Kawasaki Station
Lines. Kawasaki Station is served by the following JR East lines. The station is 18.2 kilometers from and 48.5 kilometers from . Station layout. The station has three elevated island platforms serving six tracks, with an elevated station building built into a shopping center. The station has a "Midori no Madoguchi" staffed ticket office. Platforms. The song "Ue o Muite Arukou" (上を向いて歩こう, "Ue wo Muite Arukou"), commonly known worldwide as "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto is used as the departure melody for Platforms 1 and 2. History. The station opened on July 10, 1872 (June 5 in original Japanese calendar  then in use) as the first intermediate station of the first railway in Japan when it was providing a trial service on the section between Shinagawa Station and Sakuragichō Station in Yokohama before the official inauguration in October 1872. The Nambu Railway, which later became the Nambu Line, opened on March 9, 1927. Kawasaki City Tram operated a line from its Shiden Kawasaki terminal in front of this station to the now-closed Shiohama Station from 1944 to 1969. Passenger statistics. In fiscal 2019, the station was used by an average of 215,234 passengers daily (boarding passengers only). The passenger  figures (boarding passengers only) for previous years are as shown below. Surrounding area. Connected to the west side of the station is the Lazona Kawasaki Plaza shopping mall. Connected to the east of the station is the "Atre Kawasaki" shopping complex. There are also various other commercial establishments around the station, including More-s Department Store, Yodobashi Camera, and Tokyu Hands. Keikyu Kawasaki Station, operated by the private railway operator Keikyu is located to the northeast. The basement area of the adjoining More's department store is home to what is dubbed "the world's shortest escalator", with a height  difference of just .