Kintetsu - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English (a full translation of its Japanese name) until June 27, 2003, is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

, Kyoto

Kyoto

is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

, Nara

Nara, Nara

is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...

, Nagoya, Tsu

Tsu, Mie

is the capital of Mie Prefecture, Japan. The city of Tsu is located on Ise Bay, east of the city. Tsu is bounded to the north by Suzuka and Kameyama; to the west by Iga, Nabari, and Nara Prefecture; and to the south by Matsuzaka city.-History:...

and Ise

Ise, Mie

, formerly called Ujiyamada , is a city located in eastern Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan.Ise is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shintō Shrine in Japan, and is thus a very popular destination for tourists. The city has a long-standing nickname—Shinto —that roughly means...

. Kintetsu also operates tourism, real estate, and shipping companies, and has a major rail car-building operation (Kinki Sharyo

Kinki Sharyo

is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...

) that produces trains used in Japan, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

and Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

History

On September 16, 1910, was founded, and was renamed a month after. Daiki completed Ikoma Tunnel and started operating a line between Osaka and Nara (now the Kintetsu Nara Line) on April 30, 1914. The modern Kashihara, Osaka, and Shigi lines were completed in the 1920s, followed by the Kyoto Line (a cooperative venture with Keihan Electric Railway

Keihan Electric Railway

is a Japanese railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. It is known as , or .-History:Keihan started its operation between Osaka and Kyoto in 1910. It was the first electric railway to connect these two cities, and the first line on the left bank of Yodo River...

). Daiki founded in 1927, which consolidated on September 15, 1936.

In 1938, Daiki teamed up with to operate the first private railway service from Osaka to Nagoya. Sankyu bought Kankyuden on January 1, 1940 and continued the service on its own. Then Sankyu consolidated on August 1. Daiki consolidated Sankyu on March 15, 1941 and was renamed Kansai Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. (second, Kankyu (関急)). Kankyu consolidated on February 1, 1943 and moved its headquarters from Uehommachi to Osaka Abenobashi.

Kankyu was renamed after it consolidated Nankai Railway in June 1944: it maintained the name when Nankai regained its independence in 1947.

After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Kintetsu branched out and became one of the world's largest travel agencies, opening offices in the United States of America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and other countries.

The charged limited express train service between Uehommachi and Nagoya in 1947, and this is the start of the present Kintetsu limited express trains. The current rail network was mostly completed by consolidating , , , etc.

Kintetsu moved its headquarters again from Osaka Abenobashi to Osaka Uehommachi on December 5, 1969. Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. was renamed Kintetsu Corpotation on June 28, 2003, the company logo of "KINTETSU" and "近鉄" were renewed, and the logo for the official corporate name "KINTETSU CORPORATION" and "近畿日本鉄道株式会社" appeared when.

Abbreviations

from Daiki era to present

1910 - April 14, 1941:
April 15, 1941 - May 31, 1944:
June 1, 1944 - 1948: ,
Present:

other companies

Sangu Kyuko Electric Railway Co., Ltd.:
Ise Electric Railway Co., Ltd.:
Kansai Kyuko Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (first):
Osaka Railway Co., Ltd.:
Nara Electric Railway Co., Ltd.:
Mie Electric Railway Co., Ltd.:

Current lines (Category-1, ropeway and tramway)

Following lines belong to Kintetsu's and business under the Railway Business Act and business under the Tram Act. This means that Kintetsu is the owner and operator of the lines.

1,435 mm standard gauge lines

Osaka-Nagoya Line area
- Osaka Line (Osaka Uehommachi - Ise-Nakagawa)
  - Shigi Line
    Kintetsu Shigi Line
    The is a railway line operated by Kinki Nippon Railway . The line stretches from Kawachi-Yamamoto Station to Shigisanguchi Station. The entire line is located in the city of Yao, and is 2.8 km long...
    
    (Kawachi-Yamamoto - Shigisanguchi)
- Nagoya Line (Kintetsu Nagoya - Ise-Nakagawa)
  - Yunoyama Line
    Kintetsu Yunoyama Line
    The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station and Yunoyama-Onsen Station in Japan....
    
    (Kintetsu Yokkaichi - Yunoyama-Onsen)
  - Suzuka Line
    Kintetsu Suzuka Line
    The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Ise-Wakamatsu Station and Hiratachō Station in Japan.The line connects with the Kintetsu Nagoya Line at Ise-Wakamatsu Station....
    
    (Ise-Wakamatsu - Hiratacho)
- Yamada Line
  Kintetsu Yamada Line
  The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Ise-Nakagawa Station and Ujiyamada Station in Japan. The line runs parallel to parts of the JR Central Kisei Main Line and Sangū Line.The line connects with the Toba Line at Ujiyamada Station...
  
  (Ise-Nakagawa - Ujiyamada)
- Toba Line
  Kintetsu Toba Line
  The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Ujiyamada Station and Toba Station in Japan. The line runs parallel to the JR Central Sangū Line....
  
  (Ujiyamada - Toba)
- Shima Line
  Kintetsu Shima Line
  The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Toba Station and Kashikojima Station in Japan.The line connects with the Toba Line at Toba Station...
  
  (Toba - Kashikojima)
Nara-Kyoto Line area
- Namba Line
  Kintetsu Namba Line
  is an underground railway line of Kintetsu Corporation in Osaka, Japan opened in 1970. It is an extension of the Osaka Line and the Nara Line. The line is parallel to the Osaka Municipal Subway Sennichimae Line...
  
  (Osaka Namba - Osaka Uehommachi)
- Nara Line (Fuse - Kintetsu-Nara)
  - Ikoma Line
    Kintetsu Ikoma Line
    The is a railway line of Kintetsu Corporation in Nara Prefecture, Japan between Ikoma Station in the city of Ikoma and Ōji Station in the town of Ōji. Having a total length of 12.4 km, the entirely electrified standard gauge line is partially double-tracked...
    
    (Ikoma - Oji)
- Keihanna Line
  Kintetsu Keihanna Line
  is a railway line owned by Kintetsu Corporation. There are through trains to the Chūō Line of Osaka Municipal Subway. The line name derives from a kanji acronym formed from Kyoto , Osaka , and Nara , however the line is written in hiragana.The line is the sole Kintetsu line with a third rail...
  
  (Nagata - Gakken Nara-Tomigaoka)
- Kyoto Line (Kyoto - Yamato-Saidaiji)
- Kashihara Line
  Kintetsu Kashihara Line
  of Kintetsu Corporation is a north-south bound railway line between Yamato-Saidaiji Station and Kashiharajingu-mae Station in Nara Prefecture, in Japan...
  
  (Yamato-Saidaiji - Kashiharajingu-mae)
  - Tenri Line
    Kintetsu Tenri Line
    The is a railway line of Kintetsu Corporation in Nara Prefecture, Japan connecting Hirahata Station in Yamato-Kōriyama and Tenri Station in Tenri.The line has four stations including the terminal Tenri and the transfer station Hirahata...
    
    (Hirahata - Tenri)
  - Tawaramoto Line
    Kintetsu Tawaramoto Line
    The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Shin-Ōji Station and Nishi-Tawaramoto Station in Japan....
    
    (Shin-Oji - Nishi-Tawaramoto)

1,067 mm narrow gauge lines

Minami-Osaka Line area
- Minami-Osaka Line (Osaka Abenobashi - Kashiharajingu-mae)
  - Domyoji Line (Domyoji - Kashiwara)
  - Nagano Line (Furuichi - Kawachi-Nagano)
  - Gose Line
    Kintetsu Gose Line
    The is a railway line of Kintetsu Corporation in Nara Prefecture, Japan connecting Shakudo Station in Katsuragi and Kintetsu Gose Station in Gose.The line has four stations including the terminal Gose and the transfer station Shakudo. It is mainly used by commuters to Osaka, as well as those who...
    
    (Shakudo - Kintetsu Gose)
- Yoshino Line
  Kintetsu Yoshino Line
  of Kintetsu Corporation is a railway line in Japan between Kashihara-Jingūmae Station in Kashihara and Yoshino in Yoshino. All Express and Limited Express trains terminate at the Ōsaka Abenobashi Station in Minami-Osaka Line.-Statistics:* Length: 25.2km...
  
  (Kashiharajingu-mae - Yoshino)

762 mm narrow gauge lines

Utsube Line
Kintetsu Utsube Line
The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station and Utsube Station, both in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan....

(Kintetsu Yokkaichi - Utsube)
Hachioji Line
Kintetsu Hachioji Line
The , often called the Kintetsu Nishihino Line is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Hinaga Station and Nishihino Station, both in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan...

(Hinaga - Nishi-Hino)

Funicular lines

Ikoma Cable Line (Toriimae - Ikoma-Sanjo)
Nishi-Shigi Cable Line
Kintetsu Nishi-Shigi Cable Line
The , officially the is Japanese funicular line in Yao, Osaka, operated by Kintetsu. The line, opened in 1930, makes a route to Chōgo Sonshi-ji temple on Mount Shigi. As the line name suggests, there once was as well. However, the eastern line was closed in 1983...

(Shigisanguchi - Takayasuyama)

Ropeway

Katsuragi Ropeway (Katsuragi-tozanguchi - Katsuragi-sanjo)

Current lines (Category-2)

Following line belongs to Kintetsu's under the Railway Business Act. This means that Kintetsu operates trains on the line, but the owner of the railway facility is a separate company.

1,435 mm standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

line
- Keihanna Line
  Kintetsu Keihanna Line
  is a railway line owned by Kintetsu Corporation. There are through trains to the Chūō Line of Osaka Municipal Subway. The line name derives from a kanji acronym formed from Kyoto , Osaka , and Nara , however the line is written in hiragana.The line is the sole Kintetsu line with a third rail...
  
  (Ikoma - Gakken-Nara-Tomigaoka, trackage owned by Nara Ikoma Rapid Transit Railway Co., Ltd.)

Current lines (Category-3)

Following lines belong to Kintetsu's under the Railway Business Act. This means that Kintetsu is the owner of the railway facility, but the trains are operated by separate companies.

1,067 mm narrow gauge lines
- Iga Line
  Iga Railway Iga Line
  The is a railway line in Iga, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The line connects Iga-Ueno Station and Iga-Kambe Station.The track and trains are owned by Kintetsu Corporation, and the trains are operated by .-Current section:-Closed stations:...
  
  (Iga-Ueno - Iga-Kambe, trains operated by Iga Railway Co., Ltd.)
- Yōrō Line (Kuwana - Ogaki - Ibi, trains operated by Yōrō Railway Co., Ltd.)

Until September 30, 2007, those lines were part of the Category-1 railway business.

Through-train services

Kintetsu trains also run on the Osaka Municipal Subway

Osaka Municipal Subway

is the metro network in the city of Osaka, Japan, forming an integral part of the extensive mass transit system of Greater Osaka , having 125 out of the 1,108 rail stations in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto region. In 2010 the greater Osaka region had 13 million rail passengers daily of which the Osaka...

Chūō Line, the Kyoto Municipal Subway

Kyoto Municipal Subway

is the metro network in the city of Kyoto, Japan. It is operated by Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau. It has two lines.-Lines:- External links :**...

Karasuma Line, and the Hanshin Railway Hanshin Namba Line, but such lines are not Kintetsu lines.

Abandoned lines and transferred lines

Hase Line (長谷線) (Sakurai - Hase, abandoned )
Sanjo Line (山上線) (Takayasuyama - Shigizammon, closed on January 7, 1944 and abandoned on )
Horyuji Line (法隆寺線) (Shin-Horyuji - Hirahata, closed on February 11, 1945 and abandoned on )
Obusa Line (小房線) (Unebi - Kashiharajingu-eki, closed on June 1, 1950 and abandoned on )
Ise Line (伊勢線) (Edobashi - Shin-Matsusaka - Daijingu-mae)
- Shin-Matsusaka - Daijingu-mae: abandoned on
- Edobashi - Shin-Matsusaka: abandoned on
Iga Line (伊賀線) (Nishi-Nabari - Iga-Kambe, abandoned on )
Shima Line (志摩線) (Kashikojima - Shinjuko, abandoned on )
Hachioji Line (八王子線) (Nishihino - Ise-Hachioji, closed on July 25, 1974 and abandoned on )
Higashi-Shigi Cable Line (東信貴鋼索線) (Shigisanshita - Shigisan, abandoned on )
Hokusei Line (北勢線) (Nishi-Kuwana - Ageki, transferred to Sangi Railway Co. on April 1, 2003)

Rail lines transferred to Nankai Electric Railway Co.

To separate former Kankyu Lines and former Nankai Lines, the following lines were transferred to Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd. which was renamed from Koyasan Electric Railway Co.

Nankai Main Line (南海本線) (Namba - Wakayamashi)
- Tennoji Branch Line (天王寺支線) (Tengachaya - Tennoji)
  - Tengachaya - Imaikecho: abandoned on
  - Imaikecho - Tennoji: abandoned on
- Takashinohama Line
  Nankai Takashinohama Line
  is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture owned by Nankai Electric Railway. This line joins the Nankai Main Line.-Stations:...
  
  (高師浜線) (Hagoromo - Takashinohama)
- Tanagawa Line
  Nankai Tanagawa Line
  is a railway line in Osaka Prefecture owned by Nankai Electric Railway. This line joins the Nankai Main Line.-Stations:...
  
  (多奈川線) (Misakikoen - Tanagawa)
- Kada Line
  Nankai Kada Line
  is a railway line in Wakayama Prefecture owned by Nankai Electric Railway. This line joins the Nankai Main Line.-Stations:...
  
  (加太線) (Kinokawa - Kada)
- Kitajima Branch Line (北島支線) (Wakayamashi - Higashi-Matsue, abandoned on )
Koya Line (高野線) (Shiomibashi - Koyashita)
Hankai Line
Hankai Line
The is a tramway in the cities of Osaka and Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. owns and operates the line.The line's name comes from and ....

(阪堺線) (Ebisucho - Hamadera-eki-mae) (transferred to Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd.
Hankai Tramway
is a company which owns two tramway lines in the cities of Osaka and Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The parent company is Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.-Now owned:*Hankai Line 14.1 km...

on December 1, 1980)
- Ohama Branch Line (大浜支線) (Shukuin - Ohama-kitaguchi - Ohamakaigan)
  - Ohama-kitaguchi - Ohamakaigan: abandoned on
  - Shukuin - Ohama-kitaguchi: closed on July 10, 1945, abandoned on )
- Uemachi Line
  Hankai Uemachi Line
  The is a tramway line of Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. in Osaka, Japan.-History:*September 20, 1900 - Osaka Horse Rail Co. from Tennoji-nishimon-mae to Higashi-Tengachaya was opened....
  
  (上町線) (Tennoji-eki-mae - Sumiyoshikoen) (transferred to Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. on December 1, 1980)
- Hirano Line (平野線) (Imaike - Hirano) (abandoned on )

Unbuilt lines

Gifu Line (岐阜線) (Ogaki - Gifu or Hashima), planned by Yoro Electric Railway Co.
Shijonawate Line (四条畷線) (Sakuranomiya - Nukata), planned by Osaka Electric Railway Co.

Fare cards

Kintetsu accepts five types of pre-paid and post-pay fare cards: Pearl Card, Surutto Kansai, J-Thru Card, PiTaPa

PiTaPa

is a contactless smart card ticketing and electronic money system used in the Kansai region of Japan. The name PiTaPa is an acronym of "Postpay IC for Touch and Pay"...

and ICOCA

ICOCA

The card is a rechargeable contactless smart card used on JR West rail network in Japan. The card was launched on November 1, 2003 for usage on the Urban Network, which encompasses the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe...

. Pearl Card is used for purchase of tickets and others are used in lieu of tickets. Validity of the cards varies by lines as shown in the table below.

Validity of fare cards on Kintetsu lines
		magnet			IC
		Pearl Card¹	Surutto Kansai	J-Thru Card¹	PiTaPa	ICOCA
Dōmyōji Line		x	-	+	+	+
Gose Line		x	+	+	+	+
Ikoma Line		x	+	+	+	+
Kashihara Line		x	+	+	+	+
Keihanna Line		x	+	x	+	+
Kyoto Line		x	+	+	+	+
Minami-Osaka Line		x	+	+	+	+
Nagano Line		x	+	+	+	+
Nagoya Line		x	-	-	+	+
Namba Line		x	+	+	+	+
Nara Line		x	+	+	+	+
Osaka Line	Uehommachi - Aoyamachō	x	+	+	+	+
Osaka Line	Iga-Kōzu - Ise-Nakagawa	x	-	-	+	+
Shigi Line		x	+	+	+	+
Shima Line	Five major stations²	x	-	-	+	+
Shima Line	Other stations	x	-	-	-	-
Suzuka Line		x	-	-	+	+
Tawaramoto Line		x	-	-	+	+
Tenri Line		x	+	+	+	+
Toba Line		x	-	-	+	+
Yamada Line		x	-	-	+	+
Yoshino Line		x	-	-	+	+
Yunoyama Line		x	-	-	+	+
Other lines		x	-	-	-	-

Legend

"+": Ticket gates of all stations on the line accept the card (some exceptions may exist).
"-": No stations on the line accept the card (some exceptions may exist).
"x": Ticket vending machines of all stations on the line accept the card, but ticket gates do not.

Note

The sales of Pearl Card and J-Through Card ended on September 15, 2008.
The five major stations on the Shima Line that accept IC Cards are Toba, Nakanogō, Shima-Isobe, Ugata and Kashikojima.

Other major businesses

Kinki Nippon Rent-A-Car
Kinki Nippon Tourist Travel Agency
Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...
Kintetsu Beppu Ropeway
Kintetsu Beppu Ropeway
The is a Japanese aerial lift line in Beppu, Ōita. This is the only line that operates. As the line name suggests, the company belongs to the Kintetsu Group. Opened in 1962, the line climbs near the Beppu onsen hot spring resort. The mountain is most famous as one of the few hard rime sights in...
Keihanna Bus Holdings Co., Ltd.
- Kintetsu Bus Co., Ltd.
- Narakanko Co., Ltd.
- Nara Kotsu Bus Line Co., Ltd.
Kintetsu Department Store
Kintetsu Department Store
is a department store chain in the Kansai region, Japan. It is headquartered in Abenosuji Itchome, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan.-History:*January, 1920: was opened in front of Kyoto Station.*February, 1920: was founded....
Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Kintetsu Hanazono rugby stadium
Kintetsu Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka is the oldest dedicated rugby union stadium in Japan. Owned by Kintetsu Corporation, it opened in 1929 and has a capacity of 30,000...
Kintetsu World Express
Kintetsu World Express
, or KWE, is a major Japanese airfreight forwarding company.- Website :...

(Air Freight)
Miyako Hotels and Resorts
Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes (baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

team, present: Orix Buffaloes
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. They play in the Pacific League. The team is owned by the Orix Group, a leading diversified financial services company based in Tokyo....

)
Kintetsu Liners
Kintetsu Liners
Kintetsu Liners rugby team are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kintetsu Corporation which was founded in 1929. They have won the All-Japan Championship three times as an amateur team...

(rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

team)
Shima Spain Village theme park

External links

Corporate web site of Kintetsu Corporation
Railway and tourist guide website of Kintetsu
Travel agency web site
Canada Travel agency web site

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