Nagoya Municipal Subway


The Nagoya Municipal Subway, also known as the Nagoya Subway, is a rapid transit system serving Nagoya, the capital of Aichi Prefecture, Japan operated by the Nagoya City Transportation Bureau. The system opened in 1957, consisting of six lines with a total route length of 93.3 km and serves 87 stations, approximately 90 percent of which are located underground.
Like other major Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya’s rail transportation system is heavily complemented by suburban railways, together forming an extensive network of 47 lines in and around Greater Nagoya. Of these, the subway lines account for approximately 38 percent of Greater Nagoya’s total rail ridership of about 3 million passengers per day. In 2002, the system introduced Hatchii as its official mascot.
Under Nagoya City regulations, the system’s official name is Nagoya City Rapid Transit '.'
The network serves all 16 wards of Nagoya with the exception of Moriyama, and also extends to Nisshin, the only municipality outside Nagoya City with a station on the network.

History

Nagoya’s population grew rapidly after World War I and surpassed one million in 1934. At the time, city trams, the primary mode of transportation operated by the Nagoya City Transportation Bureau were severely overcrowded, prompting consideration of alternative measures, including the construction of a subway system following precedents set in Tokyo and Osaka.
In 1936, Nagoya City’s first plan for a municipally operated subway was announced. The plan proposed the construction of seven lines totaling approximately 52 km, to be built in two phases; however, the project was shelved due to high construction costs and preparations for the Nagoya Pan-Pacific Peace Exposition the following year.The prolonged Sino-Japanese War placed increasing strain on Nagoya’s finances. However, as the city developed into a major military–industrial center, the Provisional Nagoya City and Suburban Transportation Research Committee was established in 1939. After reviewing earlier subway proposals, the committee announced a revised plan consisting of four core lines totaling approximately 29 km. Nevertheless, the outbreak of World War II led to the suspension of all subway planning activities.

Post-WWII expansion

After the war, a basic plan proposing four lines with a total length of approximately 43 km was announced in January 1946 as part of efforts to develop a high-speed railway network. Drafted as an urban planning measure for postwar reconstruction and based on an assumed future population of 2 million, the plan primarily aimed to secure land for railway construction prior to the commencement of building work.
On January 19, 1950, the Ministry of Construction issued Notification No. 9, designating approximately 48.4 km of the planned route as part of the Nagoya Reconstruction Urban Planning High-Speed Railway Network. Construction of the Nagoya–Sakaemachi section began in August 1954, and operational testing of a prototype train commenced in 1956 on the Nagoya City Tram Shimonoichishiki Line.
On November 15, 1957, the Nagoya Municipal Subway opened its first section, between Nagoya and Sakaemachi. The initial fare between the two stations was a flat rate of 15 yen for adults and 8 yen for children, and one test ticket was distributed to each household in Nagoya City.

Chronology

  • November 15, 1957 – Line 1 opens between Nagoya and Sakaemachi.
  • June 15, 1960 – Line 1 opens between Sakaemachi and Ikeshita.
  • April 1, 1963 – Line 1 opens between Ikeshita and Higashiyama koen.
  • October 15, 1965 – Line 2 opens between Sakaemachi and City Hall.
  • June 1, 1966 – Station names are changed.
  • March 30, 1967 – Line 1 opens between Higashiyama koen and Hoshigaoka, and Line 2 opens between Sakae and Kanayama.
  • April 1, 1969 – Line 1 opens between Hoshigaoka and Fujigaoka, and between Nagoya and Nakamura koen.
  • May 1, 1969 – Line 1 becomes officially known as the Higashiyama Line, and Line 2 as the Meijo Line.
  • December 10, 1970 – Kamiyashiro Station opens on the Higashiyama Line.
  • March 29, 1971 – The Meijo Line opens between Kanayama and Nagoya Port.
  • March 30, 1974 – Line 4 opens between Kanayama and Aratamabashi.
  • March 18, 1977 – The Tsurumai Line opens between Fushimi and Yagoto.
  • October 1, 1978 – The Tsurumai Line opens between Yagoto and Akaike.
  • July 29, 1979 – Mutual through service begins between the Tsurumai Line and the Meitetsu Toyota Line.
  • November 27, 1981 – The Tsurumai Line opens between Joshin and Fushimi.
  • September 21, 1982 – The Higashiyama Line opens between Nakamurakoen and Takahata, completing the line.
  • September 6, 1984 – The Tsurumai Line opens between Shonai Ryokuchi Park and Joshin.
  • September 10, 1989 – The Sakuradori Line opens between Nakamura-Kuyakusho and Imaike; Hisaya-odori Station opens on the Meijo Line.
  • August 12, 1993 – The Tsurumai Line opens between Kami-Odai and Shonai Ryokuchi Koen, completing the line; through service begins with the Meitetsu Inuyama Line.
  • March 30, 1994 – The Sakuradori Line opens between Imaike and Nonami.
  • January 19, 2000 – Line 4 opens between Ozone and Sunadabashi.
  • March 27, 2003 – The Kamiiida Line opens between Heian-dori and Kamiiida; through service begins with the Meitetsu Komaki Line.
  • December 13, 2003 – Line 4 opens between Sunadabashi and Nagoya Daigaku.
  • October 6, 2004 – The Meijo Line opens between Nagoya-Daigaku and Aratamabashi, completing the line; Line 4 is renamed the Meijo Line and circular operation begins; station numbering is introduced.
  • March 27, 2011 – The Sakuradori Line opens between Nonami and Tokushige.
  • January 4, 2023 – Station names are changed, including Nakamura-Kuyakusho to Taiko-dori and Shiyakusho to Nagoyajo.

    Lines and infrastructure

The six lines that comprise the Nagoya subway network are, for the most part, independent. However, Meikō Line services partially interline with the Meijō Line, and the operations of both lines are combined. Therefore, there are in fact five distinct services on the subway. They are mostly self-contained, but two of its lines have through services onto lines owned and operated by Meitetsu, the largest private railway operator in the region. One of these, the Kamiida Line, is essentially an extension of the Meitetsu Komaki Line to which it connects.
The first two subway lines, the Higashiyama and Meijō/Meikō Lines, run on standard gauge track and use 600 volt DC electrification from a third rail. They are three of the eleven subway lines in Japan which use both third-rail electrification and standard gauge track. Subsequent lines were built to narrow gauge and employ 1,500 volt DC electrification from overhead lines, in common with most other rapid transit lines in the country.
As with other railway lines in Japan, tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines in stations. Since February 2011, this has largely been supplemented by Manaca, a rechargeable smart card. In 2012, Manaca replaced Tranpass, the predecessor integrated ticketing system, which was also able to be used at subway stations and for other connected transportation systems in the region.
On January 4, 2023, four stations were renamed:

Connecting services

The Nagoya Municipal Subway is closely integrated with JR Central services, including the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, at several major transfer points. Nagoya Station functions as the principal interchange, where the Higashiyama Line and the Sakura-dōri Line connect directly via underground passageways to the JR Tōkaidō Main Line platforms and the Shinkansen concourse located on the upper levels of the station complex. These arrangements are designed to handle heavy passenger flows, with shared concourses equipped with multilingual guidance, escalators, and elevators to facilitate efficient movement between subway facilities and JR ticket gates.File:MT-Kami Iida Station-Running in board.JPG|thumb|Station signboard at Kamiiida Station, serving through services between the Meitetsu Komaki Line and the Nagoya Municipal Subway Kamiiida Line.
File:BN-Akaike Station-Running in board.JPG|thumb|Station signboard at Akaike Station, serving through services between the Meitetsu Toyota Line and the Nagoya Municipal Subway Tsurumai Line.

JR Central

  • Tōkaidō Shinkansen: at Nagoya
  • Tōkaidō Main Line: at Nagoya and Kanayama
  • Chūō Main Line: at Nagoya, Kanayama, Tsurumai, Chikusa, and Ōzone
  • Kansai Main Line: at Nagoya and Hatta
  • Takayama Main Line: at Nagoya

    Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad)

The Nagoya Municipal Subway maintains extensive interchanges with private railway operators, primarily Meitetsu and Kintetsu, to support regional connectivity within Aichi Prefecture and beyond.
  • Meitetsu Nagoya Line: at Nagoya and Kanayama
  • Meitetsu Tokoname Line: at Nagoya and Kanayama
  • Meitetsu Inuyama Line: at Nagoya, Kanayama, and Kami-Otai
  • Meitetsu Tsushima Line: at Nagoya and Kanayama
  • Meitetsu Seto Line: at Sakae and Ōzone
  • Meitetsu Toyota Line: at Akaike

    Kintetsu

  • Kintetsu Nagoya Line: at Nagoya and Hatta

    Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit

  • Aonami Line: at Nagoya

    Aichi Rapid Transit

  • Linimo: at Fujigaoka

    Stations

The Nagoya Municipal Subway is predominantly composed of underground stations, with platforms designed using durable tiles to accommodate high passenger volumes and ensure ease of maintenance. Island platforms are commonly used on loop lines like the Meijō Line, enabling efficient cross-platform transfers and streamlining operations in the city's densely populated areas. The subway’s architectural style reflects modernist influences from the 1960s, as seen in decorative elements such as the colorful murals at Sakae Station, which introduce artistic flair to the system's functional spaces. In response to the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake in Kobe, new constructions and upgrades incorporated seismic-resistant features, including reinforced concrete and flexible joints, to minimize the risk of damage during earthquakes in the underground sections.
Tunnel construction methods differ by line in response to geological conditions and urban density. For example, the Higashiyama Line primarily utilizes deep-bored tunnels to pass beneath heavily built-up areas, whereas the Sakura-dōri Line was largely constructed using the cut-and-cover technique, allowing for shallower alignments and more accessible construction.
Visual branding plays a role in passenger wayfinding, with each line assigned a distinctive color, such as yellow for the Higashiyama Line and purple for the Meijō Line, consistently applied across maps, signage, and station identifiers. The system’s mascot, Hatchii, introduced in 2002, features prominently in informational and promotional materials. Designed as a friendly, uniformed character drawing inspiration from local imagery, Hatchii is used to promote safety awareness and familiarity with the subway network.