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Transport in Greater Tokyo

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Shinkansen at Tokyo Station
The Ginza Line, Asia's oldest subway line, first opened in 1927

The transport network in Greater Tokyo includes public and private rail and highway networks; airports for international, domestic, and general aviation; buses; motorcycle delivery services, walking, bicycling, and commercial shipping. While the nexus is in the central part of Tokyo, every part of the Greater Tokyo Area has rail or road transport services. The sea and air transport is available from limited number of ports for general public.

Public transport within Greater Tokyo is dominated by the world's most extensive urban rail network [1] of clean and efficient surface trains and subways run by a variety of operators, with feeder buses and monorails playing a secondary role. Walking and bicycling are much more common than in many cities around the globe. Private automobiles and motorcycles play a secondary role in urban transport.

Airports

Two airports handle the vast majority of commercial flights in the region. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) in Ōta, Tokyo, is the primary field for domestic flights. Narita International Airport in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, is the major gateway for international travelers. Haneda's only international flights are to Hongqiao (Shanghai) and Gimpo (Seoul). Both are in expansion phase as they are overloaded, and may still be overloaded when expansion is finished.

Chofu Airport in the city of Chōfu in western Tokyo handles commuter flights to the Izu Islands, which are administratively part of Tokyo. Tokyo Heliport in Kōtō serves public-safety and news traffic. In the Izu Islands, Ōshima Airport on Ōshima, Hachijōjima Airport on Hachijō, and Miyakejima Airport on Miyake provide air service.

In addition, the Greater Tokyo area hosts military bases with airfields:

Also, two new airports are being developed outside of Greater Tokyo. They will be nearer than Haneda and Narita to some parts of the Greater Tokyo Area.

Railway and subway

Rail is the primary mode of transport in Tokyo. Tokyo has the most extensive urban railway network in the world, including surface lines.[1] There are 102 passenger train lines serving Tokyo, and 19 more serving Greater Tokyo but not Tokyo proper, for a total of 121 serving the metropolitan area. Despite this vastness, the network is still being expanded. (See this map showing the Suica/PASMO accepting area that roughly corresponds with Greater Tokyo, except for the boxes on the far left.) Because people cannot make sense of the all inclusive Tokyo area rail map due to its vastness, each operator makes its own map, with key transfer points. Tourists are usually only shown the subway map (missing the majority of lines) as a means of simplicity. Rail in Japan is often extremely crowded, with people pushing their way in when completely full. Most lines in Tokyo are privately owned and operated, with the exception of Toei subway lines (run directly by the Tokyo Metropolitan government). Rail and subway lines are highly integrated and dense; commuter trains from the suburbs continue directly into the subway network on many lines, often emerging on the other side of the city to serve another company's surface line at major stations. It is estimated some 20 million people use rail as their primary means of transport (not trips) in the metropolitan area daily. Shinjuku Station is the busiest train station in the world by passenger throughput. [2] It is registered with Guinness World Records. As a comparison, Germany has 10 million daily train riders, the highest usage of any country in Europe.[3]

Passengers carried in Greater Tokyo stations daily (2007)

  1. Shinjuku Station 3.64 million (Registered with Guinness World Records)[4]
  2. Ikebukuro Station 2.71 million[5]
  3. Shibuya Station 2.18 million[6]
  4. Yokohama Station 2.09 million[7]
  5. Tokyo Station 1.12 million[8]
  6. Shinagawa Station 0.91 million[9]
  7. Takadanobaba Station 0.90 million [10]
  8. Shimbashi Station 0.85 million[11]

JR

JR Yamanote Line

East Japan Railway Company, or JR East, is the largest passenger railway company in the world. It operates throughout the Greater Tokyo area (as well as the rest of northeastern Honshū).

In addition to operating some long-haul Shinkansen ("bullet train" lines, except Tōkaidō Shinkansen operated by JR Central), JR East operates Tokyo's largest railway network, including the Yamanote Line that encircles the center of Tokyo, and commuter lines radiating from the city to its suburbs. These include the Keihin-Tōhoku Line between Saitama and Yokohama, the Chūō Line to western Tokyo, and the Sōbu Line to Chiba. The Keiyō serves nearby parts of Chiba. The Yokohama, Tōkaidō, and Yokosuka Lines serve the southwestern parts of the area.

Many additional lines form a network outside the center of the city. Among these are the Hachikō, Itsukaichi, Jōban, Jōetsu, Kawagoe, Musashino, Ōme, Negishi, Nambu, Sagami, Takasaki, and Tsurumi Lines. In total, JR alone operates 23 lines within the Greater Tokyo area.

JR East is also the majority stockholder in the Tokyo Monorail, one of the world's most commercially successful monorail lines.

Other carriers operating in Tokyo

Map of operators in Greater Tokyo Area

Regional railways carry commuters into the center of Tokyo. These include several private railway networks. Keikyu directly operates five lines, Keio six, Keisei seven, Odakyu three, Seibu 13, Tobu 12, Tokyu eight, and the last five one each for a total of 55 non-JR lines serving Tokyo. These same operators indirectly operate (through subsidiaries, outsourcing etc) another 24 commuter lines outside of Tokyo, but in the metropolitan area, as well as a few tourism oriented aerial lifts and funiculars.

Some private and public carriers operate within the boundaries of Tokyo.

Subways in Tokyo

Tokyo subway map (in Japanese)

Two organizations operate the Tokyo subway network. One has the name "Tokyo Metro" and the other is a part of the government of Tokyo. Tokyo Metro operates nine lines, Toei operates four for a total of 15 lines.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation also operates the following non-subways:

Railways and Subways outside of Tokyo but in Greater Tokyo

The Sagami Railway (Sōtetsu) operates three lines, Yokohama Municipal Subway operates two lines, while all the rest operate one line each, for a total of 19 lines.

Ridership

Below is the average daily riderships of each major operator, as of 2005 fiscal year. The figures are those of directly operated lines, without subsidiary or related company lines. The actual total figure is higher than shown here as smaller operators are not listed. The sum may not reflect total riders accurately as riders may use both multiple lines daily.

Operator Average daily ridership
East Japan Railway Company 14,526,027 [12]
Tokyo Metro 5,760,000 [13]
Tobu Railway 2,730,000[13]
Tokyo Kyuko Electric Railway 2,730,000 [13]
Toei Subway 2,086,083[14]
Odakyu Electric Railway 1,850,000 [13]
Seibu Railway 1,660,000 [13]
Keio Electric Railway 1,660,000 [13]
Keihin Electric Express Railway 1,170,000 [13]
Keisei Electric Railway 680,000 [13]
Sagami Railway 620,000 [13]
Total 36,823,673 [12]

Buses

Toei Bus

Public buses in Greater Tokyo usually serve a secondary role, feeding bus passengers to/from train stations. Exceptions are long distance bus services, buses in areas poorly served by rail (not many exist), and airport bus services for people with luggage. Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation operates Toei Buses mainly within the 23 special wards while private bus companies (mostly the subsidiaries of the large train operators listed above) operate other bus routes, as do other city governments, such as Kawasaki City Bus, Yokohama City Bus, etc. The Toei Buses have a fixed fare of 200 yen[15] per ride, while most other companies charge according to distance. Some train operators offer combined bus/train tickets; special fares apply for children and seniors. Some routes feature non-step buses with a kneeling function to assist mobility-impaired users. [16]

Taxis

Taxis also serve a similar role to buses, supplementing the rail system, especially after midnight when most rail lines cease to operate. Persons moving around the city on business often chose taxis for convenience, as do people setting out in small groups.

As of December 2007, taxis cost ¥710 (~$7.89 at ¥90/$1 USD) for the first two kilometers[17], and ¥90 for every 288 meters thereafter. (Therefore, doing the math of 1000 / 288 = 3.4722--; 3.4722-- * 90 = turns out to cost ¥312.5 per kilometer thereafter. (~$5.59 per mile at ¥90/$1 USD)) Fares are 20% higher between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.[18]

Walking and cycling

Walking and cycling are very common forms of transport in Japan. As of 1990, cycling shared 17% of all trips in Tokyo. For a comparison, cycling shared 14% in whole Japan, 27% in the Netherlands, 18% in Denmark, 3% in France, 2% in United Kingdom, and 0.7% in United States. [19]

Roads

This marker in Nihonbashi is the place from which distances along highways are reckoned

Local roads

National, prefectural and metropolitan, and local roads crisscross the region. Some of the major national highways are Routes 1, 4, 6, 14, 16, 17, and 20. Route 1 links Tokyo to Osaka along the old Tōkaidō, while Route 6 and Route 4 carries traffic north all the way to Sendai and Aomori respectively. Route 14 connects Nihonbashi with Chiba Prefecture. Route 16 is a heavily travelled circumferential linking Yokosuka, Yokohama, western Tokyo, Saitama, and Chiba. Route 17 originates in central Tokyo and passes through Saitama en route to Niigata Prefecture. Route 20 crosses Tokyo from east to west, continuing into Yamanashi Prefecture. The datum from which distances are reckoned is in Nihonbashi.

Local and regional expressways

The Shuto Expressway network covers central Tokyo, linking the intercity expressways together, while primarily serving commuters and truck traffic. Important regional expressways include the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway, Third Keihin Road, and Keiyō Road. The Bayshore Route bypasses Tokyo by traveling from Kanagawa Prefecture in between, above, and under manmade islands around Tokyo Bay to Chiba Prefecture. The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, which goes underneath Tokyo Bay, links Kawasaki to Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture. Presently under construction (with some segments operating), the Ken-Ō Expressway will be a major circumferential through the area.

National

Tokyo is now a focus of a nationwide expressway system. However, because of high tolls, expressways are prohibitively expensive for basic transport. Many long-haul routes converge at Tokyo including the Tōmei Expressway, Chūō Expressway, Kan-Etsu Expressway, and Tōhoku Expressway.

Shipping

Shipping plays a crucial role for inbound and outbound freight, both domestic and international . But it local role within the area is limited, particularly for passengers.

The notable route which serves as internal transport is Tokyo-Wan Ferry, the car-passenger ferry route between Yokosuka, Kanagawa and Futtsu, Chiba [20], crossing Tokyo Bay. Other passenger services within the bay are mostly used as scenic cruises, such as Tokyo Cruise Ship and Tokyo Mizube Line in Tokyo, The Port Service and Keihin Ferry Boat in Yokohama.

Out of the bay, the car-passenger ferries to the Izu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands, Shikoku, Kyūshū, the Amami Islands and Okinawa serve from the ports of Tokyo or Yokohama. [21] The car-passenger ferries to Hokkaidō serve from Ōarai, Ibaraki [21]. There are some other freight ferries (which can carry less than 13 passengers) serving out of the Bay.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b There are 0.61 commuter rail stations in the Tokyo area per square mile (one for each 1.6 square miles) of developed land area, combined with the high density connecting bus networks, Commuter rail ridership very dense, at 6 million per line mile annually, by the highest among automotive urban areas. Urban Transport Factbook, Tokyo-Yokohama Suburban Rail Summary
  2. ^ According to the Shinjuku Station article, the station was used by an average of 3.64 million people per day in 2007. See the article for the exact sources.
  3. ^ BBC NEWS | Business | German train strike brings chaos
  4. ^ *JR EAST 1,571,602 (785,801×2) [1]
    • Odakyū Line 498,918 [2]
    • Keiō Line　747,407 [3]
    • Toei Shinjuku Line 262,688 [4]
    • Toei Ōedo Line 130,800 [5]
    • Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line 240,984 [6]
    • Seibu Shinjuku Line 188,184 [7]
  5. ^ *JR EAST 1,179,674 [8]
    • Tobu Tojo Line 519,271 [9]
    • Seibu Ikebkuro Line 520,164 [10]
    • Tokyo Metoro Yurakucho Line, Tokyo Metoro Marunouchi Line 491,958 [11]
  6. ^ *JR EAST 891,460 [12]
    • Tokyu Touyoko Line 414,833 [13]
    • Tokyu Denentoshi Line 680,395 [14]
    • Tokyo Metoro Hanzoumon Line 472,123 [15]
    • Tokyo Metoro Ginza Line 258,609 [16]
    • Keio Inogashira Line 343,697 [17]
  7. ^ *JR EAST 806,788 [18]
    • Yokohama Municipal Subway 132,290 (66,145×2) [19]
    • Keikyū Main Line 308,041 [20]
    • Tokyu Touyoko Line 323,851 [21]
    • Yokohama Minatomirai Railway 134,830 [22]
    • Sagami Railway Main Line 440,986 [23]
  8. ^ *JR EAST 792,304[24]
    • JR Central 190,000 (95,000×2) [25]
    • Tokyo Metoro Marunouchi Line 140,486 [26]
  9. ^ *JR EAST 648,506 [27]
    • JR Central 21,872 2007
    • Keikyū Main Line 242,804 [28]
  10. ^ *JR EAST 424,572 [29]
    • Seibu Shinzyuku Line 294,094 [30]
    • Tokyo Metoro Touzai Line 187,458 [31]
  11. ^ *JR EAST 499,214 [32]
    • Tokyo Metoro Ginza Line 217,790 [33]
    • Toei Asakusa Line 78,139 [34]
    • Yurikamome 58,824
  12. ^ a b From Survey of the regional flowages of freights and passengers, MLIT official website. According to the chart 2-5-1, page 104, JR transported 5,224,806 thousand passengers within Greater Tokyo Area, in 2005 (Heisei 17) fiscal year. According to the chart 2-5-2, page 105, private railways transported 8,215,835 thousands, so railways in total transported 13,440,641thousands.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i [35]
  14. ^ Business Outline from Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation official website.
  15. ^ Toei Transportation Information: Operations
  16. ^ Toei Bus official website: 50% of buses are now non-step buses.
  17. ^ http://iguide.travel/Tokyo/Getting_Around/By_taxi
  18. ^ http://www.zimbio.com/Japan/articles/707/Taxi+fares+get+first+price+hike+Tokyo+Kanagawa
  19. ^ From EU Transport in Figures Statistical Pocket Book, page 82.
  20. ^ ja:東京湾フェリー as of 2007-08-01T09:48 retrieved on 2007-09-07.
  21. ^ a b ja:日本のフェリー会社一覧 as of 2007-09-05T13:17 retrieved on 2007-09-07.
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