How to Get to Seiseki Sakuragaoka From Shinjuku

Seiseki-sakuragaoka is a single, direct ride on the Keio Line from Shinjuku. There are no transfers. The fare is ¥360 with a paper ticket or ¥356 with an IC card (as of October 2026). The fastest regular trains take roughly half an hour. The one mistake to avoid is boarding a train that branches off toward Hashimoto at Chofu. This guide covers which platform to use, which trains to board and which exit to use at the other end.

The short version

Line	Keio Line (Keio Corporation), not JR
From	Keio Shinjuku Station (京王線 新宿, KO01)
To	Seiseki-sakuragaoka Station (聖蹟桜ヶ丘, KO27)
Transfers	None if you board a train bound for Keio-Hachioji (京王八王子) or Takaosanguchi (高尾山口)
Fare	¥360 ticket / ¥356 IC card (as of October 2026)
Time	Roughly 30 minutes on a Special Express; longer on slower trains
Exit for Whisper of the Heart	West Exit (Youth Post monument and walking map)

Step 1: Find the Keio Line at Shinjuku

Shinjuku has two Keio stations, and that confuses first-time visitors:

• Keio Line (京王線): this is the one you want. Keio’s Shinjuku station page lists the train types that start here: Keio Liner, Mt. TAKAO (weekends and holidays only), Special Express, Express, Semi-Express, Rapid and Local trains.
• Keio New Line (京王新線): a separate set of platforms that runs through to the Toei Shinjuku subway line. Some of its trains also continue onto the Keio Line, but you don’t need it from Shinjuku.

Follow signs for the Keio Line. If you are coming from JR, Keio’s station map shows a transfer gate between JR and Keio.

Step 2: Pick the right train

Keio’s station page for Seiseki-sakuragaoka lists every train type on the line as stopping there: Keio Liner, Mt. TAKAO, Special Express, Express, Semi-Express, Rapid and Local. So the train type matters less than where the train is going.

After Chofu (調布), the Keio Line splits:

• Main line toward Fuchu, Seiseki-sakuragaoka, Takahatafudo, Keio-Hachioji and Takaosanguchi. Board trains bound for Keio-Hachioji (京王八王子), Takaosanguchi (高尾山口) or Takao (高尾).
• Sagamihara Line toward Keio-Tama Center (京王多摩センター) and Hashimoto. Trains bound for Hashimoto (橋本) take this branch and do not stop at Seiseki-sakuragaoka. This is the most common mistake.

If you end up on a Hashimoto-bound train, get off at Chofu and change to a train for Keio-Hachioji or Takaosanguchi.

About the Keio Liner and Mt. TAKAO: both trains stop at Seiseki-sakuragaoka, but they need a seat reservation on top of the fare. Keio sells these seats online. For a 30-minute ride, a regular Special Express usually does the job. Check Keio’s site for current reserved-seat fees.

Step 3: Pay the fare

Keio’s fare chart (as of October 2026) puts trips of 25–30 km at ¥356 with an IC card or ¥360 with a paper ticket. Shinjuku to Seiseki-sakuragaoka falls in this band. Children pay half.

• An IC card (Suica, PASMO or a mobile version) is the easiest option. Tap in at Shinjuku and tap out at Seiseki-sakuragaoka.
• A paper ticket works just as well. Buy one from the Keio ticket machines, not the JR ones.
• More on IC cards and mobile data: Travel Prep for a Tama Trip.

Step 4: Use the West Exit at Seiseki-sakuragaoka

Seiseki-sakuragaoka is station KO27. Tama City says the theme song from Whisper of the Heart, “Country Road”, plays as the platform approach melody, and the inbound and outbound platforms play different versions. Stay on the platform a moment if you want to hear it.

Then head for the West Exit (西口). That is where you’ll find:

• the Youth Post (青春のポスト), a monument modelled on the Chikyuya antique shop from the film, and
• a board with the Seiseki-sakuragaoka walking map. A paper version of the map has stamp spaces for a small stamp rally.

The station connects directly to the Keio Seiseki-sakuragaoka Shopping Center. According to Tama City’s map, the first stamp is in front of the 2F elevator by the Keio Store in Building A.

Keio’s station page lists elevators, escalators and accessible toilets. We have not confirmed where the coin lockers are. Check the station map PDF on Keio’s site before you rely on one.

Coming from somewhere other than Shinjuku

• From Shibuya (渋谷): take the Keio Inokashira Line to Meidaimae (明大前), then change to the Keio Line toward Keio-Hachioji or Takaosanguchi.
• From Kichijoji (吉祥寺) or the Ghibli Museum area: use the same Inokashira Line and change at Meidaimae. For planning a Ghibli day that includes both, see Ghibli Museum vs the Whisper of the Heart Walk.
• Combining with Sanrio Puroland: Puroland is at Tama Center, which is on the Sagamihara branch. See How to Get to Sanrio Puroland From Shinjuku and A One-Day Trip to Tama for how to fit both into one day.

Check times for your exact departure on Keio’s route search, which is linked from the station page.

Common mistakes

1. Taking a Hashimoto-bound train. It leaves the main line at Chofu. Look at the destination, not just the train type.
2. Looking for Keio at the JR gates. The Keio Line has its own platforms and gates.
3. Getting off at Keio-Tama Center for the film locations. That is the Puroland station. The Whisper of the Heart sites are at Seiseki-sakuragaoka.
4. Leaving by the East Exit. The Youth Post and walking map are at the West Exit.

What to do when you arrive

• Start with Seiseki Sakuragaoka: A Local Guide to Whisper of the Heart for an overview.
• Then follow the Whisper of the Heart Walking Route up Irohazaka to the roundabout.
• If you want to stay along the line rather than in central Tokyo, see Where to Stay Along the Keio Line.

Fares and train information checked against Keio Corporation and Tama City pages in October 2026. Timetables change, so check Keio’s route search before you travel.