These are the official and unofficial subway maps of Japan, available as high-resolution images and PDF downloads.
After compiling a list of subway maps of Tokyo I was wondering about other subway maps of Japan. Like Tokyo though, there are official and unofficial maps that show metro systems combined with other transit lines.
Some cities have multiple railway operators, and regional railways also act as urban rail transit in some cities. There is also the blurred definition of metro/subway, and there are trams, light rails, and monorails that are also included on maps.
The Japan Subway Association has a list of subways in Japan, so that is a good base to begin.
I have included a map of Niigata, which doesn’t have a metro but has regional railways that acts like a transit system. I’ve also included the Okinawa Monorail, just so I can put Okinawa on the map. With that precedent, I should put tram lines here as well, though I might make that a separate post.
This is not a user guide for metro systems in Japan, as that is already comprehensively done at Wikipedia and other sites. What I wanted was to be able to see every subway map on one page. I’ve started with subway systems, but as I progressed into this project I realised I should cover all urban transit systems.
Cities in Japan with subway systems
Index
Map of cities in Japan with metro systems
Hokkaido
Sapporo
Honshu
Sendai
Niigata
Tokyo
Yokohama
Nagoya
Osaka
Kyoto
Kobe
Hiroshima
Kyushu
Fukuoka
Okinawa
Naha and Urasoe
Map of cities in Japan with metro systems
Map of urban rail systems in Japan.]
Hokkaido
Sapporo
Sapporo has a subway and streetcar system operated by Sapporo City Transportation Bureau,
Sapporo Municipal Subway: city.sapporo.jp | Wikipedia
Official Sapporo Subway route map.
[Show full map.]
Another official version of Sapporo Subway map.
[Map via city.sapporo.jp.]
Sapporo Municipal Subway map from Wikipedia.
[Map by Angaurits via Wikimedia Commons. Show full map.]
Sapporo Municipal Subway map by Sapporo Station.
[Show full map.]
Sapporo Streetcar: city.sapporo.jp | Wikipedia
The official Sapporo Streetcar map.
Sapporo Streetcar from Wikipedia.
[Hisagi (氷鷺), via Wikimedia Commons. Show full map.]
Hokkaido Railway Company: jrhokkaido.co.jp | Wikipedia
Sapporo is the main hub for JR Hokkaido. The regional route map has an inset showing stations around Sapporo. This map shows the Chitose Line, which links Sapporo to New Chitose Airport.
[Show full map.]
metro babel has an article on how Japan Rail (JR) works in Sapporo.
[Show full map.]
UrbanRail.net has a combined Sapporo map with subway, streetcar, and JR Rail.
[Show full map.]
Combined map by mapa-metro.com.
[Show full map.]
uu-hokkaido.com has a combined subway, streetcar, bus map.
[Show full map.]
Sapporo Subway & Street Car Map by hokkaidoguide.com.
[Show full map.]
Honshu
Sendai
Sendai Subway: kotsu.city.sendai.jp | Wikipedia
Official Sendai Subway map.
Wikimedia Sendai Subway map.
[Map by Nard.tech via Wikimedia Commons. Show full map.]
Sendai also has an airport rail link, and the airport website has a map showing all railways in Sendai.
[View full size map.]
Niigata
The urban rail system in Niigata is made up of small railways connecting surrounding cities. Niigata Train Route Map by ryoko.info is an unofficial map that shows the lines serving the Niigata area. You need to click through to the website to see the route information. More information of the different lines can be found on the Niigata Station wiki page.
[Show full map.]
Tokyo
The urban rail systems of Greater Tokyo consists of the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway, the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), and several other railway operators. I have another article about Tokyo subway maps that lists the official and unofficial maps.
The most complex rail map of Tokyo is published by JR East.
[View full resolution map | PDF.]
Yokohama
Yokohama Municipal Subway: city.yokohama.lg.jp | Wikipedia
Yokohama is so close to Tokyo that it’s included in the Greater Tokyo railway maps. There is a Yokohama Municipal Subway though, so I am giving it its own section. The Yokohama Municipal Subway has two lines with its own route map.
[View full map.]
The Yokohama City Subway at Wikimedia.
[Map by Dabikun via Wikimedia Commons.]
The Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau has a detailed map that shows Yokohama in relation to Tokyo.
Nagoya
Nagoya Municipal Subway: kotsu.city.nagoya.jp | Wikipedia
Official Nagoya Subway network map.
[Show full map [PDF].]
The Nagoya Subway network map on Wikipedia shows the Meijō Line as a perfect circle.
[Show full map.]
Another Nagoya subway map via ontheworldmap.com
[Show full map.]
NagoyaStation.com has created a combined Nagoya municipal subway and rail map.
[Nagoya Municipal Subway and Rail Map by NagoyaStation.com.]
Osaka
The urban rail systems in Osaka is much like that of Tokyo in that it’s made up of several operators and overlaps with neighbouring cities. Osaka is part of the Keihanshin metropolitan region, which covers Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto.
For the purpose of this article, I will place the Keihanshin maps (Greater Osaka) in this section, with a separate section for Kobe and Kyoto.
There are also maps of railways of the Kansai region, but that is getting beyond the urban railways category.
Osaka Metro: osakametro.co.jp | Wikipedia
The official Osaka Metro route map.
Hankyu Railway: hankyu.co.jp | Wikipedia
The Hankyu Railway is a private railway company that provides commuter and interurban service to the northern Kansai region. The railway’s main terminal is at Umeda Station in Osaka, and their map shows shows destinations in Kobe and Kyoto.
[Show full map.]
The Hankyu Railway Map via Wikimedia Commons.
[Show full map.]
The Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau has a detailed map of all railways running through Osaka, including Osaka Metro.
The ryoko.info Osaka Train Route Map combines all of the railway operators in Osaka on one map.
[Show full map.]
dsstation.sakura.ne.jp has a train route map of Osaka. This is map includes JR, subway, and private railways.
The Greater Osaka Railway Network map by Kzaral covers all the railways in the Keihanshin area (Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto).
Kyoto
Kyoto Municipal Subway: city.kyoto.lg.jp | Wikipedia
The Kyoto Municipal Subway is comprised of two lines, though the official Kyoto City Subway map includes bus lines so it looks complicated.
The Wikimedia map is a simple diagram depicting the 2 lines.
[Map by Maztani via Wikimedia Commons. Show full map.]
discoverkyoto.com has a combined Kyoto train and subway route map.
[Show full map.]
Kobe
Kobe Municipal Subway: city.kyoto.lg.jp | Wikipedia
The Kobe Municipal Subway issues an official map showing their lines on colour, with JR lines in grey.
[Show full map.]
The Kobe Subway map at Wikimedia.
[Map by Mliu92 via Wikimedia Commons. View full map.]
Hiroshima
Hiroshima Electric Railway: hiroden.co.jp | Wikipedia
The Hiroshima Electric Railway is made up of one light rail and six streetcar inner-city lines.
[View full size Hiroshima Electric Railway map [PDF].]
Hiroshima Rapid Transit: astramline.co.jp | Wikipedia
Hiroshima Rapid Transit consists of the Astram Line.
[Map via Japan Subway Association.]
Here is an independent Hiroshima rail map that combines all lines. It is archived at mappery.com and credited to https://arch-hiroshima.net.
[Show full map.]
Kyushu
Fukuoka
Fukuoka City Subway: subway.city.fukuoka.lg.jp | Wikipedia
The Fukuoka City Subway consists of three subway lines. The official website has two maps, perfectly illustrating how a subway-style map warps reality to make a more readable map for travel.
[View full size Fukuoka City Subway map.]
[View full size Fukuoka City Subway Route Map [PDF].]
Kzaral has made a map that shows all of the railways of Fukuoka and nearby Kitakyushu.
[View full size map.]
Okinawa
Naha and Urasoe
Okinawa Urban Monorail: yui-rail.co.jp | Wikipedia
Okinawa Urban Monorail connects Naha and Urasoe on Okinawa Island.
[View full size.]
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