Yamanote Line

Trains run from 04:26 to 01:04 the next day at intervals as short as 2 minutes during peak periods and four minutes at other times. A complete loop takes 59 to 65 minutes. All trains stop at each station. Trains are put into and taken out of service at Ōsaki (which for timetabling purposes is the line's start and terminus) and sometimes Ikebukuro. Certain trains also start from Tamachi in the mornings and end at Shinagawa in the evenings. Trains which run clockwise are known as sotomawari (外回り, "outer circle") and those counter-clockwise as uchi-mawari (内回り, "inner circle"). (Trains travel on the left in Japan, as with road traffic.)

The line also acts as a fare zone destination for JR tickets from locations outside Tokyo, permitting travel to any JR station on or within the loop. This refers to stations on the Yamanote Line as well as the Chūō-Sōbu and Chūō Rapid Lines and between Sendagaya and Ochanomizu.

The Yamanote Line colour used on all rolling stock, station signs and diagrams is JNR Yellow Green No.6 (■, Munsell code 7.5GY 6.5/7.8), known in Japanese as "Japanese bush warbler green" (ウグイス色, uguisu-iro).

Due to the Yamanote Line's central location connecting most of Tokyo's major commuter hubs and commercial areas, the line is very heavily used. Sections of the line were running over 250%^[a] capacity in the 1990s, remained above 200%^[a] for most of the 2000s^[6] with most sections dropping below 150%^[a] in 2018.^[7] This is due to larger and more frequent trains being introduced to the Yamanote Line and the opening of parallel relief lines such as the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line and Ueno–Tokyo Line. The maximum overcrowding during rush hour is about 158%.

The ridership intensity of the Yamanote Line in 2018 was 1,134,963 passengers - km / km of route.^[1][b][c] The daily ridership of the Yamanote Line estimated in a 2015 MLIT National Transit census was about 4 million people per day.^[8][b] However, in both cases "Yamanote Line" refers to JR East's internal definition of the entire rail corridor between Shinagawa and Tabata stations via Shinjuku which includes the ridership of the Saikyō and Shōnan–Shinjuku Lines on the parallel Yamanote freight line. Meanwhile, the ridership of the Yamanote Line services between Tabata and Shinagawa Station via Tokyo are excluded and counted as part of the Tōhoku and Tōkaidō Main Lines.

"Yamanote" literally refers to inland, hillier districts or foothills (as distinct from areas close to the sea). In Tokyo, "Yamanote" lies along the western side of the Yamanote Line loop. The word consists of the Japanese morphemes yama, meaning 'mountain', the genitive suffix no, and te, meaning 'hand', thus literally translating as "mountain's hand", analogous to the English term "foothills".

Yamanote-sen is officially written in Japanese without the kana no (の、ノ), which makes its pronunciation ambiguous in print. The characters 山手 may also be pronounced yamate, as in Yamate-dōri (Yamate Street), which runs parallel to the west side of the Yamanote Line. The Seishin-Yamate Line in Kobe and the Yamate area of Yokohama also use this pronunciation.

After World War II, SCAP ordered all train placards to be romanized, and the Yamanote Line was romanized as "Yamate Line". It was thus alternatively known as "Yamanote" and "Yamate" until 1971, when the Japanese National Railways changed the pronunciation back to "Yamanote". Some older people still refer to the line as the "Yamate Line".^{[citation needed]}

• Stations are listed in clockwise order from Shinagawa to Tabata, but for operational purposes trains officially start and terminate at Ōsaki.
  • Clockwise (外回り, sotomawari, "outer circle"): Shinagawa → Shibuya → Shinjuku → Ikebukuro → Tabata → Ueno → Tokyo → Shinagawa
  • Counter-clockwise (内回り, uchimawari, "inner circle"): Shinagawa → Tokyo → Ueno → Tabata → Ikebukuro → Shinjuku → Shibuya → Shinagawa
• All stations are located in the special wards of Tokyo.
• All trains on the Yamanote Line are local trains that stop at all stations.

Legend

• ● : Trains stop
• ｜ : Trains pass
• ▲ : Keihin–Tōhoku Rapid trains stop only on weekends or holidays
• ▼ : Some Shōnan–Shinjuku trains stop

Line name	No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Keihin–Tōhoku Line Rapid	Yamanote Freight Line Shōnan–Shinjuku and Saikyo Services	Transfers	Location
				Between stations	Total
— ↑ Loop line towards Takanawa Gateway (Inner Circle) ↑ —
Yamanote Line	SGWJY25	Shinagawa	品川	from Takanawa Gateway 0.9	0.0	●		Tōkaidō Shinkansen JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line JT Tōkaidō Line JU JJ Ueno-Tokyo Line JO Yokosuka Line KK Keikyu Main Line (KK-01)	Minato
	OSKJY24	Ōsaki	大崎	2.0	2.0		●	JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line JA Saikyō Line R TWR Rinkai Line	Shinagawa
	JY23	Gotanda	五反田	0.9	2.9		｜	IK Ikegami Line A Asakusa Line (A-05)
	JY22	Meguro	目黒	1.2	4.1		｜	MG Meguro Line N Namboku Line (N-01) I Mita Line (I-01)
	EBSJY21	Ebisu	恵比寿	1.5	5.6		▼	JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line JA Saikyō Line H Hibiya Line (H-02)	Shibuya
	SBYJY20	Shibuya	渋谷	1.6	7.2		●	JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line JA Saikyō Line Keio Inokashira Line DT Den-en-toshi Line TY Tōyoko Line G Ginza Line (G-01) Z Hanzōmon Line (Z-01) F Fukutoshin Line (F-16)
	JY19	Harajuku	原宿	1.2	8.4		｜	C Chiyoda Line (Meiji-jingumae: C-03) F Fukutoshin Line (Meiji-jingumae: F-15)
	JY18	Yoyogi	代々木	1.5	9.9		｜	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line E Ōedo Line (E-26)
	SJKJY17	Shinjuku[Note 1]	新宿	0.7	10.6		●	JC Chūō Line (Rapid) JB Chūō-Sōbu Line JA Saikyō Line JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line Keio Line Keio New Line Odakyu Odawara Line M Marunouchi Line (M-08) S Shinjuku Line (S-01) E Ōedo Line (E-27, Shinjuku-nishiguchi: E-01) Seibu Shinjuku Line (Seibu-Shinjuku)	Shinjuku
	JY16	Shin-Ōkubo	新大久保	1.3	11.9		｜
	JY15	Takadanobaba	高田馬場	1.4	13.3		｜	Seibu Shinjuku Line T Tozai Line (T-03)
	JY14	Mejiro	目白	0.9	14.2		｜		Toshima
	IKBJY13	Ikebukuro	池袋	1.2	15.4		●	JA Saikyō Line JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line Seibu Ikebukuro Line TJ Tōbu Tōjō Line M Marunouchi Line (M-25) Y YūrakuchōLine (Y-09) F Fukutoshin Line (F-09)
	JY12	Ōtsuka	大塚	1.8	17.2			Toden Arakawa Line (Otsuka-ekimae)
	JY11	Sugamo	巣鴨	1.1	18.3			I Mita Line (I-15)
	JY10	Komagome	駒込	0.7	19.0			N Namboku Line (N-14)
	JY09	Tabata	田端	1.6	20.6	●		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line	Kita
Tohoku Main Line
	JY08	Nishi-Nippori	西日暮里	0.8	21.4	｜		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line C Chiyoda Line (C-16) NT Nippori-Toneri Liner (02)	Arakawa
	NPRJY07	Nippori	日暮里	0.5	21.9	｜		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line JJ Jōban Line (Rapid) (■ Ueno–Tokyo Line) KS Keisei Main Line NT Nippori-Toneri Liner (01)
	JY06	Uguisudani	鶯谷	1.1	23.0	｜		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line	Taitō
	UENJY05	Ueno	上野	1.1	24.1	●		Tōhoku Shinkansen Yamagata Shinkansen Akita Shinkansen Hokkaido Shinkansen Jōetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line JJ Jōban Line JU Utsunomiya Line (Tōhoku Main Line) JU Takasaki Line JU JT JJ Ueno–Tokyo Line G Ginza Line (G-16) H Hibiya Line (H-18) KS Keisei Main Line (Keisei Ueno)
	JY04	Okachimachi	御徒町	0.6	24.7	▲		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line (R)[Note 2] E Ōedo Line (Ueno-okachimachi: E-09) G Ginza Line (Ueno-hirokoji: G-15) H Hibiya Line (Naka-okachimachi: H-17)
	AKBJY03	Akihabara	秋葉原	1.0	25.7	●		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line JB Chūō-Sōbu Line Tsukuba Express (01) H Hibiya Line (H-16)	Chiyoda
	KNDJY02	Kanda	神田	0.7	26.4	●		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line JC Chūō Line G Ginza Line (G-13)
	TYOJY01	Tokyo	東京	1.3	27.7	●		Tōkaidō Shinkansen Tōhoku Shinkansen Yamagata Shinkansen Akita Shinkansen Hokkaido Shinkansen Jōetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line JC Chūō Line JT Tōkaidō Line JT JU JJ Ueno-Tokyo Line JO Yokosuka Line JO Sōbu Line (Rapid) JE Keiyō Line (some through services to JM Musashino Line) M Marunouchi Line (M-17; also accessible via Ōtemachi: M-18) T Tozai Line (Ōtemachi: T-09) C Chiyoda Line (Ōtemachi: C-11) C Chiyoda Line (Nijubashimae: C-10) Z Hanzōmon Line (Otemachi: Z-08) I Mita Line (Otemachi: I-09)
Tokaido Main Line
	JY30	Yūrakuchō	有楽町	0.8	28.5	｜		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line Y YūrakuchōLine] (Y-18) H Hibiya Line (Hibiya: H-08) C Chiyoda Line (Hibiya: C-09) I Mita Line (Hibiya: I-08)
	SMBJY29	Shimbashi	新橋	1.1	29.6	｜		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line JT Tōkaidō Line JU JU JJ Ueno-Tokyo Line JO Yokosuka Line G Ginza Line (G-08) A Asakusa Line (A-10) Yurikamome (U-01)	Minato
	HMCJY28	Hamamatsuchō	浜松町	1.2	30.8	●		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line MO Tokyo Monorail A Asakusa Line (Daimon: A-09) E Ōedo Line (Daimon: E-20)
	JY27	Tamachi	田町	1.5	32.3	●		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line A Asakusa Line (Mita: A-08) I Mita Line (Mita: I-04)
	TGWJY26	Takanawa Gateway	高輪ゲートウェイ	1.3	33.6	●		JK Keihin–Tōhoku Line A Asakusa Line (Sengakuji: A-07) KK Keikyu Main Line (Sengakuji)
— ↓ Loop line towards Shinagawa (Outer Circle) ↓ —

As of January 2020^[update], the line's services are operated exclusively by a fleet of 50 11-car E235 series EMUs, the first of which was introduced on the line on 30 November 2015. However, a number of technical faults, including problems with door close indicators, resulted in the train being taken out of service the same day.^[9] The E235 series returned to service on the Yamanote Line on 7 March 2016.^[10] All Yamanote Line rolling stock are stored and maintained at Tokyo General Rolling Stock Centre [ja] near Ōsaki Station.^[11]

Prior to the E235 series, the line's services were operated by E231-500 series EMUs, which were in use from April 21, 2002^[11] to January 20, 2020. These trains originally each included two "six-door cars" with six pairs of doors per side and bench seats that were folded up to provide standing room only during the morning peak until 10 a.m. From February 22, 2010, the seats were no longer folded up during the morning peak,^[12] and all trains were standardized with newly built four-door cars by 31 August 2011.^[13] This was due to reduced congestion on the line as well as preparation for the installation of platform doors on all stations by 2017.^[14]

The E231 series supported a new type of traffic control system, called digital Automatic Train Control (D-ATC). The series also had a more modern design and has two 15-inch LCD monitors above each door, one of which is used for displaying silent commercials, news and weather; and another which is used for displaying information on the next stop (in Japanese, English, Korean and more) along with notification of delays on Shinkansen and other railway lines in the greater Tokyo area.

• DeHo 6100 series (from 1909 until unknown date)
• MoHa 10
• 63 series
• 72 series
• 101 series ("Canary" yellow livery, from September 1961 until circa 1968)^[15]
• 103 series ("Uguisu" green livery, from December 1963 until June 26, 1988)^[16]
• 205 series (from March 25, 1985 until April 17, 2005)
• E231-500 series (from April 21, 2002 until January 20, 2020)

• 
  63 series
• 
  A yellow (Tsurumi Line) 101 series train
• 
  A Yamanote Line 103 series train in March 1985
• 
  A Yamanote Line 205 series train in February 2003
• 
  A Yamanote Line E231-500 series set in August 2018

The predecessor of the present-day Yamanote Line was opened on 1 March 1885 by the Nippon Railway Company, operating between Shinagawa Station in the south and Akabane Station in the north.^[17] The top part of the loop between Ikebukuro and Tabata (a distance of 3.3 km (2.1 mi)) opened on 1 April 1903, and both lines were merged to become the Yamanote Line on 12 October 1909.^[17]

The line was electrified on December 16, 1909, soon after the Osaki – Shinagawa section was double-tracked on November 30.^{[citation needed]} The loop was completed in 1925 with the opening of the double track, electrified section between Kanda and Ueno on 1 November, providing a north–south link via Tokyo Station through the city's business centre.^[15] A parallel freight line, also completed in 1925, ran along the inner side of the loop between Shinagawa and Tabata.

During the prewar era, the Ministry of Railways did not issue permits to private suburban railway companies for new lines to cross the Yamanote Line from their terminal stations to the central districts of Tokyo, forcing the companies to terminate services at stations on the line.^{[citation needed]} This policy led to the development of new urban centers (新都心、副都心, shintoshin, fukutoshin) around major transfer points on the Yamanote Line, most notably at Shinjuku and Ikebukuro (which are now the two busiest passenger railway stations in the world).

The contemporary Yamanote Line came into being on 19 November 1956 when it was separated from the Keihin-Tōhoku Line and given its own set of tracks along the eastern side of the loop between Shinagawa and Tabata.^[15] However, Yamanote Line trains continued to periodically use the Keihin-Tōhoku tracks, particularly on holidays and during off-peak hours, until rapid service trains were introduced on the Keihin-Tōhoku Line in 1988.

A major explosion on the Yamanote Freight Line in Shinjuku in 1967 led to the diversion of freight traffic to the more distant Musashino Line. To address severe undercapacity, the freight line was repurposed for use by Saikyō Line and Shōnan-Shinjuku Line trains, as well as certain limited express trains such as the Narita Express and some liner services. Likewise, from 14 March 2015 onwards, the Ueno-Tokyo Line starts services, which connects the Tōhoku Main Line and Jōban Line to the Tōkaidō Main Line, to provide further relief on the busiest portion of the Yamanote Line today, the segment between Ueno and Tokyo stations.

Automatic train control (ATC) was introduced from 6 December 1981, and digital ATC (D-ATC) was introduced from 30 July 2006.^[15]

Station numbering was introduced on JR East stations in the Tokyo area from 20 August 2016, with Yamanote Line stations numbered using the prefix "JY".^[18][19]

A new station, Takanawa Gateway Station,^[20] opened on 14 March 2020. This station was built on the Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tohoku Line between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations, becoming the first new station on the line since Nishi-Nippori was built in 1971.^[21][22] The distance between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations was 2.2 km (1.4 mi), making it the longest stretch of track between stations on the Yamanote Line.^[21] The new station was constructed on top of the 20-hectare former railyard, which is undergoing rationalization and redevelopment by JR East; it is roughly parallel to the existing Sengakuji Station on the Toei Asakusa and Keikyu Main lines. The Yamanote Line and the Keihin-Tohoku Line tracks were moved slightly to the east to be aligned closer to the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks. The area on the west side of the yard made available will be redeveloped with high-rise office buildings, creating an international business center with good connections to the Shinkansen and Haneda Airport.^[21]

In October 2022 JR East began performing trial runs for driverless trains on the line aimed to begin sometime in 2028. Two sets, 17 and 18, were fitted with the new system and re-entered service on the line as train crew conduct ongoing tests on their performance. Furthermore, the two sets are easy to distinguish with an “ATO” (Automatic Train Operation) sticker located on the front and sides of each set. Once ATO is fully installed, this will be the first line of JR East to feature driverless trains.^[23]

• Osaka Loop Line, a similar loop line serving Central Osaka.
• Musashino Line, a line regarded by JR East as part of the Tokyo Mega Loop.

• Shibata, Togo (December 2016). 山手線の車両史 戦後から今日まで [Yamanote Line rolling stock history since the war until today]. Tetsudo Daiya Joho Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 45, no. 392. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. pp. 14–19.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yamanote Line.

• Stations of the Yamanote Line (JR East) (in Japanese)