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The Yamanote Line (山手線) is one of
Tokyo's busiest and most important commuter lines. Running as a
circle, it connects most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres
including the
Ginza area,
Shibuya,
Shinjuku and
Ikebukuro. Only six of its 29 stations do not connect with other
railway or underground (subway) lines.
Service
Trains run from about 4:30 am to about 1 am at intervals of 3 minutes
at peak time. A complete loop takes 63 to 65 minutes. All trains stop at
each station. Trains are put into and taken out of service at
Osaki (which for timetabling purposes is the line's start and
terminus) and sometimes
Ikebukuro.
Trains which run clockwise are known as "soto-mawari" (外回り, outer
circle) and anti-clockwise as "uchi-mawari" (内回り, inner circle).
The Yamanote Line is the only major line in Tokyo which does not have
any through-running services to other lines.
History
The Yamanote Line originated in 1885 with the construction of the
Shinagawa line 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 Toshima line,
豊島線) and in 1909 following electrification both lines were merged to
become the Yamanote Line.
The complete loop however was only 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 centre. The contemporary Yamanote Line came into being in 1956 when
it was separated from the
Keihin-Tōhoku Line and was given its own set of tracks along the
eastern side of the loop between Shinagawa and
Tabata.
Name
"Yamanote" literally means "mountain hand" and in many Japanese cities
is used to refer to inland, hillier districts (as opposed to areas close
to the sea). In Tokyo "Yamanote" - as opposed to the lower lying "Shitamachi"
(下町) - lies along the western side of the Yamanote Line loop.
Yamanote-sen is always written without the kana "no" (の or ノ).
In the past it was sometimes transliterated as "Yamate".
Trains
Services are provided by 205 series trains introduced in 1985 and the
newly introduced E231 series. Each train consists of 11 cars.
A notorious feature of the 205 series trains are their "cattle wagons",
compartments in which the bench seats are folded back to provide standing
room only during the morning rush hour.
Stations
Listed clockwise:
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Tōkyō (東京)
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Yūrakuchō (有楽町)
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Shinbashi (新橋)
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Hamamatsuchō (浜松町)
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Tamachi (田町)
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Shinagawa (品川)
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Ōsaki (大崎)
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Gotanda (五反田)
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Meguro (目黒)
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Ebisu (恵比寿)
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Shibuya (渋谷)
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Harajuku (原宿)
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Yoyogi (代々木)
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Shinjuku (新宿)
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Shin-Ōkubo (新大久保)
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Takadanobaba (高田馬場)
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Mejiro (目白)
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Ikebukuro (池袋)
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Ōtsuka (大塚)
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Sugamo (巣鴨)
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Komagome (駒込)
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Tabata (田端)
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Nishi-Nippori (西日暮里)
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Nippori (日暮里)
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Uguisudani (鶯谷)
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Ueno (上野)
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Okachimachi (御徒町)
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Akihabara (秋葉原)
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Kanda (神田)
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