The hot summer continues in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The temperature is often over 35 degrees Celsius. Although I tend to stay in airconditioned rooms during the daytime, I sometimes visit the waterfront area to be exposed to the sea-breeze in the evening. My recent destination was Kachidoki on the subway Ooedo line.
To start, let me review the Ooedo line. It's the second-newest subway line in Tokyo. The train operator is the Transportation Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Toei). The Ooedo line was partially opened between Hikarigaoka and Nerima (3.8 kilometers) in 1991. Currently, the route consists of the loop section (Tochomae - Ryogoku - Tochomae) and the branch section (Hikarigaoka - Tochomae). Its total length is 40.7 kilometers. The greatest feature of this line is that linear motor technology is adopted for the train driving system. This high-tech has allowed the downsizing of the tunnel section.
Kachidoki is located in the loop section. When I arrived at the station, I was surprised that a new platform has been added on the outer track. In other words, the existing platform has come to be used only for the inner track. Why? That's because the number of passengers in Kachidoki station has drastically increased in recent years. The patronage of Kachidoki station is currently about 54,000 per day. After I got onto the ground, I understood the situation. I found that many new high-rise apartments, new office buildings, and new shopping malls have appeared. Kachidoki... it's a rapidly changing waterfront area in the metropolitan area.
