Marunouchi Line Stairwell with Exposed Conduit, Tokyo

Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line stairwell with red brick walls, metal railings, and exposed conduit from the postwar era.
Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line stairwell with red brick walls, metal railings, and exposed conduit from the postwar era.

The Marunouchi Line, Tokyo Metro's first subway route, opened in stages between 1954 and 1962 and remains one of the busiest lines in the system, linking Ogikubo and Ikebukuro with Tokyo Station and Ginza. Its red trains and red line color on Tokyo Metro maps have marked it since construction. Many of its original stations kept postwar-era finishes, with tiled walls and exposed conduit runs left uncovered along stairwells and platform ceilings. The line runs largely underground except for a short elevated stretch near Ochanomizu, where it crosses the Kanda River in view of Ochanomizu Station.

Photo taken in March 2023.

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Tokyo
Transit infrastructure and urban life across central and western Tokyo districts
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