What is being billed as "the world's most advanced train station" has opened in the western Japanese city of Osaka. It is actually a new wing of the existing Osaka Station, eight minutes away via concourse, the "Umekita underground exit" aims to add 12,000 passengers to the station's current daily footfall of around 300,000 by offering speedier access to Kansai International airport and the neighboring prefecture of Wakayama, another major tourism destination.
The centerpiece of the high-tech train station is its unique floor-to-ceiling panels which - similar to room dividers in a traditional Japanese homes known as fusuma - slide on grooves in the floor; in this case, to protect passengers from falling onto the tracks.
The digital panels also flash helpful details about oncoming trains and routes, and unlike conventional barriers, can slide into different configurations, accommodating door layouts which may vary from train to train. There is also a wide-open walkway equipped with a facial recognition scanner so you can just walk through the station.