It has a three-layer structure: a ticket wicket (Hachijo-guchi (Hachijo entrance/exit)), the station office and Meitengai shopping arcade are located on the first floor; the platforms and a ticket wicket (Chuo-guchi (Central entrance/exit)) are located on the second floor (a ticket gate was located inside the JNR/JR Station for a long time with a ｔicket machine for transfer, but when the new station building was constructed and the Nanboku-Jiyu-Tsuro was made, the ticket wickets of the two companies were fully separated); and the third floor has the platforms for the JR Central Shinkansen.
3層構造で、1階は改札口（八条口）・駅事務室・名店街、2階がホームと改札口（中央口、この改札口は開業当初から長らく旧国鉄→現JR京都駅の内部にある形で乗換用の改札機もあったが、現京都駅ビル建設および同駅南北自由通路設置に合わせて両社の改札口は完全分離化された）、3階はJR東海の新幹線ホームとなっている。