Ikebukuro Station
Encyclopedia
is a railway station located in the Ikebukuro
district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest train station in the world (after Shinjuku Station
), and the busiest station in the Tobu
, Seibu
and Tokyo Metro
networks. It primarily serves commuters from Saitama
and other residential areas northwest of the city center. It is the Tokyo terminal of the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
and the Tōbu Tōjō Line.
Ikebukuro Station has two main entrances, the East exit and the West exit. There are a number of other secondary entrances such as the JR North exit, the various Seibu exits. and multiple subway exits.
The JR lines run north/south through the center. The Tobu platforms are to the northwest and the Seibu platforms are to the southeast. Both Tobu and Seibu operate department stores adjacent to their terminal stations. (Ironically, "Seibu" (西武) starts with the kanji
for "west" (西), but its platforms are in the eastern part of the station, while "Tōbu" (東武) starts with the character for "east" (東), but its platforms are in the western part of the station.)
The Marunouchi Line and Yūrakuchō Line
run east/west two stories underground, while the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line is four stories underground to the west of the main station complex. The latter line currently runs south toward Shinjuku
and Shibuya
along Meiji-dori, and by 2012 will offer through service to Motomachi-Chūkagai Station
in Yokohama via the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line and Minatomirai Line.
Tokyo Metro's Echika underground mall is also located inside the station.
The surrounding Ikebukuro
district is a major commercial center. Sunshine City
, Parco, Mitsukoshi
, and Bic Camera
are located to the east of the station, while the Metropolitan Plaza is located to the west.
. This is relatively late opening among major stations on the Yamanote Line. The station and the surrounding area saw rapid development after the opening of the Tōjō Railway Line (present-day Tobu Tōjō Line) in 1914 and the Musashino Railway Line (present-day Seibu Ikebukuro LIne) in 1915.
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Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest train station in the world (after Shinjuku Station
Shinjuku Station
is a train station located in Shinjuku and Shibuya wards in Tokyo, Japan.Serving as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central Tokyo and its western suburbs on inter-city rail, commuter rail and metro lines, the station was used by an average of 3.64 million people per day in 2007,...
), and the busiest station in the Tobu
Tobu Railway
is a Japanese commuter railway company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. It operates in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Tochigi, and Gunma Prefectures...
, Seibu
Seibu Railway
is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbreviation of "west Musashi," referring to the historic name for this area...
and Tokyo Metro
Tokyo Metro
is one of two rapid transit systems making up the Tokyo subway system, the other being Toei. It is the most used subway system in the world in terms of annual passenger rides.-Organization:...
networks. It primarily serves commuters from Saitama
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
and other residential areas northwest of the city center. It is the Tokyo terminal of the Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Seibu Ikebukuro Line
The is a commuter railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally terminates at Agano Station.The Seibu Chichibu...
and the Tōbu Tōjō Line.
JR East
- Saikyō LineSaikyo LineThe is a railway line between Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is a part of the East Japan Railway Company network...
- Shōnan-Shinjuku LineShonan-Shinjuku LineThe is a passenger railway service in Japan which commenced in December 2001. The line has no dedicated track as services run through shared sections along the Ryōmō Line, Takasaki Line, Utsunomiya Line, Yamanote Freight Line, Yokosuka Line, and Tōkaidō Main Line...
- through service to Takasaki LineTakasaki LineThe is a Japanese railway line which runs between Ōmiya Station in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture and Takasaki Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company ....
and Utsunomiya LineUtsunomiya LineThe is the name given to a 159.9 kilometre section of the Tōhoku Main Line between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kuroiso Station in Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan...
; also used by Narita ExpressNarita Express, abbreviated as N'EX, is a limited express train service operated since 1991 by East Japan Railway Company , serving Narita International Airport from various Greater Tokyo Area stations. Services are approximately half-hourly in the mornings and evenings, and hourly through the middle of the day...
trains - Yamanote LineYamanote LineThe is commuter rail loop line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō/Ginza area, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, with all but two of its...
- along with ŌsakiOsaki Stationis a railway stationin Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. It is one of the stations where trains on the Yamanote Line loop are put into and taken out of service...
, one of two stations where Yamanote loop trains are taken in and out of service
Tokyo Metro
- Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
- Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō LineTokyo Metro Yurakucho LineThe is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "gold" , and its stations are given numbers using the letter Y.The proper name as...
- Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line
Station layout
The JR lines run north/south through the center. The Tobu platforms are to the northwest and the Seibu platforms are to the southeast. Both Tobu and Seibu operate department stores adjacent to their terminal stations. (Ironically, "Seibu" (西武) starts with the kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
for "west" (西), but its platforms are in the eastern part of the station, while "Tōbu" (東武) starts with the character for "east" (東), but its platforms are in the western part of the station.)
The Marunouchi Line and Yūrakuchō Line
Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line
The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "gold" , and its stations are given numbers using the letter Y.The proper name as...
run east/west two stories underground, while the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line is four stories underground to the west of the main station complex. The latter line currently runs south toward Shinjuku
Shinjuku Station
is a train station located in Shinjuku and Shibuya wards in Tokyo, Japan.Serving as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central Tokyo and its western suburbs on inter-city rail, commuter rail and metro lines, the station was used by an average of 3.64 million people per day in 2007,...
and Shibuya
Shibuya Station
is a train station located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.4 million passengers on an average weekday in 2004, it is the fourth-busiest commuter rail station in Japan handling a large amount of commuter traffic between the center city and suburbs to the south and west.-JR East:*Saikyō Line /...
along Meiji-dori, and by 2012 will offer through service to Motomachi-Chūkagai Station
Motomachi-Chukagai Station
is an underground terminus of the Minatomirai Line subway located in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is 4.1 kilometers from the opposite terminus of the Minatomirai Line at Yokohama Station. Its official name, as shown on signage in the station, is with the sub-name in...
in Yokohama via the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line and Minatomirai Line.
Tokyo Metro's Echika underground mall is also located inside the station.
The surrounding Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
district is a major commercial center. Sunshine City
Sunshine City, Tokyo
is a building complex located in East Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest city within the city and has the 240 metre tall Sunshine 60 skyscraper at its centre...
, Parco, Mitsukoshi
Mitsukoshi
is an international department store chain with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Mitsukoshi Ltd. has amalgamated with Isetan Co.,Ltd ,and changed company name to Isetan Mitsukoshi Ltd.- History :...
, and Bic Camera
Bic Camera
is a consumer electronics retailer chain in Japan. Currently, it has 39 stores in Japan.It has a 15% stake in Best Denki and a wholly owned subsidiary, Sofmap.-Stores in Tokyo:*Yurakucho Honkan*Yurakucho Terebi-Kan*Ikebukuro Honten...
are located to the east of the station, while the Metropolitan Plaza is located to the west.
JR East
| 1 | ■Saikyō Line | for , , and |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ■Shōnan-Shinjuku Line | for Shinjuku, , , and |
| ■Ltd. Exp. Narita Express | for | |
| 3 | ■Shōnan-Shinjuku Line | for , , and |
| 4 | ■Saikyō Line | for , , and |
| 5, 6 | ■Yamanote Line | for Shinjuku, and |
| 7, 8 | ■Yamanote Line | for , , and |
Tobu
| 1-5 | ■Tōjō Line | for , , , , and |
|---|
Seibu
| 1-7 | ■Ikebukuro Line | for , , , and |
|---|
Tokyo Metro
| 1, 2 | ○Marunouchi Line | for , Tokyo, , Shinjuku, , |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | ○Yūrakuchō Line | for , , , and Shin-Kiba |
| 4 | ○Yūrakuchō Line | for , , , and Hannō |
| 5 | ○Fukutoshin Line | for , , and Shibuya |
| 6 | ○Fukutoshin Line | for Kotake-mukaihara, Wakōshi, Shinrinkōen, and Hannō |
History
The station was opened on April 1, 1903 by the national railwayJapanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
. This is relatively late opening among major stations on the Yamanote Line. The station and the surrounding area saw rapid development after the opening of the Tōjō Railway Line (present-day Tobu Tōjō Line) in 1914 and the Musashino Railway Line (present-day Seibu Ikebukuro LIne) in 1915.
Daily entries/exits
Operator Number Fiscal year Source- JR 1,179,674 2007
- Seibu 520,164 2007
- Tobu 519,271 2007
- Tokyo Metoro 491,958 2007
- Ikebukuro Totals 2,711,067 2007
Adjacent stations
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