Keio Line Chofu Station

(⁴⁄₅ stars)
Unilocal 100 Challenge — 2015 — ⁶⁸⁄₁₀₀
Trains are the main form of public transportation in Japan within crowded metropolitan areas like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Developed over the years by varying companies, it is actually quite amazing to see how they all work together, they almost always run on time (to the minute!) and use sophisticated crowd management to handle the millions of commuters on a daily basis.
Chofu station is part of the Keio Railway Company, within the larger Keio Group that owns a number of businesses like the Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku. This station recently underwent a remodel that included a major task of putting all the surface tracks underground several storeys. Construction of the concourse and further development of the land above the station continues, but the main facilities themselves are open and functional now.
Highlights:
+ Facilities: 4.5÷5 stars (New, clean, including the well-​maintained restrooms. Fully automated ticket gates and ticket vending machines, with a shift to prepaid smartcards from the older paper, hand-​issued passes)
+ Navigation: ⁴⁄₅ (trains headed outbound AWAY from central Tokyo depart from B1 level, directly below the main entrance ticket gates; trains headed inbound TOWARDS central Tokyo depart one level further down, B2 literally in the basement — escalators, stairs and elevators are available)
+ Signage: 4.5÷5 (modern, well lit and clearly writen signage is consistent throughout the station — most signs are in THREE languages: Japanese, English and Korean (same goes for the station indicator signs inside the train cars))
+ Amenities: 2.5÷5 (there are very few shops and no restaurants inside the station proper; go up to ground level wherre you’ll find many restaurants, shops and shopping facilities in the surrounding area)
Overall, the station stands out for the positive changes made during the recent rennovation. Facilties are modern and clean. Surprisingly, you don’t see the abundance of staff running around like at your typical JR station. Keio must have an efficient system to keeping things running safely and smoothly without the visible presence of overstaffing.
Transfers going outbound are a little tricky here. Pay attention to the final destinations of the lines then locate your destination along the approrpiate line. From there, it will be easier to choose the right platform. Note also that the train line itself concurrently runs several types of trains from local (stops at all stations) to special express (stops only at selected stations) — you may need to transfer again at another station further down the line if the express gets you close to not entirely to your destination.
This review will be updated as further development continues within the station complex itself. Most likely, additional shops and restaurants will be added in the coming years.