The station gives its name to the surrounding Shimokitazawa neighborhood in the southern corner of the Kitazawa district, which is a popular area for young people in large numbers. It includes small independently owned shops, cafes, live music venues and theaters.
On the Keio Inokashira Line, both all-stations "Local" services and limited-stop "Express" services stop at this station. On the Odakyu Odawara Line, only Limited Express services pass the station.
The Odakyu Odawara and Keio Inokashira lines cross at this station, with the Keio line on elevated tracks above the Odakyu line. After a major station reconstruction project, the Odakyu lines were relocated in March 2013 from their prior surface position to new platforms three stories underground. Additional construction work, ending in 2018, separated the express line trains from the local line trains, one level above. Now, the four-track route that formerly ended at Umegaoka is complete as far as Yoyogi-Uehara station.
An unusual feature of Shimo-kitazawa Station for many years was the use of a single ticket gate serving two independent lines and ticketing systems; this was a legacy of the Inokashira Line's former ownership by Odakyu. Additionally, there were no ticket gates between the two lines. However, as part of a major Station renovation construction project, this was changed in March 2019. Now, both lines have separate entrances and ticket gates, and it is necessary to exit and enter ticket gates in order to switch between lines.
The Odakyu section was opened on 1 April 1927, and the Keio section on 1 August 1933.[1]
From 22 February 2013, station numbering was introduced on Keio lines, with Shimo-kitazawa being assigned station number IN05.[3]
From 23 March 2013, trains used the new underground platforms located on the third basement (B3F) level, and the original ground-level platforms were taken out of service. As of 3 March 2018, platforms on the second basement (B2F) level have opened for use by all-stations services, with the lower platforms used by limited-stop services only.[4]
Station numbering was introduced to the Odakyu platforms in 2014 with Shimo-kitazawa being assigned station number OH07.[5][6]
^ abcTerada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 205. ISBN4-87366-874-3.
^Kawashima, Ryozo (April 2010). 日本の鉄道 中部ライン 全線・全駅・全配線 第1巻 東京駅―三鷹エリア [Railways of Japan - Chubu Line - Lines/Stations/Track plans - Vol 1 Tokyo Station - Mitaka Area]. Japan: Kodansha. pp. 10, 53. ISBN978-4-06-270061-0.
^京王線・井の頭線全駅で「駅ナンバリング」を導入します。 [Station numbering to be introduced on Keio Line and Inokashira Line] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Keio Corporation. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
^小田急線の複々線化完了、下北沢駅で開通式 [Odakyu Line Multiple Line Conversion Complete, Opening Ceremony at Shimokitazawa Station]. Sankei Shinbun Online (in Japanese). Japan: Sankei Shinbun. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
^"2014年1月から駅ナンバリングを順次導入します！" [From January 2014, station numbering will be introduced sequentially!] (PDF). odakyu.jp (in Japanese). 24 December 2013. Archived from the original(PDF) on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
^Kusamichi, Yoshikazu (28 December 2013). "小田急グループ、鉄道から海賊船まで通しの駅番号…2014年1月から順次導入" [Odakyu Group, station numbers from railways to pirate ships, Introduced sequentially from January 2014]. Response Automotive Media (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
^ abc1日の駅別乗降人員 [Average daily station usage figures] (in Japanese). Japan: Keio Corporation. 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
Keio Corporation
