JR West have announced plans for a series of renovations at Osaka’s Tennoji Station. The station’s East Gate Concourse is to be completely renewed with new walls, floors, and ceilings, and fitted with LED lighting. The changes are intended to make the station both prettier and more convenient.
Many railway lines converge at Tennoji so the concourse will also be fitted with new signage in both Japanese and English to make it easier for passengers to find their way around. Additionally the station’s toilets are to be replaced with new state-of-the-art Western style toilets, and fitted with “washlet” style bidets throughout. The concourse’s 500 meter square shopping area will also be renovated and reinforced to make it earthquake resistant.
The station’s current East Exit ticket gates
A design illustration of the renovated ticket gate area
The current interior concourse inside the ticket gates
The planned interior concourse with fresh signage
The changes are part of a project that began in 2013 to renew all the stations on the Osaka Loop Line in order to make them both safer and more pleasant to be in. Tennoji Station is a major transportation hub in the southern part of Osaka, and sits in an important commercial zone. In addition there are many local attractions such as Tennoji Park and Zoo, Shittenoji Temple, Osaka Municipal Art Museum, and the giant Abeno Harukas skyscraper. As visitors to this station continue to increase they are sure to appreciate the beautification of the station’s interior, together with the safety features and comfortable washroom facilities. Renovations of the station’s central concourse are already ongoing, and the plan is for the work to be completed by the spring of 2018.
Article by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
