Indeed. The Chuo line has purpose.

I suggest not starting such a trip at 8:00AM.

As a student, I was usually able to arrange my schedule to avoid rush hour, but the school arranged a 3-day trip for us foreign students in the spring, and we were given tickets and were told to report to a certain Shinkansen that left at 9:00AM.

Standing on the platform at Nakano Station at 8:00AM, I watched several Chuo Line trains go past packed beyond capacity. From outside, the passengers looked as if they were flattened against the doors. Finally, I knew that I would have to catch the next train, no matter what.

Using my tote bag as a battering ram, I forced my way onto the train and ended up trapped in a "walk like an Egyptian" pose in the middle of the car. The good news was that I would definitely not fall over if the train rounded a curve quickly. I was pushed around as people got on and off at the intermediate stations, some of them frantically shouting, "Orosh'te kudasai!" and when the train finally pulled in at Tokyo Station, I flowed out with the rest of the humanity.

Yes, I made my train, but just barely. The doors closed behind me as I ran onto the first car. The train was already moving by the time I found my fellow students, who thought I had been left behind.

If you would like an adventure like that, start your journey at 8:00AM. If you have more flexibility, though, I would recommend going later in the day.

If OP go the other direction on Chuo line, he can get to Nagoya then onward to Kyoto. Probably the cheapest way to Kyoto on train. Going that direction in the morning will be no problem at all.

He can even stop off on the way to see the Matsumoto Castle.

Seriously, to OP:
If you have luggage and are taking Yamanote line to Shinagawa Stn., take the last few cars since the elevators at this station is on the south end of the platforms.

If you are taking Chuo line into Tokyo Stn, you want to take the first few cars since the elevators at Tokyo Stn is at south end of the station.

In both cases, you will have to cross the entire concourse since Shinkansen platforms are at the other end.

I am honored that my Smidgen-like remark merited such Talmudic deconstruction efforts from the Conclave of Elders. As the Good Lord अवलोकितेश्वर would channel, there are three sides to every question.

First, it is farkin' nonsense to do this trip at such time in the morning, be it the Chuo Line or the marume one-hand-clapping going-nowhere Yama no Te, it of the five fingered बोधिसत्त्व.

Second, it is farkin' nonsense to be concerned with 10 minute times, which is clearly insufficient, and least so at that time in the morning. If you want to make your shinkansen, take an earlier train, or a later shinkansen.

Third, it is farkin' nonsense to go round and round the Yamanote line, when the Chuo line has both purpose and direction. It goes from A to B with a lucidity and a clarity of spirit not seen in the Yama no Te line, which although special in its own way for completing the maru, does not compete against the Chuo line and its directness, allowing one to rest comfortable right in the shinkansen starting at Tokyo Station. Especially if one is a free spirit and desires to brave the 自由席.

The Yamanote line is for partying.

Can anyone verify the platform numbers that the shinkansens to Kyoto depart from, for both the Tokyo and Shinagawa Stations.

After you bought your ticket, there will be a train number on the ticket. There will be signage which platform is for which train.

At Tokyo Stn, towards Kyoto, it will be on platforms 14-19.

At Shinagawa Stn, towards Kyoto, it will be on platforms 23-24.

Great thanks, just trying to do as much planning ahead of time as possible.

Here are plans of Tokyo station and Shinagawa station.

Could anyone advise as to what time i might consider derparting?

My reasoning for the early departure is that i don't have much time to explore Kyoto and i wanted to get as much out of the first day there as possible. I was planning on arriving early the first day, checking in at hotel, and then jetting off to see either Nijo or Arashiyama; or both if possible. Is this too ambitous?

Move as early as possible and I frequently take the first flight. Traveling generally is pretty easy before 7AM.

You don't really have to worry about the reserve seat you have on any particular train. Once you get to the Shinkansen Stn, be it Tokyo or Shinagawa, and there is an earlier train available; just make a change at a window or counter to the earlier train. JR don't charge anything for the change.

They don't charge for the 1st change. For the 2nd change, you have to cancel and refund first. It costs up to 30% for the express ticket and 210 yen for the fare ticket.　You might not need to refund the fare ticket.

You should be able to do both in one day, but you should start earlier as suggested here. Nijo shouldn't take that long (a couple of hours at most) but Arashiyama can take you days if you are into it, and you can easily spend many hours. Go to Nijo first, do the tour, etc. and then head out to Arashiyama, have lunch, and spend the rest of the day there.

One advantage of doing Nijo-jo as early in the day as possible is the absence of tour bus-loads of obaasans and ojiisans. The parking lot starts filling up with all the organized tours from about 9:00 or 9:30 am. If you can get there before that, you can have a nice, relaxing wander through the grounds, staying ahead of the first groups and be ready to leave after 10:00 am, just as the real hordes descend.

In the Tokyo Station, the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkensan platforms are #21-24. Signage is quite good throughout. Recently I was able to make it from the platform where NEX dropped off to the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkensan platforms (several foors up) in less than 10 minutes. Yes, I was in a rush to catch the train that I had reserved seat.

Don't know about Shinagawa.