The Osaka Metro Chūō Line, which will directly connect to the Osaka-Kansai Expo venue starting in April, opened its new station, “Yumeshima,” on January 19.

Among the major cities in Kansai—Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe—each has its own municipal subway system, but Osaka’s subway is by far the most convenient for getting around the city. While Kobe’s subway has five lines (effectively three) with 26 stations and Kyoto’s subway has two lines with 31 stations, Osaka’s system is significantly larger, with eight lines and 134 stations—more than double the number of lines and nearly four times as many stations as the others.

The newly opened “Yumeshima” Station is the 134th station of Osaka Metro. Located in Konohana Ward, this station marks a historic milestone, as Konohana Ward had been the only “subway-free zone” in Osaka until now.

Osaka Metro has a long history, dating back to the 1930s. Before World War II, the Midosuji Line was already operating between Umeda and Tennoji. Over time, additional lines and stations were introduced, including the Yotsubashi Line and the Chūō Line. As a result, Osaka Metro now boasts over 100 stations. However, because the subway system was primarily developed in the city center, the distribution of stations is uneven—some wards have many stations, while others have none.

Naturally, most Osaka Metro stations are concentrated in the city center. Kita Ward and Nishi Ward each have eight stations, while Chūō Ward has the highest number, with 14 stations. Chūō Ward is not only home to the most stations but also serves as a hub for multiple lines. It has stations for seven different subway lines: Midosuji, Yotsubashi, Sakaisuji, Tanimachi, Chūō, Sennichimae, and Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Lines. The only exception is the New Tram, which exclusively serves Suminoe Ward. However, this does not significantly impact accessibility, as all seven subway lines are available in Chūō Ward.

The New Tram, which runs east to west through Suminoe Ward, plays a crucial role in local transportation. Thanks to this line, Suminoe Ward enjoys better connectivity compared to other waterfront areas in Osaka. However, while east-west movement is convenient, north-south travel within the bay area remains challenging.

Osaka has several waterfront wards along Osaka Bay. Apart from Suminoe Ward at the southernmost end of the city, these include Taisho, Minato, Konohana, and Nishiyodogawa Wards. Historically, subway coverage in these areas has been sparse. Taisho Ward has just one station (Taisho), Minato Ward has three (Osaka Port, Asashio-bashi, and Bentencho), while both Konohana and Nishiyodogawa Wards previously had none, making them “subway-free zones.” While these areas have a high concentration of factories and warehouses with relatively low residential populations, having only four subway stations across four waterfront wards highlights a significant gap in public transportation infrastructure.

With the recent opening of Yumeshima Station, Konohana Ward now has its first subway station, leaving Nishiyodogawa Ward as the last remaining subway-free area in Osaka. However, Nishiyodogawa Ward still has better overall transportation accessibility compared to Konohana Ward, thanks to the JR Tokaido Line (Tsukamoto Station) and the Hanshin Main Line (Himejima and Chibune Stations), which provide convenient connections between Osaka and Kobe. As a result, despite now having a subway station, Konohana Ward still lags behind Nishiyodogawa Ward in terms of overall transportation convenience.

For additional information or any questions please contact us here
Email: info@remax-apex.com