Yamanote Line
Encyclopedia
The is commuter rail loop line in Tokyo
, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company
(JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō
/Ginza
area, Shibuya
, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro
, with all but two of its 29 stations connecting to other railway or underground (subway) lines.
The "Yamanote Line" as an official line name indicates the tracks between Shinagawa and Tabata that is used by local trains on their own tracks as well as the parallel Yamanote Freight Line which is used by Saikyō Line
and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line
trains, some limited express services, and freight trains. However, in everyday usage the "Yamanote Line" refers to the entire 34.5 km loop line served by local trains. (This article uses the same definition.)
(which for timetabling purposes is the line's start and terminus) and sometimes Ikebukuro
. Certain trains also start from Tamachi in the mornings and end at Shinagawa
in the evenings. Trains which run clockwise are known as and those counter-clockwise as . (Trains travel on the left in Japan, as with road traffic.)
The line also acts as a fare zone destination for JR tickets from locations outside Tokyo, permitting travel to any JR station on or within the loop. This refers to stations on the Yamanote Line as well as the Chūō-Sōbu Line
between Sendagaya
and Ochanomizu
.
The line colour used on all rolling stock, station signs and diagrams is JNR
Yellow Green No.6 (■, Munsell
code 7.5GY 6.5/7.8), known in Japanese as .
carries 5.08 million passengers per day on 26 lines serving 468 stations, and the London Underground
carries 2.7 million passengers per day on 12 lines serving 275 stations.
morpheme
s yama 'mountain', no genitive
suffix
, and te 'hand', thus "mountain's hand".
Yamanote-sen is officially written in Japanese without the kana
, which makes its pronunciation ambiguous in print. The characters may also be pronounced yamate, as in Yamate-dōri (Yamate Street), which runs parallel to the west side of the Yamanote Line. The Seishin-Yamate Line
in Kobe
and the Yamate
area of Yokohama
also use this pronunciation.
After World War II
, SCAP
ordered all train placards to be romanized, and the Yamanote Line was romanized as "YAMATE LINE." It was thus alternatively known as "Yamanote" and "Yamate" until 1971, when the Japanese National Railways
changed the pronunciation back to "Yamanote." Some older people still refer to the line as the "Yamate Line".
In 1971, JNR changed all train line signage to specify the pronunciation of line names. This change is attributed to the opening of the Agatsuma Line
, which could be incorrectly pronounced "Azuma" as the kana
is omitted in its written name. As part of this change, JNR decided to adopt the Yamanote pronunciation, one reason being that there is a Yamate Station
on the Negishi Line in nearby Yokohama.
The Yamanote Line originated in 1885 with the construction of the between Shinagawa
and Akabane
, bypassing the then built up areas and providing the first north-south rail link through Tokyo. The top part of the loop between Ikebukuro and Tabata was completed in 1903 (known as the ) and following electrification in 1909 both lines were merged to become the Yamanote Line. The loop was not complete at this time, so trains generally inter-operated with the Chūō
and Keihin-Tōhoku
lines, traveling from Nakano
to Tokyo Station, south to Shinagawa, then clockwise around the Yamanote Line to Tabata.
The loop was completed in 1925 with the opening of the section of track between Kanda and Ueno
, providing a north-south link via Tokyo Station through the city's business centre. A parallel freight line, also completed in 1925, ran along the inner side of the loop between Shinagawa and Tabata.
During the prewar era, the Ministry of Railways did not issue permits to private suburban railway companies for new lines to cross the Yamanote from their terminal stations to the central districts of Tokyo, forcing to terminate services at stations on the line. This policy led to the development of around major transfer points on the Yamanote Line, most notably at Shinjuku
and Ikebukuro
(which are now the two busiest passenger railway stations in the world).
The contemporary Yamanote Line came into being in 1956 when it was separated from the Keihin-Tōhoku Line and given its own set of tracks along the eastern side of the loop between Shinagawa and Tabata
. However, Yamanote Line trains continued to periodically use the Keihin-Tōhoku tracks, particularly on holidays and during off-peak hours, until rapid service trains were introduced on the Keihin-Tōhoku Line in 1988.
A major explosion on the Yamanote Freight Line in Shinjuku in 1967 led to the diversion of freight traffic to the more distant Musashino Line
. To address severe undercapacity, the freight line was repurposed for use by Saikyō Line
and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line
trains, as well as certain limited express trains such as the Narita Express
and some liner
services. Likewise, there are currently plans to extend
the Tōhoku Main Line to Tokyo Station
to provide further relief on the busiest portion of the Yamanote Line today, the southbound segment between Ueno and Okachimachi.
The distance between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations is 2.2 km, making it the longest stretch of track on the Yamanote Line. As a result, there are plans for a new station between those two stations.
EMUs, which were phased in from April 21, 2002. These trains originally each included two "six-door cars" with six pairs of doors per side and bench seats that were folded up to provide standing room only during the morning peak until 10 a.m. From February 22, 2010, the seats were no longer folded up during the morning peak, and all trains were standardized with newly built four-door cars by 31 August 2011. This was due to reduced congestion on the line as well as preparation for the installation of platform doors on all stations by 2017.
The E231 series supports a new type of traffic control system, called digital Automatic Train Control
(D-ATC), which will help reduce one round trip to a very short 58 minutes. The series also has a more modern design and has two 15-inch LCD monitors above each door, one of which is used for displaying commercials, news and weather; and another which is used for displaying information on the next stop (in both Japanese and English) along with notification of delays on Shinkansen
and other railway lines in the greater Tokyo area.
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
(JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō
Yurakucho
is a neighborhood of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan situated in between the Ginza and Hibiya Park, near the neighborhood of Shinbashi. Unlike its tonier neighbor Ginza, Yūrakuchō provides a glimpse of Japanese life from the early postwar period, with its many izakaya and outdoor yakitori restaurants , many...
/Ginza
Ginza
is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi.It is known as an upscale area of Tokyo with numerous department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses. Ginza is recognized as one of the most...
area, Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
, with all but two of its 29 stations connecting to other railway or underground (subway) lines.
The "Yamanote Line" as an official line name indicates the tracks between Shinagawa and Tabata that is used by local trains on their own tracks as well as the parallel Yamanote Freight Line which is used by Saikyō Line
Saikyo Line
The is a railway line between Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is a part of the East Japan Railway Company network...
and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line
Shonan-Shinjuku Line
The is a passenger railway service in Japan which commenced in December 2001. The line has no dedicated track as services run through shared sections along the Ryōmō Line, Takasaki Line, Utsunomiya Line, Yamanote Freight Line, Yokosuka Line, and Tōkaidō Main Line...
trains, some limited express services, and freight trains. However, in everyday usage the "Yamanote Line" refers to the entire 34.5 km loop line served by local trains. (This article uses the same definition.)
Service
Trains run from 04:26 to 01:18 the next day at intervals as short as 2.5 minutes during peak periods and four minutes at other times. A complete loop takes 59 to 65 minutes. All trains stop at each station. Trains are put into and taken out of service at ŌsakiOsaki Station
is a railway stationin Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. It is one of the stations where trains on the Yamanote Line loop are put into and taken out of service...
(which for timetabling purposes is the line's start and terminus) and sometimes Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro Station
is a railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest train station in the world , and the busiest station in the Tobu, Seibu and Tokyo Metro networks. It primarily serves commuters from...
. Certain trains also start from Tamachi in the mornings and end at Shinagawa
Shinagawa Station
is the first major station south ofTokyo Station and is a major interchange for trains operated by JR East, JR Central, and Keikyu. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen and other trains to the Miura Peninsula, Izu Peninsula and the Tōkai region pass through here...
in the evenings. Trains which run clockwise are known as and those counter-clockwise as . (Trains travel on the left in Japan, as with road traffic.)
The line also acts as a fare zone destination for JR tickets from locations outside Tokyo, permitting travel to any JR station on or within the loop. This refers to stations on the Yamanote Line as well as the Chūō-Sōbu Line
Chuo-Sobu Line
The is a railway line located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company network, it runs on separate tracks along the right-of-way of the Chūō Main Line and Sōbu Main Line , providing service between Mitaka Station in the cities of Mitaka and Musashino and...
between Sendagaya
Sendagaya Station
is a railway station operated by East Japan Railway Company and located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.-Around the station:Located in front of the station is Kokuritsu Kyogijo Station on the Toei Ōedo Line....
and Ochanomizu
Ochanomizu Station
is a railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company and Tokyo Metro.-Location:JR East's Ochanomizu station lies next to the Kanda River. During the Edo period, the Kanda River was rerouted to pass through Ochanomizu, which was otherwise a highland between two...
.
The line colour used on all rolling stock, station signs and diagrams is JNR
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
Yellow Green No.6 (■, Munsell
Munsell color system
In colorimetry, the Munsell color system is a color space that specifies colors based on three color dimensions: hue, value , and chroma . It was created by Professor Albert H...
code 7.5GY 6.5/7.8), known in Japanese as .
Ridership
An estimated 3.5 million passengers ride every day on Tokyo's Yamanote Line, with its 29 stations. For comparison, the New York City SubwayNew York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
carries 5.08 million passengers per day on 26 lines serving 468 stations, and the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
carries 2.7 million passengers per day on 12 lines serving 275 stations.
Name
"Yamanote" literally refers to inland, hillier districts or foothills (as distinct from areas close to the sea). In Tokyo "Yamanote" lies along the western side of the Yamanote Line loop. The word consists of the JapaneseJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
morpheme
Morpheme
In linguistics, a morpheme is the smallest semantically meaningful unit in a language. The field of study dedicated to morphemes is called morphology. A morpheme is not identical to a word, and the principal difference between the two is that a morpheme may or may not stand alone, whereas a word,...
s yama 'mountain', no genitive
Genitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
, and te 'hand', thus "mountain's hand".
Yamanote-sen is officially written in Japanese without the kana
Kana
Kana are the syllabic Japanese scripts, as opposed to the logographic Chinese characters known in Japan as kanji and the Roman alphabet known as rōmaji...
, which makes its pronunciation ambiguous in print. The characters may also be pronounced yamate, as in Yamate-dōri (Yamate Street), which runs parallel to the west side of the Yamanote Line. The Seishin-Yamate Line
Seishin-Yamate Line
The is one of two lines of Kobe Municipal Subway that links the central district and suburbs of Kobe. It is sometimes called U-Line after its shape on maps.-Stations on the Seishin-Yamate Line:- Rolling stock :* 1000 series...
in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
and the Yamate
Yamate
is the name of two neighborhoods in Naka-ku, Yokohama. One is the historic Yamate Bluff area, with the Foreigner's Cemetery, many well-preserved residences, two International Schools—Yokohama International School and Saint Maur International School—and the Sacred Heart Cathedral...
area of Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
also use this pronunciation.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, SCAP
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers
Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers was the title held by General Douglas MacArthur during the Occupation of Japan following World War II...
ordered all train placards to be romanized, and the Yamanote Line was romanized as "YAMATE LINE." It was thus alternatively known as "Yamanote" and "Yamate" until 1971, when the Japanese National Railways
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
changed the pronunciation back to "Yamanote." Some older people still refer to the line as the "Yamate Line".
In 1971, JNR changed all train line signage to specify the pronunciation of line names. This change is attributed to the opening of the Agatsuma Line
Agatsuma Line
The is a local rail line in Gunma, Japan, and is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. Roughly following the Agatsuma River, it runs 55.6 km between and stations....
, which could be incorrectly pronounced "Azuma" as the kana
Kana
Kana are the syllabic Japanese scripts, as opposed to the logographic Chinese characters known in Japan as kanji and the Roman alphabet known as rōmaji...
is omitted in its written name. As part of this change, JNR decided to adopt the Yamanote pronunciation, one reason being that there is a Yamate Station
Yamate Station
is a railway station operated by JR East's Negishi Line located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Japan. It is 5.0 kilometers from the terminus of the Negishi Line at Yokohama Station and 64.1 kilometers from the terminus of the Keihin-Tōhoku Line at Ōmiya Station.-History:...
on the Negishi Line in nearby Yokohama.
Station list
- Stations are listed in order clockwise from Shinagawa to Tabata, but for operational purposes trains officially start and terminate at Ōsaki.
- : Shinagawa → Shinjuku → Ikebukuro → Tabata → Ueno → Tokyo → Shinagawa
- : Shinagawa → Tokyo → Ueno → Tabata → Ikebukuro → Shinjuku → Shinagawa
- All stations are located in the special wardsSpecial wards of TokyoThe are 23 municipalities that together make up the core and the most populous part of Tokyo, Japan. Together, they occupy the land that was the city of Tokyo before it was abolished in 1943. The special wards' structure was established under the Japanese Local Autonomy Law and is unique to...
of TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. - All trains on the Yamanote Line are local trains that stop at all stations.
- The "(R)" mark denotes stations where cross-platform transfers to Keihin-Tōhoku LineKeihin-Tohoku LineThe , is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. The line's name is derived from the characters for , and the...
rapid services are possible.
| Line Name | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations |
Total | |||||
| Yamanote Line |
品川 | align="right"|from 2.2 |
0.0 | Keihin-Tōhoku Line Keihin-Tohoku Line The , is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. The line's name is derived from the characters for , and the... , Tōkaidō Main Line Tokaido Main Line The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities... , Yokosuka Line Yokosuka Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company .The Yokosuka Line connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Yokosuka, Kanagawa... Tōkaidō Shinkansen Keikyū Main Line |
Minato Minato, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies... |
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| 大崎 | 2.0 | 2.0 | Shōnan-Shinjuku Line Shonan-Shinjuku Line The is a passenger railway service in Japan which commenced in December 2001. The line has no dedicated track as services run through shared sections along the Ryōmō Line, Takasaki Line, Utsunomiya Line, Yamanote Freight Line, Yokosuka Line, and Tōkaidō Main Line... , Saikyō Line Saikyo Line The is a railway line between Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is a part of the East Japan Railway Company network... Rinkai Line Rinkai Line The is a railway line located in Tokyo, Japan. It is the only line operated by the third-sector company Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit. It connects central Tokyo to the artificial islands of Aomi and Odaiba... |
Shinagawa Shinagawa, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Shinagawa City. The ward is home to nine embassies.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 344,461 and a density of 15,740 persons per km². The total area is 22.72 km².... |
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| 五反田 | 0.9 | 2.9 | Tōkyū Ikegami Line Tokyu Ikegami Line The is a line operated by Tokyu Corporation. It runs through Tokyo, extending from Gotanda Station in Shinagawa to Kamata Station in Ōta.New 3-car 7000 series EMUs were introduced in December 2007, with a total of 19 sets due to be delivered by 2011.... Toei Asakusa Line (A-05) |
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| 目黒 | 1.2 | 4.1 | Tokyu Meguro Line Tokyo Metro Namboku Line Tokyo Metro Namboku Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. Its name literally means South-North Line. The line runs between Meguro in Shinagawa and Akabane-Iwabuchi in Kita... (N-01) Toei Mita Line Toei Mita Line The is a subway line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation network in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Nishi-Takashimadaira in Itabashi and Meguro in Shinagawa. Trains continue with direct service into the Meguro Line of Tokyu Corporation for... (I-01) |
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| 恵比寿 | 1.5 | 5.6 | Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Saikyō Line Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line The is a metro line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro located in Tokyo, Japan. The line was named after the district of Hibiya, under which it passes.-Overview:The Hibiya Line runs between in Meguro and in Adachi... (H-02) |
Shibuya Shibuya, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km².... |
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| 渋谷 | 1.6 | 7.2 | Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Saikyō Line Keiō Inokashira Line Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line, Tōkyū Tōyoko Line Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Tokyo Metro Ginza Line The is a subway line located in Tokyo, Japan. It is part of the of Tokyo Metro network. The official name is . It is 14.3 km long and serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Chūō, Chiyoda, and Taitō.... (G-01), Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro located in Tokyo, Japan.-Overview:The 16.8 km line serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Chiyoda, Chūō, Kōtō and Sumida. Hanzōmon Line trains run through onto the Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line from Shibuya Station and the Tōbu Isesaki Line from... (N-01), Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line (F-16) |
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| 原宿 | 1.2 | 8.4 | Chiyoda Line (: C-03) | |||
| 代々木 | 1.5 | 9.9 | Chūō-Sōbu Line Chuo-Sobu Line The is a railway line located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company network, it runs on separate tracks along the right-of-way of the Chūō Main Line and Sōbu Main Line , providing service between Mitaka Station in the cities of Mitaka and Musashino and... Toei Ōedo Line Toei Oedo Line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation . It commenced full operations on December 12, 2000; using the Japanese calendar this reads "12/12/12" as the year 2000 equals Heisei 12... (E-26) |
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| 新宿 | 0.7 | 10.6 | Chūō Main Line Chuo Main Line The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail... , Chūō Line (Rapid) Chuo Line (Rapid) The is the name given to rapid services on the eastern section of the Chūō Main Line operated by the East Japan Railway Company between and stations.-Basic data:*Operator: East Japan Railway Company **Tokyo – Takao:... , Chūō-Sōbu Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Saikyō Line Keiō Line, Keio New Line Keio New Line The is a 3.6 km link which connects Keio Corporation's Keiō Line from Sasazuka Station in Shibuya to Shinjuku Station with through service on to the Shinjuku Line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation.-Synopsis:... Odakyū Odawara Line Seibu Shinjuku Line Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-08) Toei Shinjuku Line Toei Shinjuku Line The is a subway line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation . The line runs between Motoyawata Station in Ichikawa, Chiba in the east and Shinjuku Station in the west... (S-01), Ōedo Line (E-27, : E-01) |
Shinjuku Shinjuku, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population... |
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| 新大久保 | 1.3 | 11.9 | ||||
| 高田馬場 | 1.4 | 13.3 | Seibu Shinjuku Line Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line Tokyo Metro Tozai Line The is a rapid transit line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Its name literally means East-West Line. The line runs between Nakano Station in Nakano, Tokyo and Nishi-Funabashi Station in Funabashi, Chiba... (T-03) |
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| 目白 | 0.9 | 14.2 | Toshima | |||
| 池袋 | 1.2 | 15.4 | Saikyō Line, Shōnan-Shinjuku Line Seibu Ikebukuro Line Seibu Ikebukuro Line The is a commuter railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally terminates at Agano Station.The Seibu Chichibu... Tōbu Tōjō Line Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-25), Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "gold" , and its stations are given numbers using the letter Y.The proper name as... (Y-09), Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line (F-09) |
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| 大塚 | 1.8 | 17.2 | Toden Arakawa Line Toden Arakawa Line The is a streetcar line in Tokyo, Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation operates this line. The Arakawa Line is the sole survivor of Tokyo's once-extensive Tokyo Toden streetcar system, but it is not the only tram line in Tokyo, as the privately owned Tōkyū Setagaya Line is also... |
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| 巣鴨 | 1.1 | 18.3 | Toei Mita Line Toei Mita Line The is a subway line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation network in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Nishi-Takashimadaira in Itabashi and Meguro in Shinagawa. Trains continue with direct service into the Meguro Line of Tokyu Corporation for... (I-15) |
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| 駒込 | 0.7 | 19.0 | Tokyo Metro Namboku Line Tokyo Metro Namboku Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. Its name literally means South-North Line. The line runs between Meguro in Shinagawa and Akabane-Iwabuchi in Kita... (N-14) |
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| rowspan=2| | 田端 | 1.6 | 20.6 | Keihin-Tōhoku Line (R) | Kita Kita, Tokyo is one of the special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself the City of Kita .As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 332,140 and a population density of 16,140 persons per km². The total area is 20.59 km².-Geography:... |
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| Tōhoku Main Line |
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| 西日暮里 | 0.8 | 21.4 | Keihin-Tōhoku Line Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (C-16) Nippori-Toneri Liner (02) |
Arakawa Arakawa, Tokyo is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan. The ward takes its name from the river, the Arakawa, though the Arakawa River does not run through or touch the ward. Its neighbors are the wards of Adachi, Kita, Bunkyo, Taito and Sumida. In English, the ward calls itself Arakawa City.Arakawa has... |
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| 日暮里 | 0.5 | 21.9 | Jōban Line Joban Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It begins at Nippori Station in Taitō, Tokyo and follows the Pacific coasts of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi... , Keihin-Tōhoku Line Keisei Main Line Nippori-Toneri Liner (01) |
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| 鶯谷 | 1.1 | 23.0 | Keihin-Tōhoku Line | Taitō Taito, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Taito City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 168,909, with 94,908 households, and a population density of 16,745.86 persons per km². The total area is 10.08 km².-History:The ward was founded... |
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| 上野 | 1.1 | 24.1 | Tōhoku Shinkansen Tohoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata... , Jōetsu Shinkansen Joetsu Shinkansen The is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-History:The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei... , Yamagata Shinkansen Yamagata Shinkansen The is a Mini-shinkansen route in Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It provides service between Tokyo and Shinjō in Yamagata Prefecture over the tracks of the Tōhoku Shinkansen and the Ōu Main Line.... , Akita Shinkansen Akita Shinkansen The is a Mini-shinkansen high-speed rail line in Japan. Serving the Kantō and Tōhoku Regions of the country, it links Tokyo and Akita in Akita prefecture with direct service. From Tokyo to Morioka in Iwate prefecture, it operates on the Tōhoku Shinkansen tracks. From there to Ōmagari, it uses the... , Nagano Shinkansen Nagano Shinkansen The is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano... , Jōban Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line (R), Utsunomiya Line Utsunomiya Line The is the name given to a 159.9 kilometre section of the Tōhoku Main Line between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kuroiso Station in Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan... (Tōhoku Main Line), Takasaki Line Takasaki Line The is a Japanese railway line which runs between Ōmiya Station in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture and Takasaki Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company .... Keisei Main Line Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G-16), Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-17) |
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| 御徒町 | 0.6 | 24.7 | Keihin-Tōhoku Line | |||
| 秋葉原 | 1.0 | 25.7 | Chūō-Sōbu Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line (R) Tsukuba Express (01) Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-15) |
Chiyoda Chiyoda, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards... |
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| 神田 | 0.7 | 26.4 | Chūō Line (Rapid), Keihin-Tōhoku Line Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G-13) |
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| 東京 | 1.3 | 27.7 | Tōhoku Shinkansen, Jōetsu Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen, Akita Shinkansen, Nagano Shinkansen, Keihin-Tōhoku Line (R), Tōkaidō Line, Chūō Line (Rapid), Yokosuka Line, Keiyō Line Keiyo Line The is a railway line connecting Tokyo and Chiba, Japan, running mainly along the edge of Tokyo Bay. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company .It provides the main rail access to the Tokyo Disney Resort and the Makuhari Messe exhibition center... , Sōbu Line (Rapid) Sobu Line (Rapid) The is a railway service on the Sōbu Main Line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Chūō-ku, Chiba via the cities of Ichikawa, Funabashi, and Narashino... Tōkaidō Shinkansen Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-17) |
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| Tōkaidō Main Line |
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| 有楽町 | 0.8 | 28.5 | Keihin-Tōhoku Line Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line (Y-18), Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (: H-07), Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (Hibiya: C-09) Toei Mita Line Toei Mita Line The is a subway line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation network in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Nishi-Takashimadaira in Itabashi and Meguro in Shinagawa. Trains continue with direct service into the Meguro Line of Tokyu Corporation for... (Hibiya: C-09) |
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| 新橋 | 1.1 | 29.6 | Tōkaidō Main Line, Yokosuka Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (G-08) Toei Asakusa Line (A-10) Yurikamome Yurikamome , formally the is an automated guideway transit service operated by the Tokyo Waterfront New Transit Corporation, connecting Shimbashi to Toyosu, passing through the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo, Japan, a market in which it competes with the cheaper Rinkai Line.The line is named after the... (U-01) |
Minato | ||
| 浜松町 | 1.2 | 30.8 | Keihin-Tōhoku Line (R) Tokyo Monorail Tokyo Monorail , officially the , is a monorail system connecting Haneda Airport in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, to Hamamatsuchō Station in Minato, Tokyo. The trains operate along an elevated line that follows the coast of Tokyo Bay. The trip from the airport to Hamamatsuchō costs ¥470 each way.-History:The line opened in... Toei Asakusa Line (: A-09), Toei Ōedo Line Toei Oedo Line The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation . It commenced full operations on December 12, 2000; using the Japanese calendar this reads "12/12/12" as the year 2000 equals Heisei 12... (Daimon: E-20) |
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| 田町 | 1.5 | 32.3 | Keihin-Tōhoku Line (R) | |||
| Shinagawa | 品川 | 2.2 | 34.5 | See above |
History
Shinagawa Station
is the first major station south ofTokyo Station and is a major interchange for trains operated by JR East, JR Central, and Keikyu. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen and other trains to the Miura Peninsula, Izu Peninsula and the Tōkai region pass through here...
and Akabane
Akabane Station
is a JR East railway station located in Kita, Tokyo, Japan.-Lines:* Tōhoku Main Line* Takasaki Line* Keihin-Tōhoku Line* Shōnan-Shinjuku Line* Saikyō Line-Adjacent stations:-External links:*...
, bypassing the then built up areas and providing the first north-south rail link through Tokyo. The top part of the loop between Ikebukuro and Tabata was completed in 1903 (known as the ) and following electrification in 1909 both lines were merged to become the Yamanote Line. The loop was not complete at this time, so trains generally inter-operated with the Chūō
Chuo Main Line
The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail...
and Keihin-Tōhoku
Keihin-Tohoku Line
The , is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. The line's name is derived from the characters for , and the...
lines, traveling from Nakano
Nakano Station (Tokyo)
is a railway station in Japan located on the JR Chūō Main Line in Nakano, Tokyo, just west of Shinjuku.-Lines:Nakano Station is served by the JR East Chūō Line and Chūō-Sōbu Line, and the Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line...
to Tokyo Station, south to Shinagawa, then clockwise around the Yamanote Line to Tabata.
The loop was completed in 1925 with the opening of the section of track between Kanda and Ueno
Ueno Station
is a major railway station inTokyo's Taitō ward. It is the station used to reach the Ueno district and Ueno Park -- which contains Tokyo National Museum, The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and other famous cultural facilities...
, providing a north-south link via Tokyo Station through the city's business centre. A parallel freight line, also completed in 1925, ran along the inner side of the loop between Shinagawa and Tabata.
During the prewar era, the Ministry of Railways did not issue permits to private suburban railway companies for new lines to cross the Yamanote from their terminal stations to the central districts of Tokyo, forcing to terminate services at stations on the line. This policy led to the development of around major transfer points on the Yamanote Line, most notably at Shinjuku
Shinjuku Station
is a train station located in Shinjuku and Shibuya wards in Tokyo, Japan.Serving as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central Tokyo and its western suburbs on inter-city rail, commuter rail and metro lines, the station was used by an average of 3.64 million people per day in 2007,...
and Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro Station
is a railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest train station in the world , and the busiest station in the Tobu, Seibu and Tokyo Metro networks. It primarily serves commuters from...
(which are now the two busiest passenger railway stations in the world).
The contemporary Yamanote Line came into being in 1956 when it was separated from the Keihin-Tōhoku Line and given its own set of tracks along the eastern side of the loop between Shinagawa and Tabata
Tabata Station (Tokyo)
is a train station operated by East Japan Railway Company in Kita, Tokyo, Japan. There is a south and a north exit from the station. The number of passengers using this station was 15.232 million in 2006.-Layout:...
. However, Yamanote Line trains continued to periodically use the Keihin-Tōhoku tracks, particularly on holidays and during off-peak hours, until rapid service trains were introduced on the Keihin-Tōhoku Line in 1988.
A major explosion on the Yamanote Freight Line in Shinjuku in 1967 led to the diversion of freight traffic to the more distant Musashino Line
Musashino Line
The is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It links Tsurumi Station in Yokohama with Nishi-Funabashi Station in Chiba Prefecture, forming a 100.6 km unclosed loop around central Tokyo...
. To address severe undercapacity, the freight line was repurposed for use by Saikyō Line
Saikyo Line
The is a railway line between Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is a part of the East Japan Railway Company network...
and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line
Shonan-Shinjuku Line
The is a passenger railway service in Japan which commenced in December 2001. The line has no dedicated track as services run through shared sections along the Ryōmō Line, Takasaki Line, Utsunomiya Line, Yamanote Freight Line, Yokosuka Line, and Tōkaidō Main Line...
trains, as well as certain limited express trains such as the Narita Express
Narita Express
, abbreviated as N'EX, is a limited express train service operated since 1991 by East Japan Railway Company , serving Narita International Airport from various Greater Tokyo Area stations. Services are approximately half-hourly in the mornings and evenings, and hourly through the middle of the day...
and some liner
Home Liner
is the generic name given to limited-stop commuter train services operated by railway companies in Japan, which require the purchase of a supplementary or in addition to the base fare ticket. The supplementary ticket guarantees passengers a seat on board...
services. Likewise, there are currently plans to extend
Tōhoku Jūkan Line
The , also known as Tōhoku Through Line, is a construction project of East Japan Railway Company to build a railway linking Ueno Station and Tokyo Station in order to extend the services of the Utsunomiya Line, the Takasaki Line, and the Jōban Line to Tokyo Station. The project began on 30 May 2008...
the Tōhoku Main Line to Tokyo Station
Tokyo Station
is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....
to provide further relief on the busiest portion of the Yamanote Line today, the southbound segment between Ueno and Okachimachi.
The distance between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations is 2.2 km, making it the longest stretch of track on the Yamanote Line. As a result, there are plans for a new station between those two stations.
Rolling stock
Current
The line's services are operated exclusively by a fleet of 52 11-car E231-500 seriesE231 series
The is an electric multiple unit type used for commuter and outer-suburban services operated by East Japan Railway Company in Japan since 2000.-Design:...
EMUs, which were phased in from April 21, 2002. These trains originally each included two "six-door cars" with six pairs of doors per side and bench seats that were folded up to provide standing room only during the morning peak until 10 a.m. From February 22, 2010, the seats were no longer folded up during the morning peak, and all trains were standardized with newly built four-door cars by 31 August 2011. This was due to reduced congestion on the line as well as preparation for the installation of platform doors on all stations by 2017.
The E231 series supports a new type of traffic control system, called digital Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...
(D-ATC), which will help reduce one round trip to a very short 58 minutes. The series also has a more modern design and has two 15-inch LCD monitors above each door, one of which is used for displaying commercials, news and weather; and another which is used for displaying information on the next stop (in both Japanese and English) along with notification of delays on Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
and other railway lines in the greater Tokyo area.
Former
- DeHo 6100 series (from 1909 until ?)
- MoHa 10
- 101 series101 seriesThe is a commuter EMU introduced in 1958 by Japanese National Railways , and formerly operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company . The last remaining trains were withdrawn in November 2003.-History:...
(from September 1961 until circa 1968) - 103 series103 seriesThe is a commuter electric multiple unit type introduced in 1964 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by West Japan Railway Company and Kyushu Railway Company . They were also operated by East Japan Railway Company and Central Japan Railway Company .-Prototype:Built in 1963...
(from December 1963 until June 26, 1988) - 205 series205 seriesThe is a commuter electric multiple unit train type introduced in 1985 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company .- Lines on which 205 series trains operate :...
(from March 25, 1985 until April 17, 2005)