A visit to Takanawa Gateway City

Following on from the completion of Takanawa Gateway Station in 2020, the opening of Takanawa Gateway City - one of Tokyo's largest current redevelopment projects and an entire city within the city - has finally arrived with the unveiling of the Linkpillar 1 building on March 27, 2025. Stretching for over a kilometer from just north of Shinagawa Station on land previously used for railway operations, the ongoing project represents a significant facelift for the major transport hub. Visitors will have to wait until spring 2026 for the next stage in the development's expansion, which will include more commercial facilities, office space, an intriguing new venue and event space and a residential tower.

In addition to the Tokaido Shinkansen, Shinagawa Station is served by the Yamanote Line and many other urban train lines, with direct connections to both Haneda and Narita airports. Already an important hub for many foreign visitors arriving into Tokyo today, Shinagawa's role looks set to expand even further as the terminus for the long delayed Chuo Shinkansen that will eventually connect Tokyo and Nagoya at even faster speeds some time in the 2030s.

To find out more, I spent an enjoyable few hours earlier this week exploring the newly opened part of the development, including a good look at the Linkpillar 1 building inside and out, and a preview of other parts still to follow.

Like the majority of visitors, my time at the development began at Takanawa Gateway Station - the newest station on Tokyo's Yamanote Line - known for its eye catching design courtesy of Kuma Kengo's studio KKAA, featuring a sophisticated membrane roof supported by an origami-influenced steel framework.

Inside, the station features a recently added space known as Ekinaka, including a cafe, event space and unmanned convenience store, while some large potted plants and a moveable seating area add a touch of life to the otherwise somewhat sterile feeling space.

What's new?

The station now leads directly into a paved, open space called Gateway Park, still looking a little sparse apart from a few plant beds and one large and very colorful artwork. Visitors will also be able to cross over into the development from across the tracks, via a still unfinished bridge that will provide a desperately needed access point to the opposite side of the tracks when they open next spring alongside the Linkpillar 2 building.

The centerpiece of the development is Linkpillar 1 - a pair of 30 story towers connected by a shared 7 story base and extended promenades featuring lots of grassy spaces and vegetation. Inside, while stories 1-2 will house NEWoMan - a trendy commercial facility with two other locations in Shinjuku and Yokohama - most of the building will capitalize on its prime business location with office and event space. The upper floors of the south tower will be given over to the JW Marriott hotel, set to open in fall of 2025 with around 200 guestrooms.

What can we expect next year?

Located a little to the north of Linkpillar 1 and across from Sengakuji Station, the Linkpillar 2 building is still in development and planned to open, along with the smaller Cultural Creation Building, in spring of 2026. Like the Linkpillar 1, most of its floorspace will be set aside for offices while its first and second storeys will house another NEWoMan facility, a fitness center and a clinic.

Another of the development's most eagerly anticipated additions, the Cultural Creation Building is a 6 storey structure, banded with a sloping, plant covered walkway that loops around the building like a ribbon allowing direct access to another rooftop garden. Designed by KKAA, the building will house the Museum of Narratives, which despite its name is more of a venue and event space than a museum - inside will be three areas at 1,500, 300 and 200 square meters respectively in size, the latter with tatami flooring, while its exterior will feature a rooftop garden and moon viewing terrace.

Discovered during construction and now set to be preserved within the development behind the Linkpillar 2 building from next spring is a kilometer long section of original track bed from Japan's first ever railway, which was completed in 1872 and for many years connected Shimbashi to Yokohama via what was then the Takanawa coast, before the Shinagawa area expanded into a massive series of artificial islands.

Blocks 5 and 6, located between Linkpillar 1 and Shinagawa Station, are also expected to be developed as part of a future phase, but there is currently no word on when or what form this might take.

New technology

Among the area's much touted new technical innovations, one was particularly eye catching: an American-made flying passenger vehicle, said to provide a premium travel service to destinations up to 400 kilometers away - at least to those who can afford it - from some time in 2028.

Also impressive, if a little less flashy, the development will come with its own fleet of semi-autonomous robots, providing mobility support and food deliveries as well as other functions like cleaning and security. While it wasn't quite clear how fully integrated these currently are, I was able to see several ride-on mobility units zipping slowly around Gateway Park, while the press tour included a basic demonstration of the Deliro delivery robot.

Inspiring as these features may be, by far the most exciting things about the space is its architectural beauty and sheer scale, of which the newly opened section is barely a preview - for my own part, I can't wait to return for the next phase and see how it feels to walk the full kilometer from end to end!