Aug 10, 2010

Sendai Station and then walking home 02


This is at the other end of the ticket office. The machines are for people who have something uncomplicated and one way to buy. The machines are quicker than the booths that I used, but you must know exactly what you want. I was able to simply say when I wanted to arrive in Kyoto and the clerk searched out the best trains, even considering the time between connections in Tokyo.This is another bank of machines outside the ticket office. These are for trains that leave on the same day.
This is the actual entrance to the Shinkansen platforms. Everything is automated. My kids usually order their tickets through their cell phones and then just place the phone on a special panel to get in. Naomi told me that in Tokyo you can use your phone for almost everything - trains, subway, Shinkansen, drinks and snacks, etc.
The Shinkansen platforms are on the fourth floor and the ticket office is on the third. The second floor, which you can see in the following picture, has ticket machines and the entrance wickets for the local trains, the platforms for which are on the first floor. The first floor also contains restaurants and stores, as well as access to the basement that contains many more restaurants and stores.

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