the shops makes me want to buy everything but of course I can't... (no luggage room!) Even with some language barrier... you will get by (google translate is pretty good... but learn a few polite saying is great!) If you're reading this, book your tickets! Enjoy your trip to Japan!

The bullet train is elite! Such an amazing experience. Station is super easy to follow, and you won't get lost.

Everyone's on a mission and if you're not careful, people walk so fast, a guy might bang into you and keep going. That was my fault bc I lost my hubby and turned around and bang! Ouch. Guy kept walking and he's probably thinking, "tourist!!" However when we couldn't figure out where the tickets for the bullet train section was, I asked this nice young man. Not only does he tell us, he proceeded to ask us to follow him. Then when he was so kind to have brought us there, he waited for us thinking we were going today to Tokyo. We explained we were buying it ahead of time for the next day. He said he was going to Tokyo and thought he'd wait to show us where we should go. He was so kind hearted. We thanked him profusely. The next day we were off and the trains truly are immaculate and leaves and arrives exactly on time. If you have luggage, reserve your seats for the rear. There's a section for luggage. You can sit back and enjoy the ride. Bring out your recently bought bento or sandwich. There's even a lady with a cart that goes up and down the isle with food and drinks. The bathrooms are small and there is a sink without soap. After I did my business, I went outside the bathroom and washed my hands on the side of the bathroom. There they have soap, water and paper towels. It's crazy and confusing but try to just remain calm as you first navagate through the maze in getting out and to your destination.

It's one of the busiest stations in Japan yet there is a good reason for it. It is a gateway for Osaka and naturally there are lots of tourist during weekends and holidays. Also they have TONS of restaurants, eateries, souvenir shops, bookstore, etc.. It's like a whole city nested in the station. That said, there's no need to get out of the station to do anything.(there aren't much things to do in surroundings anyways) Only downside is severe coin locker shortage. Don't expect to be able to find one here.

I love traveling by shinkansen between Osaka and Tokyo. The station is so well organized that upon arriving at the shin Osaka station, I purchased our tickets and we were on the nozomi shinkansen bound for Tokyo in less than 10 minutes. The station has dozens of restaurants to buy food or ekiben or train Bento. If you want to eat or drink on the train, be sure to buy it before boarding the train because things are very limited on the train. With the recent emergence of many low-cost carriers, some people choose to fly between Osaka and Tokyo because it's only a 30-minute flight but once you add on Airport security and Transit and wait times, the two and a half hour nozomi shinkansen is fantastic, not to mention that it is about one-tenth the environmental impact to take a train rather than fly. The shinkansen seems to leave many times throughout the hour but if you are not traveling on a JR Rail Pass then be sure to choose the nozomi shinkansen because it it is the fastest at has the fewest stops. Strongly recommended!

Love the Shin-Osaka Station. This is the gateway station to the city of Osaka if you are taking the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to points south. We traveled through this station to get to Hiroshima, Himeji Castle, Kyoto and other places in this part of Japan. Like many of the larger train stations they have quite a few retail shops including small grocery stores. Of course the king of shops would go to eating places. Kaiten Sushi, bakeries, Okonomiyaki, Ramen, burgers, bentos, the list goes on and on. Three levels of shops and restaurants, they even have McDonalds. They also have specialty Osaka treats and snacks to take home to friends and family or to hoard for yourself. While we were in the station we had a chance to try a Ramen shop, a sweets shop and a Kaiten Sushi shop. They were good and we would definitely go back. This station is used by both the Shinkansen and also local train services. To get to the main city of Osaka you would transfer to a local train service which gets you to Osaka in about 20 minutes. If your travels take you to the Shin Osaka station do not hesitate to give yourself time to explore what they have to offer. You definitely won't leave hungry.

Nice, clean, modern train station outside of central Osaka, this is where you disembark/embark if you're going to Osaka from the Shinkansen. I didn't venture too much around the station, but the areas I went through were well-lighted and organized. There was enough seating near the tracks so there wasn't an issue finding a space to sit. I liked the the couple of stores I managed to visit were also attractive to take a look. There was a bento box store that had a rather large display case full of different boxes of food. It just seemingly stretched for on and on. I had already purchased food in the central Osaka Station, but if I were to buy something here, it would've been difficult to decide on a box. Probably because this station appears to mainly be a transit station for Shinkansen riders, there wasn't a department store in sight.

We travelled from Osaka Station to Himaji Station on the Shinhkansen bullet train. It was fairly easy to purchase a ticket at the Osaka Train Station, just go into the JR/Shinkansen ticket office, tell the clerk where you would like to travel, the clerk lets you know the time of the next train and asks if you would prefer to buy a ticket for a reserved seat cabin or a non reserved cabin. The clerk will tell you the price of the ticket and then it's a good idea to ask what numbered platform the train will arrive. The tickets provided give you the train number, the time of the train, the destination of the train from Osaka Station and the number of your reserved seat should you buy one. The Shinkansen has certain numbers cars for reserved and non reserved seating. The bullet train is fast, comfortable, and limits the number of stops. We got to the Himaji Station in about 35 minutes using the Shinkansen. Tickets run about $25.00 (USD) per person so more expensive than local but much quicker. Highly recommend the Shinkansen Train.

Very easy to get around. We transferred often from Osaka Station to use the Shinkansen. Very busy but really nice place to eat and/or shop. The staff are very friendly and helpful if you need directions :) I recommend the use of the Shinkansen phone App. If you don't utilize a rail pass then this App is my recommendation. The app makes it much easier to purchase tickets; you'll need to print your tickets at the station. I had to purchase multiple tickets one at a time with the machine and it took a little more time that I would have liked-- I was able to pick our seats on the app as well. The station is clean, fun and a nice stop over.

Shin-Osaka Station. Ekiben, where you can easily reach when traveling on the Shinkansen. Even when traveling on a business trip, I feel like traveling. We think that it is with its unique atmosphere, but the station lunch, which is eaten with limited Shinkansen seats that are not large, is still delicious.

Like most train stations in Japan, this is a great one. Many shops to purchase anything from food, to snacks, books and souvenirs to take on your trip. The signs are in Japanese and English, so it's easy to navigate. The platforms are all clearly marked, but make sure you get on the right train! They run perfectly on time, but make sure that the train you are getting on is the train you are supposed to get on! It can be very confusing as some of the trains are only minutes apart. The food kiosks offer quite an assortment of meals to take on your trip, from simple sandwiches to complete Bento box style Japanese cuisines. Plus you can buy beer! While you can get all this on the train as well, I suggest getting to the station a bit early so you can take you time and pore over the wide selection of food and drink items to make your journey more enjoyable.

JR Shin-Osaka Station is one of those mega stations that I love to start my journey as there are so many food options to have a meal before my train ride and pick up some food and drinks for my train ride. Major hub where you can catch: Shinkansen Train, Local Train, Subway. Station was packed with people when we got off our train from Kagoshima/Kobe. A mad house if you are short of time and don't know exactly where you going. Clear Signage but still overwhelming. But after all Osaka is a major city in Japan.

Unless you travel lots, live in Japan, or just have a gift for navigation... I don't think train stations are always easy to figure out. This was one of the main stations we needed to go through to get from Osaka to Tokyo and vice versa. Since we had the JR pass we went to the JR counter and reserved seats for the bullet train. With following English signs and asking around a bit it was simple enough to find. Most of the workers we encountered could either speak English, had a translator or found someone that could speak with us. Another huge help finding our way around was Google maps! It's pretty accurate with times. It shows the Japanese characters as well as English name of the train you're looking for and what platform you should be on. That was the hardest thing to get used to. Being on the right platform and making sure you're going in the right direction! Thank goodness for escalators and elevators! Otherwise you'd have to lug things up and down stairs over and over again looking for the right platform... bathrooms, smoke rooms, snack shacks are all around so even if you're in a rush, you should be able to get everything you need before getting on your train wherever.

Shin-Osaka is a convenient station that is smaller than Osaka station but still provides you access to get where you need to go. The dining options here are not all that bad although I do find myself getting a bento box and taking it on the train nearly every time I'm here. The Shinkansen actually arrives and departs from this location which makes it easy to get in and out of Osaka and direct to Tokyo in about 2.5 hours. Pros- Location Shinkansen Direct routes Easy in and out Cons- Limited dining options Crowded

Major transfer point during Japan teavel with Japan Rail Pass. If you come from Tokyo, you can go to down town Osaka or Kobe area by local trains or subway, also you can ride express train for Tottori, Kanazawa, Wakayama and other destinations Western Japan. Inside the station building, a lot of gift shop and restaurants, some of new product display facilities, so if your train delayed, you can spend your time effectively. Osaka (Itami) airport is located near this station, you can see many of aircraft flight over the station. You can get the airport by bus about 40 minutes (depends on traffic condition).

Busy yet efficient train station. My husband and I had the JR pass and traveled in and out of Osaka without issues. You can easily base yourself in Osaka and travel to other local cities like Kyoto or Nara. It is easy to use the JR website or google to figure out train times, platforms, etc. The people in the station speak English and will help you out as needed.

This station is HUGE and one can easily get lost and I definitely know this by experience. There are tons of restaurants here too! This station is the central hub to get to major places in the Kansai area (Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Hiroshima). The shinkansen (bullet train) and JR trains both stop here. And I didn't know this so my ignorance is your gain but, if you are taking a limited express train, you would go to the JR train area. We missed a train because the first time we took a limited express train which we had reserved seats for, we were so confused and lost that we missed it. But thanks to our JR Pass, we just took the next train.

THIS is the station where you will catch the Shinkansen train, which we took to Tokyo. It was about a two hour ride that was smooth and easy. The train station is clear signage and is easy to find the right platform for the Shinkansen. Just follow the signs. There are vending machines everywhere. Please don't litter.

Very busy station. This is where you buy and ride the bullet train. You should check with the ticket office to make sure you are buying the right ticket, and also taking the right train. Non-reserved seats are cheaper, but you should get to the platform early to get seats when the train arrives.

There is a great little spot if you can find a spot to sit with your luggage. Its like a mini food court, where you order at one of the I think it was 5 businesses and they bring your food out to you (unless its the tako stand, you'll be handed your order right after). I had an order of tako and scallion pancake. I was really full and couldn't finish everything which made me sad, but I enjoyed trying out the pancake since I've never had one before in Japan. Once we were done, we went into the waiting room which was equipped with wide seats and outlets. There was also seating near the smoothie/juice stand -- there were a lot of people waiting. The station has various places to eat and little gift shops for you to purchase special treats or bentos for the train ride. Its clean, easy to navigate (once you get the hang of things). If you do need help, the guys near the ticketing/pass areas can be helpful!

The Shin-Osaka train station appeared older and smaller than the train station in Tokyo. Construction was occurring when we were there, so some of it was pretty trashed. What I am really wanting to review is a tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the station! My hubby had spoken about the place after returning from a business trip to Osaka. I mean, if he talks about a restaurant rather than other things in Japan, it had to be good. We had breakfast there 3 mornings and it was DELISH! Unfortunately, I do not know the name of it since I don't speak the language, but I did take some photos. First thing you do when you arrive to this teeny-tiny eatery is buy a food ticket from the machine, this deciding what you wanted. Smart idea, if you think about it. Hand the ticket to the cook, and take a seat. The breakfast we purchased was a baked egg (think scrambled, then baked in a pan), a big bowl of steaming hot udon soup, rice, and pickled vegies. OMG- my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Lots of food to fuel us through the day. Cold green tea is free and is customary in restaurants, replacing plain water. The tab for all of this goodness was equivalent to around $5 a piece. I am attaching a few photos, so if any of you recognize the restaurant, I would love to know the name of it!! And if you plan to visit Osaka, seriously keep this place in mind. You will not be disappointed.

Make sure to pick up some bento and other food items before going through the ticket area. Food after that can get really pricey and not as good. Trains are clean and it is easy to find your platform.

This is the Shin-Osaka JR Rail station in Osaka. NOT to be confused with JR Osaka station. This station is home to JR Shinkansen "Bullet" trains. HUGE !!! but relatively easy to manage. I'm sure it would be easier without luggage and twins in tow, but there are tons of elevators and escalators to make the travel chaos much more manageable. Thankfully, most all of the signage is subtitled in English, making those of us that are Japanese illiterate not look too foolish. And if you ask at the ticket turnstiles they'll give you an "English" subway map and direct you to wherever you need to go. Everything is so damn efficient here. I wish public transportation in the U.S. would work this well. And everyone seems to be super nice and helpful ..... This is NOTHING like NYC.

I came here on my trip to universal using the JR train. On our way back we wanted to kill some time and we were also very hungry. We stopped at a food court and everything was delicious! The stations in Japan are all so clean and organized!

Shin-Osaka Station is the station to go to in Osaka if you want to catch the Shinkansen. Since Osaka Station isn't on the Shinkansen track, you need to catch a regular train to Shin-Osaka to board one. Shin-Osaka is a very modern station as well as being fairly easy to navigate through. From here you can travel via Shinkansen to as far as Hakata in Kyushu through Hiroshima or you can go in the opposite direction bound for Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo and even on to Aomori and beyond to Hakodate in Hokkaido to name a few. As with most train stations in Japan, Shin-Osaka has so much to offer. There are clean restrooms, a multitude of shops and tons of food vendors and restaurants. If you've never been to a shopping center in a Japanese train station, you need to one day. Imaging a shopping center such as Pearlridge, only thing underground! Boutique shops, specialty shops, toys, optical centers, you name it! Train stations are notorious for their food offerings though. Breads, pastries, bentos, ramen, Italian food, sushi galore, they have them! And a lot of them are first class. The Japanese surely have it down to a science when it comes to building underground... take my word, you must see it for yourself! When you do go to Shin-Osaka or for that matter, just about any station in Japan, take some time and make sure you explore all these underground "cities" and what they have to offer. Especially when it's near to closing time, most of the food vendors will drastically reduce prices on their food offerings and it can turn into a controlled frenzy! Great experiences and fun await you, I guarantee it!!! Five Solid Stars * * * * *

Update November 2016: I am pleased to report I had no problems this year accessing the JR West wifi. Original review: Initially, this place can be a bit confusing, but once you figure out a few things, it's a great place. First, let me explain the building a bit. The station is accessible; there are elevators by the stairwells. The front part of the station is open to anyone, regardless of whether they have a train ticket or not. For ease of understanding I call it the common area. There are stores and restaurants here, such as the Japanese version of 7-11 ("Seven Eleven Heart In"), a Lotteria (burgers etc.), a curry place, and more. There are two JR offices here, one close to the East entrance, and one close to the West entrance. Here you can trade in your vouchers for your JR Pass and make reservations on the Shinkansen by talking to a human being. Look for a green sign that is supposed to be a person reclining in a seat. It can be easy to miss the first time, which I did, and walked too far. You can also buy tickets from machines right outside the offices. Once you have a ticket - whether for the subway (Midosuji Line only) or the Shinkasen or the train to Kansai Airport - you can enter into the train station. If you have a subway ticket, you run it through the machine to get in. If you have a JR pass, you show it to the staff member at the opening right next to the machines. (JR passes do not go through the machines.) The Midosuji Line goes to Osaka Station, which opens up many other subway options, including the Loop. On this level there are coffee and souvenir shops, and food stands. There are nice large restrooms with Western style toilets. Lots of places to sit and wait, and no one hassles you, even if you are there for awhile. Although Osaka claims to have lots of WiFi, I always had trouble with it. When I first came I had to go to Drip X cafe and buy a beverage so I could get their WiFi code and email my host at the place I was staying at. If you are taking the Shinkansen, you must go through a separate Shinkansen gate (on this floor), where you will have to show your pass and ticket. There are additional food and other booths here, and seating, on this concourse. I had a nice beef sandwich here from one of the stands one day. From here you will need to take the stairs or elevator to get to the tracks. Look up first and find your gate number before going up, so you end up in the right place. Otherwise you will have to come back down and then go back up. There are some seats (not a whole lot) and some small food stands with snacks. The Shinkansen is on time - not early, not late - unless something terrible happens, which is rare, so you can wait downstairs where there are more seats and more temperature control. Just make sure you know where you are going and leave enough time to get upstairs, based on your level of mobility. Electronic signs show the different routes and track numbers. Mostly they are in Japanese but they do run in English, too. I rode mostly on the Hikari Shinkansen and I easily learned what it looked like in Japanese. Subway lines are downstairs. Your train will also be downstairs if you arrive from/are going to Kansai Airport. There are enclosed waiting rooms downstairs. To get out, you have to go down if you took the Shinkansen or go up if you took the subway/came from Kansai Airport. Coming from the Shinkansen, you go back out the gate through which you entered. Then you exit the train station (again through the gate) into the common area that anyone can use. Only then do you finally exit the station itself. (This sure confused me the first time.) From the subway or Kansai Airport, go upstairs on the escalator or elevator, exit the train station into the common area, then exit the station completely through the appropriate gate. In all cases it's best to know which exit to take that is closest to your eventual destination. Exits to the outside, which are called gates, may have directional names ("East Gate") or other names like "Sakurabashi Gate" or be named after subway lines ("Midosuji Gate"). It is helpful that Japanese numbers are the same as English. As with most other places the staff at a shop will calculate the amount of your purchase on a calculator and then write it down on a piece of paper for you. Except for a couple of coins, the money is clearly marked and easy to use. When paying, put the money in the tray provided. Unlike some stations, Shin-Osaka does not have any department stores located therein. You can pick up a bus, taxi, or rent a bike. There's a stop for a bus that goes to Osaka (Itami) Airport. For the most part, Japanese people are very courteous. . .except in train stations. If you are slow or in their way they will not hesitate to crowd you or cut in front of you. I did not enjoy this but I was forgiving because they've got to get where they're going and no one was horrendously rude.

I can't believe I haven't written a review of Shin-Osaka station! I've been here 3 times this past year (2016-2017). All have been with arrival and departure on the Shinkansen. This station can be super busy (like all stations) but more so because of the Shinkansen, local lines and subways.

Great way to travel from Osaka Japan to Tokyo affordable Relaxing and fast way to travel this bullet train is amazing We saw lots of foreigners using this system We would use it again !! Not to mention how much leg room you have .

Actually love this station more than the tokyo station as it's so much easier to navigate around and because it's much smaller. Still I love most of the JR stations as they each have their own uniqueness and just the different stores that have the prefectures specialty .

Leaves from Shin Osaka great to get a seat without a reservation. The place to connect the Tokaido Shinkansen and Sanyo Shinkansen. Especially if you have the JR ALL JAPAN RAIL PASS. BECAUSE you can't ride the Nozomi and Mizuho. All the Sakura Shinkansen have a/c outlets to charge your phones and other portable devices. Many Shinkansen only have a/c in the front and side seats. Some of the northern Shinkansen you must get a reserved seat to ride. Just go to the JR office and get your tickets. Remember you must turn you voucher in to get your train pass. In the Kanto area ShinYokohama has the best hours. Don't forget to get a train time table and ask them to use.

Like all Japanese train stations it is very large and all the signage is in English, so it's not hard to find your way around. Also like most Japanese train stations its full of restaurants and shops so making sure you have the supplies (beer, water, food) for your trip to wherever your destination might be is very easy to ensure.

Station is clean and omiyage ( souvenir shop) everywhere . Tickets booth are big easy to find platform .

I like this station much better than the Osaka station. The service personnel is more friendly and nicer, I think because the Osaka station people are more busy and tired from handling the commuter. I was on Shinkansen and 10 secs out the station when I tried to checkin I was too far away already!!!!!

This is a good and well organized station center in Osaka. I use this station for Shinkansen from Tokyo. This station is huge so you would see many souvenir shops all over this station where you can get things related to Osaka or Kansai. This station is very big and you might think it is confusing to change trains or go around, but there are enough sings in English as well, so I think it is traveler's friendly. Even I a not good at direction and I first came here alone, I did not lost. Just follow the signs you can see on your head and it guides you the place you would like to go. You know the transport in Japan is awesome. So the trains are always on time. If there are a few minutes delay, you would hear announce of apology on the trains or at the station. The staffs at the station are not always able to speak English but they are kind enough to do their best to help you when you are in trouble by using any tools including pictures and gestures. So you do not need to hesitate to ask in English. I am sure they would be happy to help you.

I have spent about 10 days in Japan in August 2016 starting from Sendai region down to Kyoto region. All of the people I have encountered were extremely friendly except the conductor I have encountered in the Haruka line from Shin-Osaka to Kansai Airport and the service personals on railway platforms in Shin-Osaka station. We had Green Car seats reserved to Kansai Airport from Shin-Osaka. but unfortunately we missed our train with some confusions on the platform. Pressed with time, we took the next train's unreserved section. Without being able to find seats, we stayed in between two cars. When a conductor came to the area we were standing, after showing my JR Pass, I was trying to communicate with him with Google Translate showing my cell phone screen. He was saying something in Japanese in a frowning face and moved on to check other people's tickets in the area. After he was done with all the people standing in the area, I attempted to show my cell phone screen again (Google translate) to get some help, to ask if we can still go to the Green Car. At that time, he raised his voice at me speaking angrily in Japanese. I was taken back and frozen. After he left, I asked a Japanese couple near me about what the conductor said. After some difficulties, it seemed that the conductor needed to get off the train in the next station. However, the train was still moving and the next station was still quite far. OK, I understand that he may have been pressed with time, then he could just gestured a "no" with a hand. Amazingly, he had enough time to raise voice at me to speak in Japanese that I wouldn't understand. Another employee of JR West at the train track was also no help; he was just not interested in helping our problem. I have complained this to the customer service at JR West. I have to give them the credit for seemly conducting detailed investigations of my complaint and apologizing over emails. However, I am still wondering that how a professional can angrily raise his voice at a customer who is politely seeking help? I found that compared to JR East and JR Central customer services, JR West's customer service is not so great. Advice: Green Car JR Pass is nice when it works out. However, if something goes wrong, you would not be able to get help easily to get the Green Car privilege that you paid for. The only way seems to be available is to try again to reserve seats for the next train; but that would be usually impossible because you will find a long line at the reservation center. In my limited yet ample experience, usually Green Car sections are quite empty. Therefore, there should be some flexibility for people who made reservations yet missed train, especially for a short ride like Haruka line. I have seen bluetooth enabled devices used in other countries that could be used to fix such an issue easily. Visited August 2016

This station, like most others in Japan, is kept very clean and is easy to navigate for foreigners. JR does an excellent job, and seems to be under appreciated by some of the other reviewers here. I noticed a few 1 star reviews left for this station. All of these people had either claimed to have lost their tickets, or had missed their reserved train times. NONE of the things are the fault of JR or the Shin-Osaka station. The idea of complaining about how inconvenient the station is because you've lost your ticket, or missed your train, and then giving the station a bad review is silly. Give yourself a 1 star review. It's not the fault of the station, the rail line, or anyone else in Japan, that you can't keep track of your tickets or get to the station on time. If you keep yourself as organized and as punctual as the JR train lines, and the Shin-Osaka station, you're going to enjoy your experience here.

My wife had her receipt, but lost her Shinkansen seat ticket and was essentially held hostage by JR East until she agreed to pay an extra $140. They claimed that she could have used the lost ticket for someone else. Completely unacceptable treatment of an American citizen. This is old school Japan. Stick to the airlines, they abide by international standards of treatment and customer service. 7/6 update: Amex refunded the money, then JR East added a new charge. Amex recommends that we block JR East or it will just keep happening. This is akin to having a criminal own your credit card information. No one from JR East will respond to emails nor will they engage with Amex.