JRæ±æ¥æ¬å±±æç·
JR Higashi Nippon Yamanote-sen
(East Japan Railway, Yamanote Line)

Japan has a lot of trains. TÅkyÅ is probably the train capital of the world. But if thereâs any train that you will ride in Japan, and even more so, ride in TÅkyÅ, itâs the JR Yamanote Line. Itâs a loop line that âstartsâ on the former coast of Edo Bay and stretches out to the farthest borders of the shÅgunâs capital and returns safely to the old coastline. While not every station is exciting and historically rich[i], it does hit some of the most important areas in the city. It also hits most of the major party towns which means that certain stretches of the line[ii] are lively, to say the least, at night. And by night, I donât mean the weekends. I mean every night.
For history fans, the Yamanote Line, just like its younger brother, the Åedo Line, offer a unique glimpse into the history of Edo-TÅkyÅ. Yeah, you can ride the whole circuit in an hour or something, but to actually explore each area would take ages. That said, if you know what youâre looking for, you can hit up some of the best historical spots in the capital and you could do so efficiently and economically.
So Without Further Ado.
Let’s Explore the 29 30 Stations of the Yamanote Line in 15 16 Articles:[iii]
Touring the city via the TÅkyÅ via the Yamanote Line or Åedo Line is awesome for fans of Japanese History, but particularly fun for fans of the Edo Period and the history of early TÅkyÅ. And while you canât do both lines in a day, if you need a guide, you know where to find me.
I hope you enjoy the series!
Further Reading:
- Exploring TÅkyÅ by the Åedo Line
- Etymology of TÅkyÅ Train Names
- Some random, unfunny bullshit
- Yamanote vs. Shitamachi
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[i] Iâm looking at you, boring ass Meguro.
[ii] Iâm looking at you, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Gotanda, Shinagawa, Tamachi, Hamamatsu-chÅ⊠oh, god letâs add Ueno⊠dude, this list could go onâŠ
[iii] Howâs that for efficiency?! Pretty frickin’ awesome⊠until you realize it took me a year to complete this stupid series.
UPDATE 2019: At the time of writing, there was a rumor that a new station would be built between Tamachi and Åsaki. Well, it finally came true. There’s now a nice round number of station.