Tokyo’s Yamanote Line to mark 100th anniversary of loop line operations

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Commuters travel in a train on the JR Yamanote Line, in Tokyo, on Feb 12.

ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

TOKYO - The JR Yamanote Line, which circles central Tokyo, will mark the 100th anniversary of the start of its operations as a complete loop on Nov 1.

By transporting large numbers of people and large volumes of freight, the Yamanote Line contributed significantly to the development of the capital and transformed the city itself, which has grown to be centered around its stations.

Even now, it continues to move forward into the future, taking on the challenge of introducing new operational technologies.

“It has been 100 years since the Yamanote Line became a loop line. As a railway professional, I am so proud that this line has served as a main artery (for Tokyo),” said Mr Yoichi Kise, president of East Japan Railway Co (JR East),at a regular press conference on Oct 7.

“We want local people to love it and use it for commuting to work and school, of course, but we also want to preserve it as a valuable tourism resource,” he added.

According to the Railway Museum in Saitama, the precursor to the Yamanote Line was the Shinagawa Line, which opened between Shinagawa and Akabane stations in 1885.

In 1909, the Shinagawa Line was connected to the Toshima Line, which ran between Tabata and Ikebukuro stations, and the combination of the two was named the Yamanote Line.

The line was gradually extended further, but the dense concentration of buildings in the area between Tokyo and Ueno stations for