Transport in Greater Tokyo
Transport in Greater Tokyo | |
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Technical | |
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (most common) |
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. There are also a number of ports offering sea and air transport to the general public.
Air
Since the Tokyo region is densely populated and relies mainly on rail travel, air traffic infrastructure is comparatively underdeveloped. The situation has improved recently with expansions at both Tokyo airports, as well as Haneda Airport starting to accept international flights again.
Primary airports
Commercial flights in the region are served predominantly by Haneda Airport in Ōta, Tokyo (domestic hub for Japan's major airlines) and Narita International Airport in Narita, Chiba (main international gateway airport to the region but has also recently become a new hub for some domestic flights).
Secondary airports
Ibaraki Airport, located 85 km north of Tokyo, acts as a hub for low-cost carriers, with flights to Sapporo being the most popular. Shizuoka Airport, 175 km southwest of Tokyo, aims to be a more convenient alternative for Shizuoka residents than airports in Tokyo or Nagoya, however none of the above airports have shown to take away any significant traffic from Narita or Haneda and continue to play minor roles.
Military
In addition, the Greater Tokyo area has military bases with airfields:
- Hyakuri Air Base (JASDF)
- Tachikawa Airfield (JGSDF)
- Shimofusa Air Base (JMSDF)
- Tateyama Air Base(JMSDF)
- Kisarazu Air Field (JGSDF)
- Kasumigaura Air Field (JGSDF)
- Iruma Air Base (JASDF)
- Utsunomiya Air Field (JGSDF)
- Yokota Air Base (USAF/JASDF)
- NAF Atsugi (USN/JMSDF)
Helipads
There is also a limited number of helicopter transport services in Tokyo, with one service linking Narita airport with central Tokyo.[3]
Rail
Overview
Statistical profile
Rail is the primary mode of transport in Tokyo. Greater Tokyo has the most extensive urban railway network and the most used in the world with 40 million passengers (transfers between networks tallied twice) in the metro area daily, out of a metro population of 36 million.[1] There are 882 interconnected rail stations in the Tokyo Metropolis, 282 of which are Subway stations,[4] with several hundred more in each of the 3 surrounding densely populated suburban prefectures. There are 30 operators running 121 passenger rail lines (102 serving Tokyo and 19 more serving Greater Tokyo but not Tokyo's city center itself), excluding about 12 cable cars.
Features
Uniquely to most major cities in the world, Tokyo's railway system is not a single, unified and centrally operated network, but rather, it consists of many separately owned and operated systems with varying degrees of interconnectivity. Most lines in Tokyo are privately owned, funded, and operated, though some, like the Toei Subway and the Tokyo Metro, are supported by the Government either directly or indirectly. Each of the region's rail companies tends to display only its own maps, with key transfer points highlighted, ignoring the rest of the metro area's network.
Extensive
Trains had historically been extremely crowded at
Corporate networks
Since corporations own, fund, promote, and operate their own networks, this tends to result in high fragmentation and company stations. The end user may need to pass through multiple company gates to get to their destination, racking up extra costs in the process (generally the longer the trip, the less charge per kilometer). This is in contrast to other nations where fares are calculated in a more integrated way. For tourists, transferring between multiple operators and paying several times to get to a single destination within the metro area can be quite confusing and expensive. Locals tend to patronize a particular company for a particular destination and walk/bike to and from that company's stations, avoiding the need to transfer and pay another fare to a different company that may have a station closer to the desired destination.
Busiest JR stations
Passengers carried in Greater Tokyo stations daily (2017):[6]
- Shinjuku Station 778,618
- Ikebukuro Station 566,516
- Tokyo Station 452,549
- Yokohama Station 420,192
- Shinagawa Station 378,566
- Shibuya Station 370,669
- Shimbashi Station 277,404
- Ōmiya Station 255,147
- Akihabara Station 250,251
- Kita-Senju Station 217,838
Japan Railway
In addition to operating some long-haul
lines to Kanagawa.Many additional lines form a network outside the center of the city, allowing inter-suburban travel. 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 shareholder in the Tokyo Monorail, one of the world's most commercially successful monorail lines.
Other railway operators serving Greater Tokyo
Regional railways transport commuters from the suburbs to central Tokyo. These include several private railway networks that own and operate a total of 55 lines serving Tokyo. These same operators indirectly operate another 24 lines outside of Tokyo as well as a few tourist-oriented aerial lifts and funiculars.
- Keihin Electric Express Railway (Keikyu): Operates out of Shinagawa Station to Kanagawa and Haneda Airport. Five lines.
- Keio Corporation: Operates out of Shinjuku Station and Shibuya Station to western Tokyo. Six lines.
- Keisei Electric Railway: Operates out of Keisei Ueno Station to Chiba (including Narita International Airport). Seven lines.
- Hakone. Three lines.
- Seibu Shinjuku Station and Ikebukuro Stationto western Tokyo. Thirteen lines.
- Asakusa Stationto Saitama, Gunma, and Tochigi. Twelve lines.
- Tokyu Corporation (Tokyu): Operates out of Shibuya Station and Meguro Station to southern Tokyo and Yokohama. Eight lines.
- Sagami Railway (Sotetsu): Operates out of Yokohama Station to eastern Kanagawa and operates through services to Tokyo and Saitama via the Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link to the JR and Tokyu networks. Three lines.
- Tsukuba. One line.
Some private and public carriers operate within the boundaries of Tokyo.
- Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit: Operates the Rinkai Line along the Tokyo waterfront to Odaiba.
- Tokyo Monorail: Connects central Tokyo to Haneda Airport.
- Yurikamome: People mover serving the Tokyo waterfront and Odaiba.
- Tama Toshi Monorail: A suburban transit line running north–south through Western Tokyo.
Subway operators
Two organizations operate the Tokyo subway network with several other operators in the metropolitan area that operate lines that can be classified as rapid transit:
- Tokyo Metro (formerly Eidan): Operates Tokyo's (and Japan's) largest subway network, with nine lines.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation: Operates the four Toei Subway lines as well as the following:
- Toden Arakawa Line: Once a common sight before subways and buses came to fore, the streetcar network has shrunk to only this one route between Waseda Station and Minowabashi Station.
- Nippori-Toneri Liner: People mover in northeast Tokyo owned and operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation.
- Ueno Zoo Monorail — Short monorail in Ueno Zoo.
- Yokohama Municipal Subway: Owned and operated by the Yokohama City Transportation Bureau with two lines.
- Funabashi and Yachiyo, Chiba.
- Saitama Rapid Railway: An underground line that acts as an extension of the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line connecting southern Saitama to Tokyo.
- Rinkai Line: A mostly underground line that serves Tokyo's waterfront.
Other railway operators of Greater Tokyo
Railway companies that serve other parts of Greater Tokyo include:
- Chiba Prefecture
- Hokuso Railway: Northeast Chiba Prefecture.
- Shibayama Railway: A short railway line in northern Chiba, operations are subcontracted to Keisei Electric Railway.
- Shin-Keisei Electric Railway: A commuter line in northwest Chiba.
- Chiba.
- Disney Resort Line: A monorail that links Maihama Station and Tokyo Disney Resort.
- Nagareyama, Chiba.
- Yamaman Yukarigaoka Line: A people mover in Sakura, Chiba.
- Kanagawa Prefecture
- Kamakura and Fujisawain southern Kanagawa.
- Ofuna Station to the Shonancoast.
- Kanazawa Seaside Line: People mover in southern Yokohama.
- Kodomo-no-Kuni Line): Owns two lines in Yokohama; operations are subcontracted to Tokyu Corporation.
- Saitama Prefecture
- Saitama New Urban Transit (New Shuttle): A people mover in central Saitama.
Ridership
Below is the annual ridership of each major operator as of the 2017 fiscal year.[7] Transfers between operators are not counted unless they pass through a ticketing gate (not simply a platform).
Operator | Daily ridership | Annual ridership |
---|---|---|
East Japan Railway Company | 16,359,962 | 5,971,386,130 |
Tokyo Metro | 7,422,095 | 2,709,064,675 |
Tōkyū Corporation | 3,171,660 | 1,157,655,900 |
Toei Subway | 3,128,718 | 1,141,982,070 |
Tōbu Railway | 2,522,067 | 920,554,455 |
Odakyū Electric Railway | 2,069,383 | 755,324,795 |
Keio Corporation | 1,851,364 | 675,747,860 |
Seibu Railway | 1,804,521 | 658,650,165 |
Keihin Electric Railway (Keikyu) | 1,316,499 | 480,522,135 |
Keisei Electric Railway | 786,063 | 286,912,995 |
Sagami Railway | 634,899 | 231,738,135 |
Total | 41,067,231 | 14,989,539,315 |
Buses and trams
Public buses in Greater Tokyo usually serve a secondary role, feeding bus passengers to and 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.
Taxis
Taxis also serve a similar role to buses, supplementing the rail system, especially after midnight when most rail lines cease to operate. People moving around the city on business often choose taxis for convenience, as do people setting out in small groups.
As of December 2007[update], taxis cost ¥710 (~$7.89 at ¥90/$1 USD) for the first two kilometers, and ¥90 for every 288 meters thereafter, or approximately ¥312.5 per kilometer. Most companies tend to raise fares by 20% between 22:00-5:00, but other companies have kept fares low to compete in a crowded market.[10][11]
Roads
Local and regional highways
National, prefectural and metropolitan, and local roads crisscross the region. Some of the major national highways are:
- Route 1 links Tokyo to Osaka along the old Tōkaidō
- Aomorirespectively.
- Route 14 connects Nihonbashi with Chiba Prefecture.
- 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.
Expressways
The
Many long-distance expressway routes converge at Tokyo including the
Private/Commercial autos
Private and commercial automobiles account are owned by fewer individuals than in other parts of the country. Tokyo, with a population of over 13 million, in 2014 registered a bit less than 4 million vehicles. Tokyo's average car size is larger than the rest of the country, with only 20.1% being
Maritime transport
Passenger ferries
The notable route which serves as internal transport is
Out of the bay, the car-passenger ferries to the
The car-passenger ferries toShipping
Shipping plays a crucial role for inbound and outbound freight, both domestic and international. The Port of Tokyo and Port of Yokohama are both major ports for Japan and Greater Tokyo.
Bicycle
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2014) |
Greater Tokyo is little different from the rest of Japan in regarding other modes of transport. It is home to the majority of Japan's automated bicycle systems with 14% of all commutes by bicycle and has a number of
See also
- Transport in Keihanshin (Greater Osaka)
- Transport in Greater Nagoya
- Transport in Fukuoka-Kitakyūshū
- List of urban rail systems in Japan
References
- ^ a b http://www.mlit.go.jp/kisha/kisha07/01/010330_3/01.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Urban Transport Factbook, Tokyo-Yokohama Suburban Rail Summary" (PDF). publicpurpose.com.
- ^ "New Narita-Tokyo copter service targets rich, famous | the Japan Times Online". Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
- ^ 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 is very dense, at 6 million people per line mile annually, with the highest among automotive urban areas. Urban Transport Factbook, Tokyo-Yokohama Suburban Rail Summary
- ^ According to the Shinjuku Station article, the station was used by an average of 3.64 million people per day in 2007. It is registered with Guinness World Records.
- ^ "各駅の乗車人員 2016年度 ベスト100:JR東日本". www.jreast.co.jp.
- ^ Daily Average Ridership in 2017 Train Media (sourced from JR East) Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ^ "Toei Transportation Information: Operations". metro.tokyo.jp.
- ^ Toei Bus official website: 50% of buses are now non-step buses.
- ^ "Taxi fares get first price hike in Tokyo, Kanagawa since 1997 - Japan - Zimbio". Archived from the original on 2011-11-09. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
- ^ "Tokyo". Mapcarta.
- ^ a b http://www.zenkeijikyo.or.jp/topics/1412fukyuu.html(社団法人全国軽自動車協会連合会[permanent dead link] 2015年7月6日)
- ^ ja:東京湾フェリー as of 2007-08-01T09:48 retrieved on 2007-09-07.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Kate Springer, Sol Han (19 October 2016). "Japan's crazy underground bike vaults". CNN. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ Martin, Simone (2022-11-18). "3 Electric Bike-sharing Services in Tokyo You Should Know". Coto Academy. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "3 Best Bike Rental Service in Tokyo". 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "ドコモ・バイクシェア - バイクシェアサービス". App Store. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "Docomo Bike Share | Minato | UPDATED January 2023 Top Tips Before You Go (with Photos)". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ Cheapo, Tokyo. "Docomo Bike Sharing and Rental in Tokyo and Yokohama | Tokyo Cheapo". tokyocheapo.com/. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
External links
- JR East Archived 2009-04-16 at the Wayback Machine official website, showing the map of the Suica/PASMO accepting area, which roughly corresponds with Greater Tokyo Area (in Japanese)
- Greater Tōkyō Railway Network, unofficial railway map of Greater Tokyo (in English)
- Tokyo Railway Map, bilingual railway map of central Tokyo (in Japanese and English)
- Tokyo subway maps A list of every official and unofficial map of the urban railways of Tokyo.