Bibliographic Information
Shin, Ye-Kyeong. “Study of the Yamanote Line’s Spatial Transformation and Characteristics in the Context of Changes in Tokyo.”
Journal of the Korean Society for Railway, 21(2), pp. 220–231, March 2018.
ISSN 1738-6225 / eISSN 2288-2235
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7782/JKSR.2018.21.2.220
Research Summary
This study traces the spatial transformation of the Yamanote Line, which began in 1885 as a freight railway connecting Akabane and Shinagawa, alongside Tokyo’s urban growth. Historical maps, route diagrams, and documents were examined diachronically with a focus on changes in both the line and its stations. The Yamanote Line gradually became Tokyo’s principal above-ground circular railway.
As suburbanization and inner-city densification progressed, and direct access to the city center by private suburban railways became difficult, its stations developed into transfer hubs connecting suburban lines with central Tokyo. The findings illustrate how a circular railway network can reorganize station functions and spatial hierarchy in response to long-term urban and transport change.