Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station (池袋駅, Ikebukuro-eki?) is a major 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.
Lines
JR East
Seibu Railway
Tobu Railway
Tokyo Metro
Station layout
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.[1]
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.
JR East
| 1 |
■Saikyō Line |
for Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ōsaki, and Shin-Kiba |
| 2 |
■Shōnan-Shinjuku Line |
for Shinjuku, Yokohama, Odawara, and Zushi |
| ■Limited express Narita Express |
for Narita Airport |
|
| 3 |
■Shōnan-Shinjuku Line |
for Ōmiya, Utsunomiya, and Takasaki |
| 4 |
■Saikyō Line |
for Akabane, Ōmiya, and Kawagoe |
| 5/6 |
■Yamanote Line |
for Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shinagawa |
| 7/8 |
■Yamanote Line |
for Tabata, Ueno, and Tokyo |
Adjacent stations
| « |
|
Service |
|
» |
| Yamanote Line |
| Mejiro |
- |
Ōtsuka |
| Shōnan-Shinjuku Line |
| Akabane |
Local |
Shinjuku |
| Akabane |
Rapid |
Shinjuku |
| Akabane |
Special Rapid |
Shinjuku |
| Saikyō Line |
| Itabashi |
Local |
Shinjuku |
| Itabashi |
Rapid |
Shinjuku |
| Itabashi |
Commuter Rapid |
Shinjuku |
Tobu
Adjacent stations
Seibu
Adjacent stations
| « |
|
Service |
|
» |
| Seibu Ikebukuro Line |
| Terminus |
Limited express |
Tokorozawa |
| Terminus |
Commuter express |
Shakujii-kōen |
| Terminus |
Express |
Shakujii-Kōen |
| Terminus |
Rapid express |
Shakujii-kōen |
| Terminus |
Commuter semi express |
Nerima |
| Terminus |
Rapid |
Nerima |
| Terminus |
Semi express |
Nerima |
| Terminus |
Local |
Shiinamachi |
Tokyo Metro
| 1/2 |
○Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line |
for Ōtemachi, Tokyo, Ginza, Shinjuku, Ogikubo, and Hōnanchō |
| 3 |
○Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line |
for Iidabashi, Nagatachō, Yūrakuchō, and Shin-Kiba |
| 4 |
○Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line |
for Kotake-mukaihara, Wakōshi, Shinrinkōen, and Hannō |
| 5 |
○Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line |
for Shinjuku-sanchōme, Meiji-Jingūmae, and Shibuya |
| 6 |
○Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line |
for Kotake-mukaihara, Wakōshi, Shinrinkōen, and Hannō |
Adjacent stations
History
The station was opened on April 1, 1903 by the national railway. 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.
Passenger statistics
The daily average numbers of passengers using the station are as follows.
- JR East: 1,179,674 (FY2007)[2]
- Seibu: 520,164 (FY2007)[3]
- Tobu: 467,770 (FY2010)[4]
- Tokyo Metro: 491,958 (FY2007)[5]
See also
References
- (in Japanese) JR全線全駅ステーション倶楽部編(上) (Complete JR Line/Station Compendium (Vol. 1)?). Tokyo, Japan: 文春文庫 (Bunshun Bunko?). September 1988. pp. 37–38. ISBN 4-16-748701-2.
External links