Ikebukuro Station

Ikebukuro Station (Japanese: 池袋駅, romanizedIkebukuro-eki) is a major railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan, shared by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro, and the two private railway operators Seibu Railway and Tobu Railway. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest railway 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 Prefecture and other residential areas northwest of the city center. It is the Tokyo terminal of the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the Tobu Tojo Line.

Ikebukuro Station

池袋駅
Ikebukuro Station East
The east side of Ikebukuro Station and the Seibu Department Store building in April 2023
General information
LocationMinami-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo
Japan
Coordinates35°43′49″N 139°42′41″E / 35.73028°N 139.71139°E / 35.73028; 139.71139
Operated by
ConnectionsBus interchange Bus terminal
History
Opened1 April 1903; 121 years ago (1903-04-01)
Location
Ikebukuro Station is located in Special wards of Tokyo
Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station
Location within Special wards of Tokyo
Ikebukuro Station is located in Tokyo Bay and Bōsō Peninsula
Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station (Tokyo Bay and Bōsō Peninsula)
Ikebukuro Station is located in Tokyo
Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station (Tokyo)
Ikebukuro Station is located in Japan
Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station
Ikebukuro Station (Japan)

Lines

JR East

Seibu Railway

Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Ikebukuro to Agano) - limited through service to Seibu Chichibu Line

Tobu Railway

TJ Tōbu Tōjō Line (Ikebukuro to Yorii)

Tokyo Metro

On weekdays, S-Train (Seibu) services skip this station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line. However, on weekends or holidays, S-Train (Seibu) services stop here on the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line platforms for alighting passengers only.

Station layout

In Ikebukuro Station, there are 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. (Despite their names, "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 Yurakucho 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 runs south toward Shinjuku and Shibuya along Meiji-dori, and offers through services to Motomachi-Chūkagai Station in Yokohama via the Tokyu Toyoko Line and Minatomirai Line.

Tokyo Metro's Echika underground mall is also located inside the station.[1]

JR East

IKBJY13JA12JS21
Ikebukuro Station

池袋駅
JR East station
The Yamanote Line platforms in June 2015
General information
Location1-28-2 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Japan
Operated by JR East
Line(s)
Platforms4 island platforms
Tracks8
Construction
Structure typeGround level
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeIKB
History
Opened1 April 1903
Passengers
FY2015556,780 daily
Services
Preceding station JR EastFollowing station
Mejiro
JY14
Next counter-clockwise
Yamanote LineŌtsuka
JY12
Next clockwise
Shinjuku
SJKJS20
Terminus
Nikkō and KinugawaUrawa
URWJS23
Shinjuku
SJKJS20
towards Odawara or Zushi
Shōnan–Shinjuku Line
Special Rapid
Rapid
Local
Akabane
ABNJS22
Shinjuku
SJKJA11
towards Ōsaki
Saikyō Line
Commuter Rapid
Rapid
Local
Itabashi
JA13
towards Ōmiya
JR East track and platform layout
1JA Saikyo Linefor Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ōsaki
(via R Rinkai Line) for Shin-Kiba
(via Sotetsu Line) for Hazawa yokohama-kokudai and Ebina
2JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Linefor Shinjuku, Yokohama, Ofuna
(via JT Tokaido Line) for Odawara
(via JO Yokosuka Line) for Zushi
 Limited express Narita Expressfor Narita Airport
 Super View Odorikofor Atami, Izukyū-Shimoda
3JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Linefor Ōmiya
(via JU Utsunomiya Line) for Utsunomiya
(via JU Takasaki Line) for Takasaki
4JA Saikyo Linefor Akabane, Ōmiya, and Kawagoe
5/6JY Yamanote Linefor Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shinagawa
7/8JY Yamanote Linefor Tabata, Ueno, and Tokyo

Chest-high platform edge doors were introduced on the Yamanote Line platforms on 2 March 2013.[2]

Tobu Railway

Platforms

TJ01
Ikebukuro Station

池袋駅
Tobu station
The view from the buffer stops at the south end of the platforms in July 2021
General information
Location1-21-1 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Japan
Operated by Tobu Railway
Line(s)TJ Tobu Tojo Line
Tracks3
Construction
Structure typeGround level
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeTJ-01
History
Opened1 May 1914
Passengers
FY2015477,834 daily
Services
Preceding station Tobu RailwayFollowing station
Fujimino
TJ18
towards Ogawamachi
TJ LinerTerminus
Asakadai
TJ13
towards Ogawamachi
Kawagoe
Wakōshi
TJ11
towards Ogawamachi
Tojo Line
Rapid Express
Narimasu
TJ10
towards Ogawamachi
Tojo Line
Express
Semi Express
Kita-Ikebukuro
TJ02
towards Ogawamachi
Tojo Line
Local
Tobu track and platform layout

The Tobu station has three terminating tracks served by platforms 1 to 5, arranged as shown in the diagram on the right.


1-5TJ Tobu Tojo Linefor Narimasu, Shiki, Kawagoe, Sakado, and Ogawamachi

Platforms 3 and 5 are normally used for disembarking passengers, although platform 5 is also used for passengers boarding the evening TJ Liner services, which require payment of a supplementary fare. From 14 June 2015, the departure melodies used when trains are about to depart from the station are to be changed to classical themes, with "Allegro" from "Divertimento in D major, K. 136" by Mozart used for platforms 1/2, "Menuetto" from "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" by Mozart used for platforms 3/4, and "Allegro ma non troppo" from the "Pastoral Symphony" by Beethoven used for TJ Liner services departing from platform 5.[3]

Chest-high platform edge doors are scheduled to be added by the end of fiscal 2020. Platform doors protecting platform 1 are in use since 21 April 2018.[4] It is planned to have platform doors protecting platforms 2 and 3 in operation from 2 March 2019.[5][6]

Ticket barriers

There are three sets of ticket barriers giving access to the platforms: the "South Gate" at ground level (signposted in red), and the "Central Gate" (signposted in blue) and "North Gate" (signposted in green) on the first basement level.

Seibu Railway

SI01
Ikebukuro Station

池袋駅
Seibu station
The Seibu Ikebukuro Line platform in September 2007
General information
Location1-28-1 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Japan
Operated by Seibu Railway
Line(s) Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Tracks4
Construction
Structure typeGround level
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeSI-01
History
Opened1915
Passengers
FY2015483,407 daily
Services
Preceding station SeibuFollowing station
Tokorozawa
SI17
ChichibuTerminus
Tokorozawa
SI17
towards Hannō
Musashi
Shakujii-kōen
One-way operation
Ikebukuro Line
Rapid Express
Shakujii-kōen
SI10
towards Hannō
Ikebukuro Line
Express
Shakujii-kōen
One-way operation
Ikebukuro Line
Commuter Express
Nerima
SI06
towards Hannō
Ikebukuro Line
Rapid
Nerima
One-way operation
Ikebukuro Line
Commuter Semi Express
Nerima
SI06
towards Hannō
Ikebukuro Line
Semi Express
Shiinamachi
SI02
towards Agano
Ikebukuro Line
Local


1-7  Seibu Ikebukuro Linefor Nerima, Tokorozawa, and Hannō

Platforms 1, 4, and 6 are normally used for disembarking passengers only.

Tokyo Metro

Platform

M25 Y09 F09
Ikebukuro Station

池袋駅
Tokyo Metro station
The Marunouchi Line platform in April 2015
General information
Location3-28-1 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima-ku (Marunouchi Line)
1-12-1 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku (Yurakucho Line)
3-28-14 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku (Fukutoshin Line)
Japan
Operated by Tokyo Metro
Line(s)
Platforms3 island platforms
Tracks6
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeM25, Y09, F09
History
Opened20 January 1954; 70 years ago (1954-01-20)
Passengers
FY2015548,839 daily
Services
Preceding station Tokyo MetroFollowing station
Shin-otsuka
M24
towards Ogikubo or Hōnanchō
Marunouchi LineTerminus
Kanamecho
Y08
towards Wakoshi
YūrakuchōLine
Local
Higashi-ikebukuro
Y10
towards Shin-kiba
Shakujii-kōen
SI10
S-Train
(weekends and national holidays)
Shinjuku-sanchome
F13
Kotake-mukaihara
F06
towards Hannō or Ogawamachi
F Liner
Kotake-mukaihara
F06
towards Wakoshi
Fukutoshin Line
Express
Commuter Express
Shinjuku-sanchome
F13
towards Shibuya
Kanamecho
F08
towards Wakoshi
Fukutoshin Line
Local
Zoshigaya
F10
towards Shibuya

This station consists of three separate island platforms for the Marunouchi Line, Yurakucho Line, and Fukutoshin Line.

Station layout

1-2M Marunouchi Linefor Otemachi, Tokyo, Ginza, Shinjuku, Ogikubo, and Honancho
3Y YūrakuchōLinefor Iidabashi, Nagatacho, Yurakucho, and Shin-kiba
4Y Yūrakuchō Linefor Kotake-mukaihara and Wakoshi
TJ Tobu Tojo Line for Shinrinkōen
Seibu Ikebukuro Line for Hannō
5F Fukutoshin Line
6F Fukutoshin Linefor Kotake-mukaihara and Wakoshi
TJ Tobu Tojo Line for Shinrinkōen
Seibu Ikebukuro Line for Hannō

The Tokyo Metro platforms are equipped with chest-height platform edge doors.[7]

History

JGR Ikebukuro Station in the early 20th century
Ikebukuro Station in the early 1960s
The underground "Shinsen Ikebukuro" platforms in 2005 before they became part of the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line

The station was opened on April 1, 1903 by the Japanese Government Railways (JGR). The Tōjō Railway Line (present-day Tobu Tojo Line) station opened on 1 May 1914 with the opening of the 33.5 km (20.8 mi) line to Tanomosawa (田面沢駅) in Saitama Prefecture (located between the present stations of Kawagoeshi and Kasumigaseki).[8] As the Tokyo terminus of the line was originally planned to be at Shimo-Itabashi, Ikebukuro Station is to this day marked by km post "-1.9" (the distance from Shimo-Itabashi Station where the "0 km" post for the line is located).[8]

Tobu opened a department store adjoining its station on 29 May 1962.[8] Around the same time, the Tobu station platforms were expanded with three tracks.[8]

In March 1992, automatic ticket barriers were installed at the north exit of the Tobu Station, and in June of the same year, the Tobu Department Store was expanded with the addition of the Metropolitan Plaza annex located on the south side.[8]

The station facilities of the Marunouchi and Yurakucho Lines were inherited by Tokyo Metro after the privatization of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA) in 2004.[9]

In June 2008, the Tobu station ticket barriers were colour-coded into three "zones": North, Central, and South.[8]

Chest-height platform edge doors were installed on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line platforms in January 2011.[7]

Station numbering was introduced to the JR platforms in 2016 with Ikebukuro being assigned station numbers JY13 for the Yamanote line, JA12 for the Saikyo line, and JS21 for the Shonan-Shinjuku line.[10][11]

Passenger statistics

The figures below are the official number of passengers entering and exiting each day released by each train operator.

OperatorNumberFiscal yearNote
JR East550,3502013Boarding passengers only. Second busiest JR East station.[12]
Tobu472,1322014Busiest Tobu station.[13]
Seibu484,4462013Busiest Seibu station.[14]
Tokyo Metro523,8342013Busiest Tokyo Metro station.
(Excludes stations which allow through services onto non-Tokyo Metro lines)[15]

Annual passenger figures for the station between fiscal 1903 and 1965 are as shown below. Note that the figures only consider boarding passengers and a blank indicates that no data is available.

Fiscal yearAnnual totalReferences
JGR/JNRTobuMusashino/SeibuTRTA
190327,941Not in operationNot in operationNot in operation[16]
190533,877[17]
1915545,473[18]
19256,842,992192,3801,228,881[19]
193511,554,661500,4763,558,958[20]
195534,428,803[21]
1965144,996,15672,559,15777,873,22655,093,466[22][23]

The daily passenger figures for the JR East, Seibu, Tobu, and Tokyo Metro station after fiscal 2000 are as shown below. Note that the JR East figures only consider boarding passengers whereas the Seibu, Tobu, and Tokyo Metro figures consider both entering and exiting passengers.

Fiscal year  JR East  Seibu  Tobu  Tokyo Metro
2000570,255[24]
2005564,669[25]511,078[26]
2010544,222[27]476,989[28]467,770[29]
2011544,762[30]472,022[31]464,908[32]470,284[33]
2012550,756[34]479,467[35]471,990[36]483,952[37]
2013550,350[12]484,446[14]476,756[38]523,834[15]
2014472,132[13]

Surrounding area

The east side of the station and Seibu Department Store building, November 2012
The west side of the station and Tobu Department Store building, December 2007

The surrounding Ikebukuro district is a major commercial centre. The Seibu department store, Sunshine City, Parco, and Bic Camera are located to the east of the station, while the Tobu department store and Metropolitan Plaza are located to the west.

Schools

Retail

Hotels

  • Hotel Metropolitan
  • Centurion hotel Ikebukuro

Civic

  • Toshima Tax Office
  • Toshima Civic Centre
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
  • Ikebukuro Library
  • Ikebukuro Fire Station

Other stations

See also

References

  • JR全線全駅ステーション倶楽部編(上) [Complete JR Line/Station Compendium (Vol. 1)] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: 文春文庫 (Bunshun Bunko). September 1988. pp. 37–38. ISBN 4-16-748701-2.

External links