Nakano to Shinjuku is one stop and 4 minutes on the JR Chuo Line rapid train. From the Nakano Station entrance to the Map Camera sign in Shinjuku, my photos span about 18 minutes.
The 18 minutes come from the times my phone saved on three photos: the Nakano Station sign at 13:03, the Shinjuku Station South Gate sign at 13:12, and the Map Camera sign at 13:21. That was July 12, 2026 (a Sunday), one trip, and I have no record of which train I rode. The train facts are from JR East and Tokyo Metro pages that I read on October 6, 2026.
| Chuo Line Rapid (JC) | Chuo-Sobu Line Local (JB) | |
|---|---|---|
| Nakano to Shinjuku | Next stop | Third stop |
| Time in the timetable | 4 minutes | About 7 minutes |
| Platform at Nakano | 8 | 2 or 5 |
| Platform at Shinjuku, arriving | 7 or 8 | 13 |
| Platform at Shinjuku, going back | 11 or 12 | 16 |
How long does it take to get from Nakano to Shinjuku?
The ride is 4 minutes on a rapid train and about 7 on a local.
In JR East’s Saturday and holiday timetable, a rapid train leaves Nakano at 13:04 and arrives at Shinjuku at 13:08. A local train leaves Nakano at 13:04 and leaves Shinjuku at 13:11. In that hour, 14 rapid-line trains and 12 local trains run from Nakano toward Shinjuku, so you do not need to aim for one train.
My photo times:
- 13:03 — Nakano Station, the sign over the north entrance
- 13:12 — Shinjuku Station, the South Gate sign (9 minutes 13 seconds later)
- 13:16 — the Nishi-Shinjuku 1 intersection sign
- 13:19 — the Chuo St. sign
- 13:20 — the Nibangai Ave. sign
- 13:21 — the Map Camera sign (8 minutes 17 seconds after the South Gate)
Three limits. These are the times I pressed the shutter, not the times a train left or arrived. I stopped to take each photo. And it was one Sunday, early in the afternoon.
A route app gives you station to station. For a day of camera shops, plan with shop to shop. By my photos, that is closer to 20 minutes than to 4.
Which train do I take — and which one should I not get on?
Take the JR Chuo Line Rapid, line code JC. Do not get on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, code T. It starts at Nakano and does not go to Shinjuku.
- Chuo Line Rapid (JC). Nakano is JC06 and Shinjuku is JC05, the next stop. JR East’s station map marks platform 8 for Shinjuku and Tokyo. The Chuo Special Rapid and Ome Special Rapid trains I checked also stop at Shinjuku next.
- Chuo-Sobu Line Local (JB). It stops at Higashi-Nakano and Okubo, then Shinjuku. It leaves from platform 2 or 5.
- Tozai Line (T). Tokyo Metro’s station list starts Nakano, Ochiai, Takadanobaba. Shinjuku is not on it.
The place to be careful is platform 5. JR East’s map labels it for local trains to Shinjuku and for the Tozai Line. Read the destination before you board. In JR East’s Saturday and holiday timetable, the daytime local trains for Shinjuku are bound for Chiba or Tsudanuma.
The sign in my 13:03 photo shows all three codes side by side: JC, JB, and T.
Rapid trains also have Green Cars, which need a Green ticket on top of the fare. The ordinary cars do not.
The fare was 199 yen on my IC card. That is the amount my card history shows for Nakano to Shinjuku on July 12, 2026. JR East changed its fares on March 14, 2026, and 199 yen matches the 4 to 6 km row of the new fare table. The same row lists 200 yen for a paper ticket.
Which exit do I use at Shinjuku for the camera shops?
Map Camera’s own English store guide says Shinjuku Station’s west exit, about 3 minutes on foot. I came out of the South Gate: 8 minutes 17 seconds to the Map Camera sign, with photo stops.
On JR East’s station maps, the platforms are on 1F, the South Gate (南改札) is on 2F, and the West Gate (西改札) is on B1F: one level up for the South Gate, one level down for the West Gate.
From the South Gate, I photographed the street signs as I went. They show the names in English: Chuo St., then Nibangai Ave. My Map Camera sign photo is ten seconds after the Nibangai one.
Lemon Company’s official page gives an address, 1-15-4 Nishi-Shinjuku, 3F, and no station exit. After my visit I wrote “about 5 minutes from the South Exit.” More in my Map Camera and Lemon Company articles.
Should I do Nakano first, or Shinjuku first?
Nakano first. That is the order I walked it.
The reason is in my one-day Nakano and Shinjuku itinerary: the narrow, crowded shopping while you are fresh, and the comfortable, well-signed shops when you are tired.
One thing to know before Nakano: Fujiya Camera’s junk annex is narrow, and large bags go on a rack in the middle of the shop. By my photos, Nakano took about an hour and a half: Fujiya’s sign at 11:32, the station sign at 13:03.
What about going the other way — Shinjuku to Nakano?
It is the same two lines in reverse. On the rapid, Nakano is the first stop, 4 minutes from Shinjuku.
- Rapid (JC): platforms 11 and 12 at Shinjuku. JR East’s platform guide marks them for Takao.
- Local (JB): platform 16, for Mitaka. Nakano is the third stop.
- Chuo Main Line limited express trains use platforms 9 and 10. They are not in Nakano’s timetable.
I compared JR East’s two rapid-line timetables. Shinjuku’s list has 248 trains on Saturdays and holidays and 282 on weekdays. Nakano’s list has the same 248 and 282. I found no rapid-line train that skips Nakano.
At Nakano, use the north exit for Fujiya Camera. The sign outside reads “North Entrance.” My photos that morning: the north ticket gate at 11:21, Fujiya’s sign at 11:32. That is 11 minutes, and I saved two map screenshots on the way.
What I could not confirm
- Which train I rode on July 12.
- Whether the South Gate or the west exit is faster for Map Camera. I have times for the South Gate only.
- The timetable on July 12 itself. I read the one in use on October 6, 2026.
- A weekday rush hour. My times are from a Sunday afternoon.
Official pages
- JR East: Nakano Station timetables (Japanese)
- JR East: Nakano Station map (Japanese)
- JR East: Shinjuku Station maps and platform guide (Japanese)
- JR East: fare table after the March 14, 2026 change (Japanese)
- JR East: Green tickets (Japanese)
- Tokyo Metro: Tozai Line stations (English)
- Map Camera: store guide (English)
- Lemon Company: store information (Japanese)
For the shops themselves, see my Nakano and Shinjuku shop guide. For the rest of your trip, start with the Japan camera shopping guide.
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