Marunouchi Line

2 photos · 2023

2 photographs tagged Marunouchi Line, 2023.

Related: Japan Subway Tokyo Train Line M12
Marunouchi Line stairwell in Tokyo Metro with exposed black conduit and red brick walls.
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.

Exposed Conduit Over Stairwell on the Marunouchi Line

A red Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line train approaches the platform at Ikebukuro station in Tokyo.
A Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line train approaches its terminal platforms during a March 2023 visit. The Marunouchi Line, one of Tokyo’s earliest postwar subway routes, opened in 1954 and played a key role in connecting the expanding Yamanote district centers with government and commercial areas in central Tokyo. Ikebukuro, the northern terminus of the line, is one of Tokyo’s busiest rail hubs, jointly served by JR East, the Seibu and Tobu railway networks, and several Metro lines. The station complex was heavily rebuilt throughout the late 20th century to handle increasing commuter volumes, resulting in the multi-level platform and passageway layout still in use today.

Marunouchi Line Train Entering Yotsuya-Sanchome Station

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