The Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. (formally 東京地下鉄株式会社 Tōkyō Chikatetsu Kabushiki Kaisha, but commonly 東京メトロ Tōkyō Metoro) is one of the two operators of Tokyo's metro system. It is a private company jointly owned by the Japanese government and the Tokyo metropolitan government.

It replaced the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (帝都高速度交通営団 Teito Kōsokudo Kōtsū Eidan, abbreviated Eidan or TRTA) on April 1, 2004. TRTA was administered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport , and jointly funded by the national and metropolitan governments. It was formed in 1941, although its oldest lines date back to 1927.

The other metro operator in Tokyo is the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, which operates the Toei system.

The Tokyo Metro is one of the most complex public transportation systems in the world yet remains as one of the most user friendly and arguably one of the most convenient, especially for non-Japanese speaking commuters:

- Train stops are announced in both English and Japanese. Announcements also provide connecting line information.
- Ticketing machines can switch between English and Japanese user interfaces.
- Train stations are signposted in English, Japanese (in Kanji), as well as the respective Japanese in Hiragana (Furigana).
- Train stations are now also consecutively numbered on each color-coded line, allowing even non-English speakers to be able to commute without necessarily knowing the name of the station. For example, Shinjuku Station on the Marunouchi Line is also signposted as M-08 with the familiar red colored circle surrounding it; Even if a commuter could not read the English or Japanese station names on signs or maps, they can simply look for the red line and then find the appropriately numbered station on said line.

Although ticket machines are plentiful at every station, many regular Tokyo Metro commuters purchase Tokyo Metro SF Cards for convenience. These SF (Stored Fare) Cards can be purchased in pre-paid amounts of ¥1000, ¥3000 and ¥5000.

The Tokyo Metro is extremely punctual and has regular trains arriving less than five minutes apart most of the day and night. It does not however run 24 hours a day. Lines tend to stop service between midnight and 1:00am and commence again approximately 5:00am.

Lines

The Tokyo Metro Ginza Line operates from Shibuya to Asakusa with Ginza Station being the median stop.
The Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line operates from Ogikubo to Ikebukuro, servicing predominantly the main government district of Kasumigaseki.
The Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line operates predominantly from Naka-meguro to Kita-senju , mainly servicing Roppongi, Kasumigaseki and the discount electronics district of Akihabara.
The Tokyo Metro Tozai Line operates between Nakano and Nishi-funabashi , mainly servicing commuters to and from Otemachi .
The Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line operates from Yoyogi-uehara to Kita-ayase , also predominantly servicing Otemachi .
The Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line operates from Wakoshi to Shin-kiba , mainly servicing Ikebukuro, Iidabashi and Yurakucho .
The Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line operates from Shibuya to Oshiage , passing through the hub of Otemachi .
The Tokyo Metro Namboku Line operates from Meguro to Akabane-iwabuchi , passing through such busy stops as Tameike-sanno , Nagatcho , Iidabashi, Korakuen (the stop used to get to Tokyo Dome).

External link

• http://www.tokyometro.jp/e/index.html