This train station dungeon wants you to turn back at this point, but what happens if you go ahead?

Tokyo Station is crowded. Incredibly crowded. About 3,000 trains arrive and depart here every day, and it has the most platforms in Japan so it can make you feel like you’re in a video game dungeon, where navigating crowds is part of the gameplay.

However, in one hidden corner of the labyrinthine station you’ll find a place where, strangely, there’s hardly anybody around. Stepping closer, though, will reveal the true reason why no one is here.

The unusual stillness is due to what some have described as a “terrifying warning” on the stairs.

▼ “There are 91 steps on these stairs. There’s an escalator behind you as well, so please use it.”

The stairs, which lead to Platforms 1 and 2 on the Chuo Rapid Line, are located right near the Marunouchi South Exit ticket gates so there’s a good chance that first-time dungeon explorers might find themselves here when boarding their trains. With 91 stairs ahead, though, this is no place to be rushing for your train, so the station has posted signs to warn adventurers of the unexpected leg workout that lies ahead.

The station is so mindful of the inconvenience that it’s even posted sign on either side of the stairwell, and this time the request to use the escalator is slightly more pressing, as it reads:

▼ “Notice. There are 91 steps on these stairs. There is also an escalator behind you. Please use it.”

Signed off by the Tokyo Station Master, it’s almost as if the station is pleading with commuters to turn back and use the escalator, and in all honesty, it’s probably the right call. However, as reporters, exploring the nooks and crannies of a train station dungeon is part of our duty, so instead of heeding the warnings, we went ahead and began the long ascent up the stairs.

With the Chuo Line being notoriously crowded, it feels surreal to have the entire stairwell to yourself, with nobody going up or down the stairs.

Turning the corner for the next flight, we figured this might actually be the quietest spot inside Tokyo Station.

Thankfully, there are plenty of landings where you can take a breather, but it can feel a bit claustrophobic as you can’t see the end of the stairwell.

It makes you feel as if you’re trapped in an unending passageway like the one in The Exit 8 game.

However, after a bit more perseverance, you’ll finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The final stretch of around 50 steps is the toughest, but as they say — it’s always darkest before the dawn.

With our legs burning, we blinked at the daylight like a mouse emerging from a tunnel, and breathed a sigh of relief that we weren’t running to catch a train.

With this being the end of the platform, there was hardly anybody around so we didn’t have to feel self-conscious about puffing and panting at the top of the stairs.

Although we weren’t here during rush hour, this end of the platform felt emptier than usual for a weekday, so if you’re looking for a quiet spot to escape the madness of the Tokyo Station dungeon, this place will be your secret hideaway.

It does come at a physical cost, though, so if you’d prefer to reach the platform while maintaining your dignity at the top, then you’ll want to use either the lift or the escalator. And if you find yourself falling asleep on the train after all that physical exertion, here’s what you can do when you reach the end of the line, at the “Station of Despair”.

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