Akihabara Station

Akihabara Station (秋葉原駅, Akihabara-eki) is an interchange railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is at the center of the Akihabara shopping district specializing in electronic goods.

Akihabara Station 秋葉原駅
The Akihabara Electric Town entrance of Akihabara Station in February 2015
General information
Location	1 Soto-Kanda (JR Station) Kanda-Sakuma-chō (Tokyo Metro) Kanda-Hanaoka-chō (Tsukuba Express) Chiyoda City, Tokyo Japan
Operated by	JR East Tokyo Metro Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company
Connections	S08 Iwamotocho Station Bus Terminal
History
Opened	1 November 1890; 134 years ago (1890-11-01)
Location Akihabara Station Location within Special wards of Tokyo Show map of Special wards of Tokyo Akihabara Station Akihabara Station (Tokyo Bay and Bōsō Peninsula) Show map of Tokyo Bay and Bōsō Peninsula Akihabara Station Akihabara Station (Tokyo) Show map of Tokyo Akihabara Station Akihabara Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Lines

Akihabara Station is served by the following lines.
JR East:

• Tōhoku Main Line
  • JK Keihin-Tohoku Line
  • JY Yamanote Line
• Sōbu Main Line
  • JB Chūō-Sōbu Line

Tokyo Metro:

• H Hibiya Line

Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company:

• Tsukuba Express

The above-ground section of the station is cross-shaped, with the Chūō-Sōbu Line tracks running from east to west, and the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Line (and Tohoku Shinkansen and Ueno–Tokyo Line, which do not stop at Akihabara) from north to south.

Station layout

JR East

AKBJK28JY03JB19 Akihabara Station 秋葉原駅
JR Akihabara Station Showa Dori Entrance in January 2016
General information
Location	1 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo Japan
Coordinates	35°41′54″N 139°46′23″E
Operated by	JR East
Line(s)	Tōhoku Main Line Sōbu Main Line (Branch) Yamanote Line
Platforms	2 island platforms (Keihin-Tōhoku and Yamanote Lines) 2 side platforms (Sōbu Line)
Connections	Bus terminal
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Other information
Station code	AKB (JR East) JK28 (Keihin-Tōhoku Line) JY03 (Yamanote Line) JB19 (Sōbu Line)
Website	Official website
History
Opened	1 November 1890; 134 years ago (1890-11-01)
Passengers
2021 (Daily)	161,529
Services
Preceding station JR East Following station Kanda KNDJY02 Next clockwise Yamanote Line Okachimachi JY04 Next counter-clockwise Kanda KNDJK27 towards Yokohama Keihin–Tōhoku Line Rapid (weekdays) Ueno UENJK30 towards Ōmiya Keihin–Tōhoku Line Local Okachimachi JK29 towards Ōmiya Ochanomizu JB18 towards Mitaka Chūō–Sōbu Line Asakusabashi JB20 towards Chiba

There are two island platforms serving four tracks for the Yamanote Line and the Keihin-Tohoku Line on the 2nd level, and two side platforms serving two tracks for the Sobu Line Local service on the 4th level.

1	JK Keihin-Tohoku Line	northbound for Ueno, Tabata, and Ōmiya
2	JY Yamanote Line	counterclockwise for Ueno, Tabata, and Ikebukuro
3	JY Yamanote Line	clockwise for Tokyo, Shimbashi, and Shinagawa
4	JK Keihin-Tohoku Line	southbound for Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Yokohama
5	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line	westbound for Ochanomizu, Shinjuku, Nakano, and Mitaka
6	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line	eastbound for Kinshichō, Funabashi, and Chiba

Chest-high platform edge doors were installed on the Yamanote Line platforms in May 2015, to be brought into operation from 20 June 2015.^[1]

• 
  Platform 1 and 2 in June 2022
• 
  Platform 3 and 4 in June 2022
• 
  Platform 5 and 6 in June 2022

Tokyo Metro

H16 Akihabara Station 秋葉原駅
Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line No. 3 Entrance in December 2021
General information
Location	Kanda-Sakuma-chō Chiyoda, Tokyo Japan
Coordinates	35°41′55″N 139°46′31.8″E
Operated by	Tokyo Metro
Line(s)	H Hibiya Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus terminal
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Other information
Station code	H16
History
Opened	31 May 1962; 62 years ago (1962-05-31)
Services
Preceding station Tokyo Metro Following station Kayabachō H13 towards Ebisu TH Liner Ueno H18 towards Kuki Kodemmachō H15 towards Naka-meguro Hibiya Line Naka-Okachimachi H17 towards Kita-Senju

There are two underground side platforms serving two tracks.

1	H Hibiya Line	for Ginza, Kasumigaseki, and Naka-Meguro
2	H Hibiya Line	for Ueno and Kita-Senju TS Tobu Skytree Line for Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen TN Tobu Nikko Line for Minami-Kurihashi

The song "Koi Suru Fortune Cookie" by AKB48 is to be used as the departure melody on the Hibiya Line platforms from spring 2016.^[2]

• 
  Hibiya Line platforms in December 2021

Tsukuba Express

Akihabara Station 秋葉原駅
Tsukuba Express No. 1 Entrance in October 2005
General information
Location	Kanda-Hanaoka-chō Chiyoda, Tokyo Japan
Coordinates	35°41′55″N 139°46′27.2″E
Operated by	Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company
Line(s)	Tsukuba Express
Connections	Bus terminal
History
Opened	24 August 2005
Services
Preceding station Tsukuba Express Following station Terminus Tsukuba Express Rapid Commuter-Rapid Semi-Rapid Local Shin-okachimachi (TX02) towards Tsukuba

There is an underground island platform serving two tracks.

G	Street level	Exits/Entrances, connection to JR services
B1F	Upper Mezzanine	Fare control, station agent, ticket/Pasmo/Suica vending machines, FamilyMart, shopping, elevator to platform
B2F	Center Mezzanine	Staircases and escalators to Lower Mezzanine
B3F	Lower Mezzanine	Staircases and escalators to platform
B4F Platform level	1	TX Tsukuba Express towards Tsukuba (Shin-Okachimachi) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
	2	TX Tsukuba Express towards Tsukuba (Shin-Okachimachi) →

1, 2

Tsukuba Express

for Minami-Nagareyama, Moriya, and Tsukuba

• 
  Tsukuba Express platforms in May 2023

History

Akihabara Station was opened in November 1890 as a freight terminal linked to Ueno Station via tracks following the course of the modern day Yamanote Line.

It was opened to passenger traffic in 1925 following the construction of the section of track linking Ueno with Shimbashi via Tokyo Station and the completion of the Yamanote Line. The upper level platforms were added in 1932 with the opening of an extension to the Sōbu Line from its old terminal at Ryōgoku to Ochanomizu, making Akihabara an important transfer station for passengers from the east of Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture.

The huge growth in commuter traffic following the Second World War caused considerable congestion and was only relieved with the construction of the Sōbu line tunnel linking Kinshichō with Tokyo, bypassing Akihabara.

The Hibiya Line subway station was opened on May 31, 1962, with the line's extension from Naka-Okachimachi to Ningyōchō.

The station facilities of the Hibiya Line were inherited by Tokyo Metro after the privatization of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA) in 2004.^[3]

On August 24, 2005, the underground terminus of the new Tsukuba Express Line opened at Akihabara. The entire station complex, including the JR station, was also refurbished and enlarged in preparation for the opening of the Tsukuba Express.^[4]

Station numbering was introduced in 2016 with Akihabara being assigned station numbers JY03 for the Yamanote line, JK28 for the Keihin-Tōhoku line, and JB19 for the Chūō-Sōbu line.^[5][6] At the same time, JR East assigned a three-letter code to their major interchange stations; Akihabara was assigned the three-letter code "AKB".

TH Liner services on the Hibiya Line between Ebisu and Kuki commenced on 6 June 2020.^[7]

Passenger statistics

In fiscal 2013, the JR East station was used by an average of 240,327 passengers daily (boarding passengers only), making it the ninth-busiest station operated by JR East.^[8] Over the same fiscal year, the Tokyo Metro station was used by an average of 122,576 passengers daily (both exiting and entering passengers), making it the 23rd busiest Tokyo Metro station.^[9] The passenger figures for previous years are as shown below. Note that JR East figures are for boarding passengers only.

Fiscal year	Daily average
	JR East	Tokyo Metro
2000	137,736[10]
2005	171,166[11]
2010	226,646[12]
2011	230,689[13]	119,184[14]
2012	234,187[15]	119,409[16]
2013	240,327[8]	122,576[9]

Surrounding area

The main attraction is the Akihabara electronics retail district to the north and west of the station.

• Iwamotocho Station (S Toei Shinjuku Line)
• Suehirocho Station (G Tokyo Metro Ginza Line)

Bus terminal

Route buses

• Cha 51(茶51); For Ochanomizu Station, Hongō-sanchōme Station, and Komagome Station^[17]
• Aki 26(秋26); For Kanda Station, Iwamotochō Station, Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station, and Kasai Station^[17]
• Kazaguruma Akihabara Route; For Ochanomizu Station, Chiyoda City Office^[18]
• Kazaguruma Akihabara Route; For Ochanomizu Station, Chiyoda City Office^[19]

Highway buses

• My Town Direct Bus; For Tokyo Disney Resort, Shin-Urayasu Area^[20]
• Airport Limousine; For Haneda Airport^[21]
• Kanto Yakimono Liner; For Kasama Station, Mashiko Station^[22]
• For Takasaki Station, Shin-Maebashi Station, Maebashi Station, and Maebashi Bus Center^[23]
• Tono Kamaishi; For Shin-Hanamaki Station, Tōno Station, Kamaishi Station, Kirikiri, and Yamada^[24]
• Yuhi; For Tsuruoka Station, Amarume Station, and Sakata Station^[25]
• Southern Cross; For Kyōto Station, Ōsaka Station, Namba Station, and Osaka City Air Terminal (JR Namba Station)^[26]
• Tokyo Tokkyu New Star; For Kyōto Station, Ōsaka Station, Universal Studios Japan, Tennōji Station, Ōsaka Uehommachi Station, and Fuse Station^[27]
• For Toyama Station, Kanazawa Station, and Kenroku-en^[23]

See also

• Tokyo portal

• List of railway stations in Japan

References

1. 山手線秋葉原駅に可動式ホーム柵設置 [Platform edge doors installed at Yamanote Line Akihabara Station]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 23 May 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
2. 日比谷線 秋葉原駅・銀座駅、千代田線 乃木坂駅 発車メロディ導入曲決定！ [Departure melodies to be introduced at Hibiya Line Akihabara and Ginza Stations and Chiyoda Line Nogizaka Station]. News release (in Japanese). Japan: Tokyo Metro. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
3. "「営団地下鉄」から「東京メトロ」へ" [From "Teito Rapid Transit Authority" to "Tokyo Metro"]. Tokyo Metro Online (in Japanese). 2006-07-08. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
4. "SeeJapan: August 2007". Archived from the original on 2007-10-06. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
5. "⾸都圏エリアへ 「駅ナンバリング」を導⼊します" [Introduce “station numbering” to the Tokyo metropolitan area] (PDF). jreast.co.jp (in Japanese). 6 April 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
6. Kusamachi, Yoshikazu (7 April 2016). "JA・JK・JT・AKB…JR東日本、首都圏で駅ナンバリングなど導入へ" [JA, JK, JT, AKB … JR East to introduce station numbering in the Tokyo metropolitan area]. Response Automotive Media (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
7. "2020年6月6日（土）東武鉄道・東京メトロダイヤ改正 東武線・日比谷線相互直通列車に初の座席指定制列車「THライナー」が誕生!" [June 6, 2020 (Saturday) Tobu Railway / Tokyo Metro Timetable Revision Tobu Line / Hibiya Line Mutual direct train, the first reserved seat train "TH Liner" is born!] (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). 東武鉄道／東京地下鉄. 19 December 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
8. 各駅の乗車人員 （2013年度） [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2013)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Archived from the original on 2001-05-06. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
9. 各駅の乗降人員ランキング [Station usage ranking] (in Japanese). Tokyo Metro. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
10. 各駅の乗車人員 （2000年度） [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2000)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Archived from the original on 2014-10-09. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
11. 各駅の乗車人員 （2005年度） [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Archived from the original on 2014-10-09. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
12. 各駅の乗車人員 (2010年度) [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2010)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
13. 各駅の乗車人員 （2011年度） [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2011)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Archived from the original on 2014-10-08. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
14. 各駅の乗降人員ランキング [Station usage ranking] (in Japanese). Tokyo Metro. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
15. 各駅の乗車人員 （2012年度） [Station passenger figures (Fiscal 2012)] (in Japanese). Japan: East Japan Railway Company. Archived from the original on 2014-10-07. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
16. 各駅の乗降人員ランキング [Station usage ranking] (in Japanese). Tokyo Metro. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
17. 系統運行状況／系統一覧選択 ｜ 都バス運行情報サービス ｜ 東京都交通局. tobus.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-01-24.
18. 千代田区. 千代田区ホームページ – 地域福祉交通「風ぐるま」. www.city.chiyoda.lg.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
19. 千代田区. 千代田区ホームページ - 地域福祉交通「風ぐるま」. www.city.chiyoda.lg.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2016-01-30. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
20. 「東京ディズニーリゾート®」・新浦安地区～秋葉原・東京駅 ｜ 高速バス ｜ 京成バス. www.keiseibus.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-01-24.
21. "Mejiro, Kudan, Kourakuen, Akihabara – Haneda Airport | Scheduled Bus Services | Airport Limousine Bus". www.limousinebus.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2016-02-12. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
22. "関東やきものライナー : 益子・笠間 ─ 秋葉原駅 | 高速バスのご案内 - 茨城交通". www.ibako.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-01-24.
23. "日本中央バス 毎日運行！！高速バス". www.ncbbus.co.jp. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
24. "高速バス 気仙沼・陸前高田・大船渡／遠野・釜石・大槌・山田 〔けせんライナー／遠野・釜石号〕 | 高速バス | 国際興業バス". 5931bus.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-01-24.
25. "高速バス 鶴岡・余目・酒田 ［夕陽号］ | 高速バス | 国際興業バス". 5931bus.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-01-24.
26. "南海バス｜大阪・京都⇔秋葉原・成田空港・銚子". www.nankaibus.jp. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
27. "東京特急ニュースター号｜路線案内｜高速・貸切バス 大阪バス株式会社". www.osakabus.jp. Archived from the original on 2016-01-20. Retrieved 2016-01-24.

External links

• Akihabara Station information (JR East) (in Japanese)
• Akihabara Station information (Tokyo Metro) (in English)
• Akihabara Station information (Tsukuba Express) (in English)