Originally posted June 2 2014
One of the worst-kept secrets of Tokyo city planning was finally outed officially over the weekend, when JR East announced that the Yamanote Line will be getting its 30th station before the Olympics finally come to town in 2020. To be built between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations, the new stop will be the first of its kind in nearly half a century, as the previous station to open on the loop was Nishi-Nippori way back in 1971. We’ve already heard quite a few people questioning the necessity of an additional stop on the waterfront, but apparently there should be plenty of fancy new high-rises in the area to push up demand before number 30 finally opens its gates to passengers.
As for the station name, internet experts have already proclaimed that JR will go with Sengakuji (the closest non-Yamanote station) or Takanawa (after the area). Neither of those sounds too difficult to remember or pronounce for Yamanote-sen game players (the alcohol-fuelled form of amusement where participants strut in a circle while chanting station names on cue), but we can only pity the fools who plan to complete the infamous one-day, one shot per station challenge after 2020.