Following Yotsuya station on the JR East Chuo line, I'm going to show you the other unique railway station in Tokyo.
Shinsen is the first stop from Shibuya terminal by the Keio-Inokashira line. Even though it's next to the busy subcenter, the area around Shinsen station is incredibly calm due to its unique topography. Shinsen is located in a deeply dissected valley of a volcanic ash plateau. There is no space to construct large buildings, so, we can see only a quiet residential neighborhood in the vicinity of the station. A discreet station entrance is situated between two tunnels. The distance between the tunnels is only 15 meters.
Shinsen means "a spring of God", but my impression of this station belied its name. It was a scary station of my childhood, as it was dark even in the daytime. The last car of the train bound for Shibuya stopped in the tunnel. The passenger doors on the last car were not open, because the platform of this station was shorter than the train at that time.
Even now, I often fidget when I stand on the platform of Shinsen station. In the evening, the tunnel has a mystical glow by illuminations. I feel as if it's a gate to a different world. A monster might shoot out of the tunnel. Sorry, this is not a horror blog. Shinsen was designated as one of "the 100 Popular Stations in Kanto District" by the Ministry of Transport in 2000.
