URBAN TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE: COMPARING TRANSPORTATION STATIONS IN KUALA LUMPUR AND TOKYO

Authors

  • SYAKIR AMIR AB RAHMAN Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University of Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
  • ALIAS ABDULLAH Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University of Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
  • MOHD FARID JAAFAR SIDEK Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University of Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
  • HITOSHI NAKAMURA Department of Planning, Architecture and Environmental Systems, Shibaura Insitute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
  • MAIMUNAH ABDUL AZIZ Tourism Planning and Development, Universiti Kuala Lumpur Business School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • NOR NADIAH NAJIB PLANMalaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i2.1134

Keywords:

urban tourism, transportation station, tourism, transport infrastructure

Abstract

Transportation stations increasingly serve as essential nodes for mobility and important infrastructure for urban tourism. Their design, amenities, and interaction with nearby attractions affect visitor movement, comfort, and the overall tourist experience. This study investigates the function of transportation station facilities in facilitating urban tourism via a comparative investigation of certain stations in Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo. Four principal stations were chosen: KL Sentral, Pasar Seni Station, Ueno Station, and Akihabara Station. The study employs qualitative comparative analysis utilizing facility audits, secondary data, and policy documents to assess tourism-supportive facilities, including accessibility, intermodality, information services, retail integration, cultural connection, and user convenience. Research indicates that Tokyo stations exhibit superior integration of tourism-oriented services, multilingual assistance, and cohesive commercial ecosystems, while Kuala Lumpur stations prioritize intermodal connectivity and cultural accessibility, yet reveal deficiencies in wayfinding consistency and tourism-specific facilities. The paper presents a conceptual framework that positions transit stations as gateways for tourism and underscores the policy implications for improving urban tourist competitiveness via transport infrastructure design.

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Published

2026-04-30

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2026): QJSSH

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 SYAKIR AMIR AB RAHMAN, ALIAS ABDULLAH, MOHD FARID JAAFAR SIDEK, HITOSHI NAKAMURA, MAIMUNAH ABDUL AZIZ, NOR NADIAH NAJIB

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

URBAN TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE: COMPARING TRANSPORTATION STATIONS IN KUALA LUMPUR AND TOKYO. (2026). Quantum Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 7(2), 438-447. https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i2.1134