Osaka Metro

The Osaka Metro is a major rapid transit system in the Osaka metropolitan area of Japan, operated by Osaka Metro Co., Ltd., and originally opened in 1933 as the Osaka Municipal Subway.
Osaka Metro forms an integral part of the extensive mass transit system of Greater Osaka, having 123 out of the 1,108 rail stations in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto region. As of 2025, the network transports approximately 2.5 million passengers daily, functioning as the primary urban transport backbone for Osaka City and surrounding municipalities including Higashiosaka, Kadoma, Moriguchi, Sakai, Suita, and Yao.
Osaka Metro is the only subway system in Japan to be partially legally classified as a tram system , whereas all other subway systems in Japan are legally classified as railways. Despite this, it has all the characteristics typical of a full-fledged metro system. Major routes within the network include the Midosuji Line, which runs north–south beneath the Midosuji Boulevard and is the busiest subway line in the system, carrying approximately 1.3 million passengers per day as of 2015. Other key corridors include the east–west Chūō Line, as well as the Tanimachi and Yotsubashi lines, which provide important links across Osaka’s central commercial and residential areas.
The subway system is closely integrated with regional rail networks operated by JR West and private railway companies such as Hankyu and Keihan. Major interchange stations, including Umeda, Namba, and Tennōji, enable convenient transfers and support Osaka’s function as a major economic center, offering direct and indirect access to Kansai International Airport and neighboring cities such as Kyoto and Kobe.
Following lessons learned from the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, the network has undergone extensive safety upgrades. These include the introduction of enhanced earthquake-resistant structures and the implementation of flood and tsunami countermeasures from 2014 onward. In addition, accessibility improvements, such as the installation of elevators at all stations and platform screen doors on selected lines, reflect an emphasis on passenger safety and universal access.

History

In 1903, the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau began operating its municipal tram system between Hanazonobashi and Chikkō-Sambashi. As the city expanded, the streetcar network grew to provide service across most of Osaka, eventually reaching a total length of 118 km, making it one of Japan’s largest tram systems, second only to the Tokyo Metropolitan Tram.
file:Midosuji Line Yodoyabashi Station old.jpg|thumb|Midosuji Line Yodoyabashi Station in 1933
The First World War prompted rapid growth in Osaka’s commerce and industry. However, existing transportation systems primarily streetcars and the municipal bus network proved insufficient to meet rising demand. In response, Osaka City formulated a plan in 1925 for a subway network consisting of four lines totaling 54.5 km. Because construction commenced during the Great Depression, the city government deliberately adopted labor-intensive policies as an economic countermeasure, prioritizing the employment of large numbers of unemployed workers in order to alleviate joblessness and stimulate the economy. As part of this plan, Japan’s first publicly operated subway line, Line 1, opened in May 1933, initially operating between Umeda and Shinsaibashi.
As a north–south trunk route, it is the oldest and busiest line in the whole network. Both it and the main east–west route, the Chūō Line, were later extended to the north and east, respectively. These extensions are owned by other railway companies, but both Osaka Metro and these private operators run their own set of trains through between the two sections.
Subway construction was temporarily halted during World War II but resumed vigorously in the postwar period. During the 1950s, transportation demand increased alongside intensified socio-economic activity, particularly as motorization accelerated. Under these circumstances, subway development was strongly promoted, resulting in the completion of a 64.2 km network of six lines forming a grid pattern across the city center by 1970, the year of the World Expo. Subsequent extensions to the outskirts of the city and into the surrounding prefecture continued, and by 1987 the network had expanded to a total length of 99.1 km.
In 1990, in conjunction with the International Garden and Greenery Exposition, Japan’s first linear motor subway line, Line 7, opened between Kyobashi and Tsurumi-ryokuchi, and was later extended into the city center.
In July 2005, the Osaka Port Transport System became the unified operator of the Cosmosquare–Osaka Port section of the Osaka Port Transport System.
In December 2006, the second linear motor subway line, Line 8, opened between Itakano and Imazato. This line connects with four existing subway lines, the Keihan Main Line, and the JR Gakkentoshi Line, significantly improving network connectivity. As a result, the Osaka Municipal Subway expanded to eight lines, with 129.9 km of track and 123 stations.
On April 1, 2018, the system was privatized as Osaka Municipal Subway Co., Ltd., commonly known as Osaka Metro Co., Ltd.
In January 2025, in preparation for the 2025 Osaka–Kansai Expo, the Osaka Port Transport System is scheduled to open the Hokko Technoport Line, a 3.2 km section between Cosmosquare and Yumeshima, and will operate passenger services as a Class II railway operator.

Today

All but one of the remaining lines of the network, including the Yotsubashi Line, Tanimachi Line, and Sennichimae Line, are completely independent lines with no through services. The lone exception is the Sakaisuji Line, which operates through trains to existing Hankyu Railway lines and is the only line to operate through services to existing railway lines that are not isolated from the national rail network. As such, it is not compatible with the rest of the lines.
Nearly all stations have a letter number combination, the letter identifying the line served by the station and the number indicating the relative location of the station on the line. For example, Higobashi Station on the Yotsubashi Line is also known as Y12. This combination is heard in bilingual Japanese-English automated next-station announcements on board all trains, which also provide information on local businesses near the station. Only Hankyu stations served by the Sakaisuji Line do not follow this convention.

Lines

Currently, there are eight lines, operating on of track and serving 124 stations; there is also a -long, 10-station automated guideway transit line known as the "New Tram".
A notable operational characteristic of the system is the provision of through-services with private railway operators. For example, Kintetsu Railway trains operate via the Chūō Line and continue beyond the subway network toward destinations in Nara and Kyoto, allowing passengers to travel across networks without the need for transfers. The network is structured around several major interchange stations, including Umeda served by the Midosuji, Tanimachi, and Yotsubashi lines and Namba, where the Midosuji, Sennichimae, Sakaisuji, and Yotsubashi lines intersect. These hubs facilitate smooth transfers between subway routes as well as connections to external rail services.
To accommodate heavy demand, high-traffic routes such as the Midosuji Line operate at short headways of approximately 2 to 5 minutes during peak periods. As a result, the system handled an average daily ridership of around 2.4 million passengers by late 2024, rising to approximately 2.52 million during the April–October 2025 Expo period.
;Table notes

Planned line and extensions

In addition, there are five line extensions and one entirely new line that are planned. However, on August 28, 2014, the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau met about creating the extensions of the later five of the six lines listed below, and have stated considering the current cost of the new extensions, the government has also considered using light rail transit or bus rapid transit instead. Osaka Metro is now experimenting with bus rapid transit on the route of the Imazatosuji Line extension, with "Imazato Liner" service between Imazato and Yuzato-Rokuchōme slated to begin in April 2019.
With Osaka being the host of Expo 2025, a northwest extension to Yumeshima opened on 19 January 2025, with long-term plans envisioning a further extension to Sakurajima north of Universal Studios Japan via Maishima Sports Island. Provisions were put in place for such an extension when the Yumesaki Tunnel between Cosmosquare and Yumeshima was built in the late-2000s, but the then-state of the artificial island at the time of the bid meant it would have been unlikely to proceed had Osaka not won said bid.

Line color	Line icon	Line number	Name	Start	Terminus	Length
		Line 3	Yotsubashi Line	Nishi-Umeda	Jūsō, later towards Shin-Ōsaka
		Line 4	Chūō Line	Yumeshima	Sakurajima	'
		Line 4	Chūō Line	Morinomiya	Morinomiya Depot
		Line 5	Sennichimae Line	Minami-Tatsumi	towards Mito	'
		Line 7	Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line	Taishō	Tsurumachi Yonchōme
		Line 8	Imazatosuji Line	Imazato	Yuzato Rokuchōme
'	-	Line 9	Shikitsu–Nagayoshi Line '	Suminoekōen	Kire-Uriwari

Stations

Osaka Metro stations are designed to integrate efficiently into a dense urban environment, emphasizing compact yet highly functional layouts capable of handling heavy passenger volumes. Station designs typically feature wide island or side platforms, multiple escalators, and vertically layered concourses to optimize circulation and facilitate direct connections with adjacent commercial facilities and other transport modes. Major interchange stations exemplify this approach; Umeda Station, for instance, functions as an expansive multi-level underground complex seamlessly linked to shopping arcades and multiple railway operators. Its design enables the handling of exceptionally high passenger volumes exceeding two million daily users across the wider Umeda area while minimizing disruption at street level.
Universal accessibility forms a central component of Osaka Metro’s station infrastructure. The operator achieved full compliance with Japan’s Act on Promotion of Smooth Transportation without Causing Inconvenience to Persons with Disabilities by 2010, ensuring barrier-free access at all 134 stations. Each station provides at least one continuous wheelchair-accessible route from platform level to street level, supported by elevators and escalators. Additional accessibility features include tactile paving for visually impaired passengers, Braille-equipped signage and route maps, wide automatic ticket gates suitable for wheelchairs and strollers, and multipurpose restrooms designed for users with mobility needs. Priority seating areas, nursing rooms, and rest facilities further enhance usability for elderly passengers and families with children.
Ongoing modernization initiatives place strong emphasis on passenger comfort, information accessibility, and environmental sustainability. Energy-efficient LED lighting has been progressively installed throughout stations and tunnels, including on newer infrastructure such as the Chūō Line extension to Yumeshima Station, which opened in 2025. Passenger information systems have been upgraded with large-scale digital displays offering real-time train data and wayfinding support; notable examples include one of Japan’s largest underground LED screens at Umeda Station and multi-screen platform installations at Hommachi Station. Platform screen doors have been introduced at more than 90 percent of stations, improving passenger safety while contributing to smoother crowd distribution. Additional crowd management measures include extensive CCTV monitoring and advanced ticket gate systems. Contactless entry technologies, including facial recognition systems first trialed in 2023, were deployed at approximately 130 stations by March 2025 to improve throughput during peak periods and reduce physical contact.