All posts tagged: Japan

Submission – Tokyo Metro Rail Diagram by Sergio Mejia

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Unofficial Maps

Submitted by Sergio, who says: So I always wanted to design a diagram for Tokyo, but since it’s so complex I’d postponed it several times until one week that I had nothing to do I started tackling it from scratch, using pen and paper before moving to Affinity Designer. I chose to design a map that includes both Tokyo Metro and Toei Metro, as well as one of the main train lines and the Shinkansen […]

Historical Map: Tokyo Subway Map, 1963

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Historical Maps, Photography

A scanned slide showing a section of a wall-mounted Tokyo Metro map at a station (possibly Tokyo, judging by the dirty finger marks concentrated there). The lines of the Tokyo Metro are rendered in thick, bold colours that match pretty well with the current designations – yellow/gold for the Ginza Line, red for the Marunouchi Line, and grey/silver for the Hibiya Line. The competing Toei Subway’s Asakusa Line is not rendered in its modern pink/rose colour, […]

Submission – Unofficial Map: Greater Tokyo Railway Network, 2020 by Bernie Ng

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Unofficial Maps

Submitted by Bernie, who says: It’s been a while! I’m wondering whether you would be interested in taking a look at a diagram I have completed recently, showing all railway lines (except local or in-park people movers, such as the Disneyland monorail) around the Tokyo conurbation. I welcome any and all feedback! Transit Maps says: What an undertaking, Bernie! Mapping Tokyo’s subway lines alone is a huge challenge, let alone every darn rail in the […]

Submission – Japanese Shinkansen Network Diagram by Jug Cerovic

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Unofficial Maps

Submitted by Jug, who says: I’d like to submit a map I have been working on for quite some time and finally completed. It’s a diagram of the Shinkansen high speed train network in Japan. As the network is basically one main trunk line going from Kyushu to Hokkaido and several spurs it makes sense to show it in a schematic way. Also high speed makes geography and distance almost irrelevant. One will easily notice […]

Submission – Official Map: JR West Kakogawa Line Strip Map, Japan

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Illustrations, Official Maps

Submitted by Jason H., who says: Hi! I’m currently living in Japan for a year as an exchange student, and I’ve come across many train maps here (of course), and I actually originally found your website from the JR West system map you posted many years ago. (It has been updated, with a few route changes but also more colors if you want to check it again). Here is a picture I took of a […]

Historical Map: Tokyo Airport Access Connections, 1993

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Historical Maps

A small inset diagram from a 1993 tourist map of Tokyo, showing the myriad transportation options between Tokyo and its airports. Nicely simplified, and also gives prices, as well as approximate travel times to Narita (then still officially known as “New Tokyo International Airport”). The distinctive shape made by the Yamanote and Chuo lines (a device also seen in this wonderful 1984 diagram by Richard Saul Wurman) forms the backbone of the diagram.  Source: David Rumsey […]

Historical Map: Map of Kyoto and Vicinity, 1920

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Historical Maps

Here’s a lovely old map of Kyoto, issued by the Miyako Hotel in 1920 for the benefit of its guests. The hotel is still there almost 100 years later, now owned by the Westin Group. The interurban streetcar to Otsu that once ran down the middle of the street in front of the hotel was abandoned in 1997, replaced by the underground Tōzai Line of the Kyoto Municipal Subway. The electric streetcars are displayed prominently on […]

Historical Map: Subways in Tokyo, 1975

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Historical Maps

From a tourist’s map to rail transportation in and around Tokyo in 1975. This side shows the then seven subway lines of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (now the Tokyo Metro) and the three Toei lines, as well as some connecting JR and private rail lines. The reverse side shows the extensive rail network of the greater metropolitan area, but that’s a post for another time. The map itself is really a bit of a […]

Circuit Board Tokyo Rail Map iPhone Cases

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Popular Culture

Today’s installment of “Shut Up and Take My Money” showcases these simply stunning printed circuit board iPhone cases that represent the rail network of Tokyo by Japanese company MOECO. From their website (via Google Translate): I drew a railroad line in Tokyo with the wiring pattern of printed circuit board. Designed with board CAD, electronic components are mounted on board. Genuine board, genuine electronic parts. The pattern is gold-plated. A 3.2 mm red LED at […]