Tokyo Metro

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The Tokyo Metro (Template:Langx) is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metro Cooperation under the Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. Act.[1]Template:Efn The system opened in 1927 as the Tokyo Underground Railway, becoming the first underground railway in Asia. It is the larger of Tokyo's two subway operators, with an average daily ridership of 6.52 million; the other operator, the Toei Subway, carries approximately 2.85 million passengers per day as of 2023.[2][3]

Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. is a special company established on April 1, 2004, through the privatization of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA). It is now one of Japan's major private railway operators.[4] Tokyo Metro operates a network comprising 9 distinct subway lines and 11 routes with 180 stations totaling 195.0 km (121.2 mi). Eight of these lines were inherited directly from the TRTA, including the historic Ginza Line which was once operated by Tokyo Underground Railway and the Tokyo Rapid Railway. The ninth line, the Fukutoshin Line, opened in 2008 after the launch of the new private company.

The company has been a member of the Japan Private Railway Association (Mintetsukyo) and it is formally recognized as Japan's 16th major private railway company.

Operating exclusively within Tokyo and Tokyo metropolitan area with massive commuter and student populations, Tokyo Metro is positioned uniquely among its peers. The company owns and manages nine essential subway lines, leading all other major private railways in total number of train carriages, railway operating revenue, annual passenger numbers.[5]

Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. was initially wholly owned by the Japanese government specifically the Minister of Finance and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Following a public offering where half of the shares were sold to private investors, the company was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime Market on October 23, 2024.[6][7][8] The company was scheduled to be listed on the stock exchange following the opening of the Fukutoshin Line on June 14, 2008. However, after several postponements it was finally listed on October 23, 2024, becoming a public company.[9] Although the company initially aimed for full privatization, even after the 2024 listing, the national government (nominally the Minister of Finance) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government continue to hold a combined 50% of the shares, meaning the company remains a special company subject to the Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. Act.

The proceeds from the sale of the government-owned shares will be allocated to the reconstruction budget for the Great East Japan Earthquake, while the proceeds from the sale of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government-owned shares will be used to fund railway network strengthening projects such as subway extensions for the Namboku and Yurakucho Lines and urban resilience projects like disaster prevention measures.[10][11][12]

Among the 23 special wards of Tokyo, only Ōta, Setagaya, and Katsushika lack Tokyo Metro lines or stations.Template:Efn Despite this, Tokyo Metro provides service to all three wards through through-running arrangements with other operators.

History

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File:Groundbreaking ceremony of Tokyo Underground Railway 2.jpg
The groundbreaking of the Tokyo Underground Railway on September 27, 1925
File:Prince Asaka Yasuhiko and Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi in the Tokyo Undeground train.jpg
Prince Asaka and Prince Takeda riding a train before the opening of the Ginza Line on December 29, 1927

The origin of Tokyo Metro traces back to the Tokyo Underground Railway which was officially established on August 29, 1920.[13] Following a period of preparation, construction on the city's first subway tunnel commenced on September 27, 1925. This section, connecting Asakusa and Ueno stations opened on December 30, 1927. [13]　Marketed as "the only underground railway in the Orient," it became the foundation of what is known today as the Ginza Line.[14][15] Subsequently, the line was extended to Shimbashi Station. Reciprocal through service with the Tokyo Rapid Railway which had partially opened in 1938 between Shibuya and Aoyama-rokuchome, commenced in September 1939.[16]

Under the State General Mobilization Law of 1938, enacted to consolidate transport during the Second Sino-Japanese War, bus and tram services were transferred to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.[13] Its establishment was originally conceived as a form of “transportation adjustment,” a system intended to integrate and stabilize transportation operators struggling with competition during the Great Depression. On September 1, 1941, the city's two private subway companies, Tokyo Underground Railway and Tokyo Rapid Railway were absorbed by the newly established Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA).[14]

While most other TRTA organizations were dissolved by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP/GHQ) after Japan's defeat in the World War II, the TRTA was permitted to continue.[17] This exemption was granted because its purpose was recognized as the long-term development of urban transit rather than purely for military objectives. In the postwar era, the TRTA functioned as a unique public corporation, utilizing fiscal investment and loans to fund the expansion of new subway lines. Uniquely for a state-affiliated body, it also joined the Japan Private Railway Association (Mintetsukyo), reflecting its hybrid nature of public mission and private-style management.[18][14]

In the post-war period, the TRTA operated as a special corporation jointly funded by the Japanese government (initially via the Japanese National Railways, later directly) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The process for the privatization of the TRTA was initiated by a report from the Temporary Council for Administrative Reform Promotion on June 10, 1986. Following subsequent cabinet decisions in February 1995 and December 2001, the necessary legislation was prepared.

The Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. Act was promulgated on December 18, 2002. This act facilitated the transition of the TRTA into a private entity, which officially became Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. on April 1, 2004.[19][14]

The logo was designed by the British brand consultancy agency Wolff Olins.[20]

Chronology

[14]

  • August 29, 1920 – Tokyo Underground Railway Co., Ltd. is founded.[21]
  • September 27, 1925 – Construction begins on the Tokyo Subway between Asakusa and Ueno.
  • December 30, 1927 – Tokyo Underground Railway begins the first subway service between Asakusa and Ueno.[22]
File:Tōkyō Chika Tetsudō poster by Hisui Sugiura.jpg
“An underground railway embodying the pinnacle of scientific progress”: Art Deco advertising poster promoting the opening of the Tokyo Underground Railway in 1927.
File:Tokyo Underground 1243 at Ueno Station.jpg
Passengers dressed in kimono boarding a train at Ueno Station, 1934.
  • September 5, 1934 – Tokyo Rapid Railway Co., Ltd. is founded.
  • November 18, 1938 – Tokyo Rapid Railway begins the first subway service between Aoyama-rokuchome and Toranomon.[23]
  • September 16, 1939 – Tokyo Underground Railway and Tokyo Rapid Railway begin direct through service between Asakusa and Shibuya.
  • July 4, 1941 – The Teito Rapid Transit Authority is established.
  • April 20, 1951 – Civil engineering work begins on the Marunouchi Line between Ikebukuro and Shinjuku.[24]
  • January 20, 1954 – The Marunouchi Line opens between Ikebukuro and Ochanomizu.
  • March 15, 1959 – The Marunouchi Line opens between Kasumigaseki and Shinjuku, completing the full line between Ikebukuro and Shinjuku.
  • March 28, 1961 – The Hibiya Line opens between Minamisenju and Naka-Okachimachi.[25]
  • March 23, 1962 – The Ogikubo Line branch opens between Nakano-Fujimicho and Honancho.
  • May 31, 1962 – The Hibiya Line opens between Kita-Senju and Minami-Senju, and between Naka-Okachimachi and Ningyocho; through service begins with the Tobu Isesaki Line to Kita-Koshigaya.
  • August 29, 1964 – The Hibiya Line opens between Higashi-Ginza and Kasumigaseki, completing the full line between Kita-Senju and Naka-Meguro; through service begins with the Tokyu Toyoko Line, and Nishi-Ginza Station on the Marunouchi Line is renamed Ginza Station.[26]
  • December 23, 1964 – The Tozai Line opens between Takadanobaba and Kudanshita.[27]
  • October 1, 1966 – Mutual through service begins between the Tozai Line and the Chuo Line at Ogikubo.
  • March 29, 1969 – The Tozai Line opens between Toyocho and Nishi-Funabashi, completing the section between Nakano and Nishi-Funabashi.
  • April 8, 1969 – Through service begins between Mitaka on the Chuo Line, the Tozai Line, and Tsudanuma on the Sobu Line.
  • December 20, 1969 – The Chiyoda Line opens between Kita-Senju and Otemachi, with the operating distance exceeding 100km.[28]
  • April 20, 1971 – The Chiyoda Line opens between Ayase and Kita-Senju; through service begins with the Joban Line to Abiko.
  • October 30, 1974 – The Yurakucho Line opens between Ikebukuro and Ginza-itchome.[29]
  • February 28, 1978 – A Tozai Line train is derailed and overturned on the Arakawa and Nakagawa bridges due to a tornado.
  • March 31, 1978 – The Chiyoda Line opens between Yoyogi-koen and Yoyogi-Uehara, completing the line between Ayase and Yoyogi-Uehara; direct service begins with the Odakyu Odawara Line to Hon-Atsugi.[30]
  • August 1, 1978 – The Hanzomon Line opens between Shibuya and Aoyama-itchome; direct service begins with the Tokyu Shin-Tamagawa Line to Futako-Tamagawa-en.[31]
  • December 20, 1979 – The Chiyoda Line opens between Ayase and Kita-Ayase.
  • August 25, 1987 – The Yurakucho Line opens between Wakoshi and Narimasu; through service begins with the Tobu Tojo Line in Kawagoe City.
  • June 8, 1988 – The Yurakucho Line opens between Shintomicho and Shinkiba, completing the line between Wakoshi and Shinkiba.[32]
  • November 29, 1991 – The Namboku Line opens between Komagome and Akabane-Iwabuchi.[33]
  • April 27, 1996 – Mutual through service begins between the Tozai Line and the Toyo Rapid Line to Toyo-Katsutadai.
  • March 26, 1998 – Direct service begins between the Yurakucho Line and the Seibu Ikebukuro Line to Hanno.
  • September 26, 2000 – The Namboku Line opens between Meguro and Tameike-Sanno, completing the line between Meguro and Akabane-Iwabuchi; through service begins with the Tokyu Meguro Line to Musashi-Kosugi.
  • March 28, 2001 – Mutual through service begins between the Namboku Line and the Saitama Rapid Railway to Urawa-Misono.
  • March 19, 2003 – The Hanzomon Line opens between Suitengumae and Oshiage, completing the line between Shibuya and Oshiage; through service begins with the Tobu Nikko Line to Minami-Kurihashi.
  • March 15, 2008 – Romancecar and MSE direct services begin operating on the Chiyoda Line.
  • June 14, 2008 – The Fukutoshin Line opens between Wakoshi and Shibuya.[34]

Organization

Tokyo Metro is operated by Script error: No such module "Nihongo"., a joint-stock company jointly owned by the Government of Japan and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, based at Higashi-Ueno in Taitō Ward, Tokyo, Japan.[35] The company was incorporated on April 1, 2004, and reported a workforce of 9,462 employees as of March 31, 2025.[35]

Its organizational framework is structured around several core operational and administrative units. These include the Operations Department, which manages day-to-day train services and passenger safety; the Facilities Department, responsible for engineering and maintenance of railway infrastructure; and the Retail and Advertising Department, which oversees station retail businesses and advertising operations and is scheduled to be rebranded as Consumer Services in the fiscal year ending March 2026. Strategic planning and long-term initiatives are coordinated by the Corporate Planning Headquarters. [36][37] Corporate governance is exercised by a 14-member board of directors, chaired by President and Chief Executive Officer Akihiro Kosaka as of October 10, 2025. Oversight and compliance functions are carried out by a four-member Audit and Supervisory Board.[38] On April 1, 2025, the company introduced organizational reforms aimed at strengthening digital transformation efforts and reinforcing safety management systems, in line with the goals outlined in its 2025–2027 Mid-term Management Plan.[39]

Workforce training and professional development are provided through the Tokyo Metro Academy. In the 2025–2026 academic year, the academy offers 25 online courses—an increase from 18 in the previous year—covering areas such as railway operations, safety management, and personnel development for industry professionals.[40] As an enterprise with partial government ownership, Tokyo Metro continues to emphasize its public service role within its corporate operations.[35]

In 2024, the company made its initial public offering, raising $2.3 billion in what became Japan's biggest IPO since 2018.[41] Tokyo Metro was listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, debuting as the exchange's largest IPO in six years and with a market capitalization of roughly 1 trillion yen.[41] The Government of Japan and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government each sold half of their shares, with the former using the proceeds to repay bonds funding reconstruction after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[42][43]

Overseas affiliates

In 2017, Tokyo Metro opened its affiliate in Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of preparations to be the service operator of Hanoi Metro.[44][9] The Hanoi Metro opened in 2021.[45]

Tokyo Metro has begun expanding its international footprint through operational and technical collaborations, marking a shift from its domestic focus. In November 2024, the company, as part of the GTS Rail Operations consortium with Sumitomo Corporation and others, was awarded the contract to operate London's Elizabeth Line, commencing services in May 2025 for a seven-year term; this represents Tokyo Metro's first overseas railway operation. Additionally, on September 25, 2025, Tokyo Metro handed over rolling stock equipment to FEATI University in the Philippines as part of a knowledge transfer initiative under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in April 2025 to support railway personnel development. As of 2025, the company's overseas activities remain limited to such technical partnerships and consulting, with no full subsidiaries established, emphasizing expertise sharing in subway operations and maintenance.[46][47][48]

Lines

Altogether, the Tokyo Metro is made up of nine lines operating on Script error: No such module "convert". of route.[49] Template:Rapid transit OSM map

Tokyo Metro operates nine subway lines, each identified by a unique color code and letter symbol for easy navigation. These lines form the core of the network, spanning a total operating length of 195.0 km with 180 stations. Service on all lines runs daily from approximately 5:00 a.m. to midnight, with peak-hour headways of 2 to 5 minutes to accommodate high passenger volumes.[39] The two oldest lines use 600 V DC third rail electrification, while the remaining seven employ 1,500 V DC overhead catenary for higher capacity and speed.[50]

List of Tokyo Metro lines

Name Color Icon No.Template:Efn Route Stations LengthScript error: No such module "string".km (mi) Opened Last extension Daily ridership (FY2024)[51] Gauge Current supply
Ginza style="background:#Template:Rcr;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Orange Template:TSLS 3 Template:STN to Template:STN 19 Script error: No such module "convert". 1927 1939 1,974,806 Template:RailGauge Template:600 V DC
Marunouchi style="background:#Template:Rcr;" rowspan="2" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Scarlet Template:TSLS 4 Template:STN to Template:STN 25 Script error: No such module "convert". 1954 1962 2,520,940
Marunouchi Branch Template:TSLS Template:STN to Template:STN 4 Script error: No such module "convert". 1962
Hibiya style="background:#Template:Rcr;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Silver Template:TSLS 2 Template:STN to Template:STN 22 Script error: No such module "convert". 1961 1964Template:Efn 2,268,322 Template:RailGauge Template:1,500 V DC
Tōzai style="background:#Template:Rcr;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Sky Template:TSLS 5 Template:STN to Template:STN 23 Script error: No such module "convert". 1964 1969 2,609,114
Chiyoda rowspan="2" style="background:#Template:Rcr;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Green Template:TSLS 9 Template:STN to Template:STN 20 Script error: No such module "convert". 1969 1978 2,351,802
Chiyoda Branch Template:STN to Template:STN 2 Script error: No such module "convert". 1979 —
Yūrakuchō style="background:#Template:Rcr;" rowspan="2" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Gold Template:TSLS 8 Template:STN to Template:STN 24 Script error: No such module "convert". 1974 1988 2,092,194
Yūrakuchō Branch TBA Template:STN to Template:STN 5 Script error: No such module "convert". Mid-2030s (proposed)[52] —
Hanzōmon style="background:#Template:Rcr;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Purple Template:TSLS 11 Template:STN to Template:STN 14 Script error: No such module "convert". 1978 2003 1,945,116
Namboku style="background:#Template:Rcr;" rowspan="2" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Emerald Template:TSLS 7 Template:STN to Template:STN 19 Script error: No such module "convert". 1991 2000 1,036,470
Namboku Branch TBA Template:STN to Template:STN 2 Script error: No such module "convert". Mid-2030s (proposed)[53] —
Fukutoshin style="background:#Template:Rcr;" |<templatestyles src="Template:Color/styles.css" />Brown Template:TSLS 13 Template:STN to Template:STN 16 Script error: No such module "convert".Template:Efn 1994 2008 1,111,014
Total (Subway only, not including trackage rights): 180 Script error: No such module "convert".  

Template:Notelist

File:Fuku-Shibuya2.jpg
A shield tunnel heading toward Ikebukuro, viewed from the Shibuya Station platform.
File:Tokyo Metro 2109F leaving Ochanomizu (20230806113326).jpg
Marunouchi line leaving Ochanomizu Station.
  • The route numbers established in Urban Transportation Council Recommendation No. 10 (都市交通審議会答申第10号), submitted to the Minister of Transport on April 10, 1968, remain in use today. The recommendation did not designate specific construction or operating entities. As a result, other operators, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation and Tokyu Corporation, applied for licenses based on the recommendation, leading to the existence of route numbers not listed in the table above, including Lines 1, 6, 10, and 12.[54] The route numbering system differed from that used in the earlier Urban Transportation Council Recommendation No. 6 (都市交通審議会答申第6号), submitted on June 8, 1962. Between Recommendations No. 6 and No. 10, several route numbers were reassigned: the Chiyoda Line was renumbered from Line 8 to Line 9, the Yurakucho Line from Line 10 to Line 8, and the Toei Shinjuku Line from Line 9 to Line 10.[55]
  • The section of the Chiyoda Line between Kita-Ayase Station and Ayase Station is treated as a branch line in some sources; however, for passenger information purposes it is regarded as part of a single line. This treatment is consistent across official materials, including the Tokyo Metro website and the Railway Directory (鉄道要覧).[56]
  • The section between Wakōshi Station and Kotake-Mukaihara Station is listed as part of the Yurakucho Line in the official website and in the Railway Directory.[57] However, in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area Railway Network Development Plan and other planning documents, it is classified as part of Line 13 (the Fukutoshin Line). For passenger information purposes, this section is treated as a shared segment of both lines, with station numbering assigned separately for the Yurakucho Line and the Fukutoshin Line.
  • When the Fukutoshin Line opened, the section between Kotake-Mukaihara Station and Ikebukuro Station was initially treated as a quadruple-track extension of the Yurakucho Line, known as the Yurakucho Line New Line. This section was subsequently incorporated into the Fukutoshin Line upon the opening of the line's southern section from Ikebukuro Station.

Through services to other lines

File:Akabane-iwabuchi Station 2023 May 16 various.jpeg
Shared platform at Akabane-Iwabuchi Station for the Saitama Rapid Railway Line and Namboku Line.
File:Tokyo-Metro Nishi-Funabashi-STA Gate.jpg
Ticket gates at Nishi-Funabashi Station for the Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line and the Tōyō Rapid Railway.

Through-running operations allow Tokyo Metro trains to continue beyond their own network and travel directly onto tracks owned by other railway companies. This arrangement enables passengers to ride seamlessly from suburban districts, through central Tokyo, and onward without the need to change trains. Such services are made possible through cooperative agreements among Tokyo Metro, East Japan Railway Company (JR East), the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei Subway), and several private railway operators, including Seibu Railway, Tobu Railway, and Tokyu Corporation.[58][59]

One example is the Chiyoda Line, which runs northeast onto JR East’s Jōban Line as far as Ayase Station, providing a direct link between residential neighborhoods in northern Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture and the city’s major employment centers. The Tōzai Line similarly offers through services eastward onto the JR East Sōbu Line to Nishi-Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture, using 10-car train sets to handle heavy passenger volumes.[60] On the western side, the Yūrakuchō Line extends onto the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, reaching Kotesashi Station and serving commuters from western Tokyo and Saitama.[59]

The Hanzōmon Line also participates in through-running, continuing south onto Tokyu’s Den-en-toshi Line toward Chūō-Rinkan, which connects Shibuya with southern suburban areas and supports large residential developments such as Tama New Town.[58] A particularly significant expansion of this practice occurred in March 2013, when the Fukutoshin Line began operating through services with the Seibu, Tobu, Tokyu Toyoko, and Yokohama Minatomirai lines, creating Japan’s first interconnection involving five separate railway companies.

These extensions enhance connectivity across Greater Tokyo's approximately 1,000 km of shared tracks involving 18 operators, reducing travel times, alleviating congestion at transfer stations, and promoting regional economic integration by enabling direct access to employment centers. Operationally, through services require compatible infrastructure, such as standardized 1,435 mm gauge tracks and voltage systems, with Tokyo Metro coordinating schedules to ensure seamless integration.[58]

Line Through Lines
Template:TSLS Hibiya Line Template:TBLS Tobu Skytree Line
Template:TBLS Tōbu Nikkō Line (Template:STN to Template:STN and Template:STN)[61][62]
Template:TSLS Tōzai Line Template:JRLS JR East Chūō-Sōbu Line (Chūō Main Line) (Template:STN to Template:STN)[63]
Template:JRLS JR East Chūō-Sōbu Line (Sōbu Main Line) (Template:STN to Template:STN)[64]
Template:TRLS Toyo Rapid Line (Template:STN to Template:STN)
Template:TSLS Chiyoda Line Template:ODLS Odakyu Odawara Line
Template:ODLS Odakyu Tama Line (Template:STN to Template:STN and Template:STN)[65]
Template:JRLS JR East Jōban Line (Template:STN to Template:STN)[66]
Template:TSLS Yūrakuchō Line Template:TBLS Tōbu Tōjō Line (Template:STN to Template:STN)
File:SeibuIkebukuro.svg Seibu Ikebukuro Line via Seibu Yūrakuchō Line (Kotake-Mukaihara Station to Template:STN)[67]
Template:TSLS Hanzōmon Line Template:TQLS Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line (Template:STN to Template:STN)[68]
Template:TBLS Tobu Skytree Line
Template:TBLS Tobu Nikkō Line
Template:TBLS Tobu Isesaki Line (Template:STN to Template:STN, Template:STN and Template:STN)[69]
Template:TSLS Namboku Line Template:TSLS Saitama Rapid Railway Line (Template:STN to Template:STN)[70]
Template:TQLS Tōkyū Meguro Line (Template:STN to Template:STN), then Template:TQLS Tōkyū Shin-Yokohama Line (Hiyoshi to Template:STN), then File:Sotetsu line symbol.svg Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line (Shin-Yokohama to Template:STN), then File:Sotetsu line symbol.svg Sōtetsu Main Line (Nishiya to Template:STN to Template:STN) or File:Sotetsu line symbol.svg Sōtetsu Izumino Line (Futamata-gawa to Template:STN)[71]
Template:TSLS Fukutoshin Line Tōbu and Seibu line (same stations served as the Yūrakuchō Line)
Template:TQLS Tōkyū Tōyoko Line (Template:STN to Hiyoshi and Template:STN)
File:Number prefix Minatomirai.svg Minatomirai Line (Yokohama to Template:STN) Or Template:TQLS Tōkyū Shin-Yokohama Line (Hiyoshi to Shin-Yokohama), then File:Sotetsu line symbol.svg Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line (Shin-Yokohama to Nishiya), then File:Sotetsu line symbol.svg Sōtetsu Main Line (Nishiya to Futamata-gawa to Ebina) or File:Sotetsu line symbol.svg Sōtetsu Izumino Line (Futamata-gawa to Shōnandai)
  • Namboku Line shares Template:Cvt of track of between Meguro and Template:STN with Toei Mita Line.
  • Some of the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line express trains, instead of continuing towards Yokohama/Motomachi-Chūkagai, change course at Hiyoshi for Tōkyū Shin-Yokohama Line and share all of the through services downstream just as Tōkyū Meguro Line.

Stations

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File:Kyobashi-station(TOKYO) MEIDI-YA.JPG
Entrance to Kyōbashi Station directly connected to the Meidi-Ya Building.

There are a total of 180 unique stations (i.e., counting stations served by multiple lines only once) on the Tokyo Metro network.[49][72] Most stations are located within the 23 special wards and fall inside the Yamanote Line rail loop — some wards such as Setagaya and Ōta have no stations (or only a limited number of stations), as rail service in these areas has historically been provided by the Toei Subway or any of the various Script error: No such module "Nihongo"..

Most stations are built at depths of approximately 20 to 30 meters below ground level; the Fukutoshin Line, in particular, averages a depth of about 27 meters in order to pass beneath existing railway and utility infrastructure.[73] Escalators are installed at over 90% of stations, while elevators and related facilities are provided in accordance with Japan’s Barrier-Free Transportation Law, enabling step-free access between street level and platforms at most locations.[74]

Several major interchange stations illustrate the network’s role in metropolitan connectivity. Shinjuku Station, where the Marunouchi and Fukutoshin Lines connect with JR East and other railway operators, handles a combined daily passenger volume exceeding 3.6 million. Ikebukuro Station functions as another major hub, served by the Marunouchi, Yurakucho, and Fukutoshin Lines, with extensive connections to JR and private railways used by millions of commuters. Shibuya Station, a key transfer point for the Ginza, Hanzomon, and Fukutoshin Lines as well as Tokyu and JR services, accommodates roughly 3 million users per day across all rail operators. At Tokyo Station, the Marunouchi Line provides direct connections to JR lines, supporting heavy transfer demand within the central business district. Together, these interchange stations demonstrate the high degree of integration among Tokyo Metro’s nine lines and their role in facilitating passenger movement across the metropolitan area.

Station safety measures include the installation of platform screen doors, which had been completed at approximately 88% of stations by fiscal year 2022, with full network coverage planned by 2025 to reduce accidents and prevent suicides. In addition, multilingual guidance—provided in English, Chinese, and Korean—is displayed on platforms, ticket machines, and through onboard and station announcements to assist both international visitors and residents.[75][76][77]

File:Tokyo SendagiStation PlatformGate 2020.jpg
Typical Tokyo Metro station, with half-height platform doors, at the Sendagi Station.
File:Tokyo-Metro Tawaramachi-STA Platform2.jpg
Platform at Tawaramachi Station, one of the Tokyo Metro’s oldest stations.

Tokyo Metro’s accessibility efforts are aligned with national barrier-free policies, with most stations equipped with elevators, ramps, and step-free routes connecting entrances and platforms. The operator aims to achieve full wheelchair accessibility throughout the network by 2025 as part of its mid-term management strategy. Priority seating is available in every train car, and women-only cars are operated on all lines during weekday peak periods (7:30–9:30 a.m. and 5:30–7:00 p.m.), clearly identified by pink signage to improve comfort and safety for female passengers.[39][78]

Among notable features of the system, Kokkai-gijidōmae Station on the Chiyoda Line is the deepest station on the Tokyo Metro network, situated at a depth of approximately 37.9 meters, highlighting the technical challenges of subway construction in central Tokyo. Meanwhile, older stations such as Ueno, served by the Ginza and Hibiya Lines, retain architectural elements from the 1920s and 1930s, including original entrances associated with the opening of Japan’s first subway line in 1927.[79]

Major interchange stations, connecting three or more Tokyo Metro lines, include the following:

File:Nishigahara-Sta-1.JPG
Nishigahara Station, among the Tokyo Metro stations with the lowest daily ridership.

Other major stations provide additional connections to other railway operators such as the Toei Subway, JR East, and the various private railways, including (but not limited to) the following:

Operation

Fares

File:Toranomon-Hills-STA Ticket.jpg
Ticket vending machine at Toranomon Hills Station.
File:東京地下鉄 東京メトロ・都営地下鉄共通一日乗車券 本券.png
One day (24 hours) ticket for Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway

Tokyo Metro uses a distance-based fare system. When paying with IC cards such as PASMO or Suica, adult fares range from ¥178 to ¥324, while fares for paper tickets are slightly higher, ranging from ¥180 to ¥330.[80][81] Fare levels are determined by distance traveled, calculated in set kilometer brackets. Discounted fares apply to children aged 6 to 11, who are charged approximately half the adult fare, rounded down to the nearest whole yen.[80] IC card payments are deducted in 1-yen increments, whereas paper tickets are sold in fixed denominations and include a ¥10 barrier-free surcharge. PASMO and Suica cards are accepted throughout the Tokyo Metro network, enabling contactless entry and exit at all ticket gates.[80][82]

In addition, passengers transferring between Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway services at designated interchange stations within a 120-minute window receive a ¥70 transfer discount, which lowers the combined fare. For example, a journey costing ¥252 on Tokyo Metro and ¥220 on the Toei Subway is reduced to a total of ¥402 rather than ¥472. The same proportional transfer discount applies to child fares.[83]

For visitors, the Tokyo Subway Ticket provides unlimited travel on all Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway lines for fixed periods of 24 hours (¥800 for adults; ¥400 for children), 48 hours (¥1,200 / ¥600), or 72 hours (¥1,500 / ¥750).[84] Validity begins at the time of first use, and tickets may be purchased in advance.[84] As of 2025, standard Tokyo Metro fares have remained unchanged; however, JR East announced an average fare increase of 7.1% on its lines, including the Yamanote Line, effective from March 2026, with short-distance fares rising by ¥10 (for example, from ¥150 to ¥160).[85] Tickets and passes are available through multilingual ticket vending machines at all stations, as well as via mobile applications such as Mobile PASMO and Mobile Suica, which support IC card issuance and balance recharging. Certain products can also be purchased at Metro Pass Offices.[80][82] Discounted fares are offered for organized groups consisting of eight or more passengers (or nine or more in the case of student groups), providing reductions of approximately 17–30% when arrangements are made in advance at a station office. Larger groups may also receive complimentary tickets, typically at a rate of one free ticket for every 25 to 50 paying passengers.

Overcrowding

File:Carl-Randall---Subway-painting.jpg
Figurative art by British artist Carl Randall depicting a crowded train in Tokyo.

Overcrowding is a persistent issue on the Tokyo Metro, particularly during weekday peak commuting hours, due to the high population density of the Tokyo metropolitan area and the concentration of employment and educational institutions in central Tokyo. Tokyo Metro, which serves millions of passengers daily, routinely experiences passenger loads well above its designed capacity on several lines.

Congestion rates in Japan are measured as the ratio of passenger load to designed capacity, with 100 % representing full occupancy where all passengers can sit or stand while holding onto a strap or handrail. Higher percentages indicate increasingly crowded conditions. Sustained congestion rates above 150 % are typical during rush hours on many Tokyo Metro lines, with some segments historically reaching extreme levels.[86] The Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line has long been notorious for overcrowding, with pre-pandemic surveys recording peak congestion rates approaching 199 %, indicating conditions where passengers are pressed tightly together with limited mobility. Other busy lines such as the Hibiya Line also frequently exceed 150 % capacity during morning peak periods.

According to government data, sections of the Tokyo Metro network remain among the most crowded in the Tokyo area. For example, the section of the Hibiya Line between Minowa and Iriya stations was measured at approximately 163 % congestion during morning rush hours in a 2024 survey. [87] In the broader Tokyo metropolitan rail network—of which Tokyo Metro is a major part—average congestion rates across key commuter sections hovered around 136 % in 2023, nearing levels typical before the COVID-19 pandemic as ridership recovered.[88]

File:TokyoMetroSignReservedForWomen.jpg
A sign on the Hibiya Line denoting that cars stopping in this area are for women only during morning peak hours

To mitigate overcrowding, Tokyo Metro has implemented measures such as increasing service frequency during peak hours, introducing women-only cars, installing platform screen doors, deploying station staff to manage passenger flow, and promoting off-peak travel through demand-management initiatives.[89]

Traffic

According to the company, an average of 6.33 million people used the company's nine subway routes each day in 2009. The company made a profit of ¥63.5 billion in 2009.[90]

In fiscal year 2024 (April 2023–March 2024), Tokyo Metro averaged approximately 6.84 million passenger trips per day, representing a year-on-year increase of about 5% from the 6.52 million daily average recorded in FY2023.[91][92] This rise in usage resulted in a total annual ridership of roughly 2.5 billion journeys across the network.[36]

Passenger numbers continued to recover following the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching around 95% of pre-pandemic (FY2019) levels by early 2025. This rebound has been attributed largely to the return of regular office commuting as well as increased leisure travel.[93] Peak usage occurs during the morning rush period between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m., which accounts for approximately 40% of total daily ridership, underscoring the system’s importance to Tokyo’s commuter population.[94] By line, the Tōzai Line carries the largest volume of passengers, with about 1.2 million daily users, whereas the Ginza Line records the lowest usage at roughly 0.6 million per day.[95][96]

Operational reliability remains high, with on-time performance reported at 99.8% and mean delays averaging under one minute per train.[96] Ridership by overseas visitors has increased, partly due to external factors such as the surge in tourism in 2025, when inbound arrivals to Japan surpassed 31 million during the first nine months of the year; this contributed to an estimated 10% rise in foreign passenger usage.[97] Despite this growth, congestion levels on heavily used sections during peak hours averaged around 139%, indicating continued capacity constraints.[94]

According to official forecasts published in the FY2025 Fact Book, average daily ridership is expected to reach approximately 7 million passengers by 2027, driven by planned network expansions and a continuing economic recovery.[36]

Infrastructure and Maintenance

Depots

File:Tokyo-Metro-Fukagawa-Depot.jpg
Fukagawa depot in Koto.

Tokyo Metro maintains nine principal depots and rail yards throughout its network, which are essential to sustaining efficient daily operations. Approximately 80% of the rolling stock is stabled overnight at these facilities, allowing for rapid deployment during the morning peak. Major maintenance work, including wheel reprofiling and full-scale inspections conducted at intervals of roughly 100,000 kilometers is concentrated at these sites to meet strict safety and regulatory requirements.[98]

These depots are positioned strategically near line termini or central sections to maximize operational accessibility. Ueno Depot, located in Taitō Ward, mainly supports the Ginza and Marunouchi Lines and is responsible for routine inspections and minor repairs. Ayase Depot in Adachi Ward, the largest facility at 14.18 hectares, serves the Chiyoda Line and contains specialized inspection areas and workshops for extensive maintenance. Nakano Depot, occupying 5.9 hectares in Nakano Ward, handles stabling and scheduled maintenance for the Tōzai Line. Shibuya Depot, situated in Shibuya Ward, services the Hanzomon and Yūrakuchō Lines, with an emphasis on rapid turnaround operations. Other facilities include Koishikawa Depot for the Marunouchi Line, Otsuka Depot for the Namboku Line, Toride Depot for training-related functions, Kasai Depot supporting the Fukutoshin and Namboku Lines, and Shin-Kiba Depot, which functions as a shared inspection center for multiple lines.[99][100]

Name Location Current assigned fleet Former assigned fleet Lines served
Ueno Taitō, north of Ueno Station 1000 01, (old) 2000, 1500, 1400, 1300, 100, 1200, 1100, (old) 1000 Ginza
Shibuya Shibuya, west of Shibuya Station None (inspections only) Ginza
Nakano Nakano, south of Nakano-Fujimichō Station 2000 02, 02-80 (branch line), 300, 400, 500, 100 (branch line), (old) 2000 (branch line) Marunouchi
Koishikawa Bunkyō, between Myōgadani Station and Kōrakuen Station None (inspection and renovation only) Ginza, Marunouchi
Senju Arakawa, north of Minami-Senju Station 13000 03, 3000 Hibiya
Takenotsuka Adachi, south of Takenotsuka Station 13000 03, 3000 Hibiya
Fukagawa Kōtō, south of Tōyōchō Station 05, 07, 15000 5000 Tōzai
Gyōtoku Ichikawa, south of Myōden Station None (inspections only) Tōzai
Ayase Adachi, north of Kita-Ayase Station 16000, 05 (branch line) 6000, 06, 5000 (branch line) Chiyoda, Namboku, Yūrakuchō, Saitama Rapid
Wakō Wakō, north of Wakōshi Station 10000, 17000 07, 7000 Fukutoshin, Yūrakuchō
Shin-Kiba Kōtō, southeast of Shin-Kiba Station None (inspection and renovation only) Chiyoda, Hanzōmon, Namboku, Tōzai, Yūrakuchō, and Fukutoshin
Saginuma Kawasaki, inside Saginuma Station 08, 8000, 18000 Hanzōmon
Ōji Kita, north of Ōji-Kamiya Station 9000 Namboku

Rolling stock

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since 1 April 2016Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., Tokyo Metro operates a fleet of 2,728 electric multiple unit (EMU) vehicles, the largest fleet for a private railway operator in Japan.[101]

600 V third rail / 1,435 mm gauge lines

1,500 V overhead / 1,067 mm gauge lines

Trains from other operators are also used on Tokyo Metro lines as a consequence of inter-running services.

Future expansion

Tokyo Metro indicated in its public share offering that it would cease line construction once the Fukutoshin Line was completed.[103] That line was completed in March 2013 with the opening of the connection with the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line at Shibuya Station, allowing through service as far as Motomachi-Chūkagai Station in Yokohama. There are several lines such as the Hanzōmon Line that still have extensions in their official plans, and in the past, these plans have tended to happen, though often over several decades.

In March 2022, Tokyo Metro received permission to add two new extensions to the network. Under these plans, the Yūrakuchō Line would receive a new branch from Toyosu Station to Sumiyoshi Station with three new stops (including one at Toyocho Station on the Tōzai Line) to better serve the Toyosu urban development zone, and the Namboku Line would receive an extension from Shirokane-Takanawa Station to Shinagawa Station, where it would connect with the Tokaido Shinkansen and the under-construction Chūō Shinkansen in addition to serving the surrounding business district. Both extensions are expected to open in the 2030s.[104][105][106][107]

See also

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References

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External links

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