EN日本語

Nagoya Municipal Subway line2 min read

Sakura-dori Line

6号線桜通線

The Sakura-dōri Line (桜通線, Sakura-dōri-sen) is a subway line of the Nagoya Municipal Subway, operated by the Nagoya City Transportation Bureau.

Formally route number 6, it runs 19.1 kilometres by operating distance across 21 stations from Taiko-dōri in Nakamura Ward, near Nagoya Station, eastward, southward and then eastward again to Tokushige in Midori Ward. The line is laid to 1,067 mm narrow gauge and electrified at 1,500 V DC using overhead catenary; it is identified by the colour red and the station-prefix letter "S".

NagoyaTempakuMinamiHigashiNakaAtsuta2 km
Route of the Sakura-dori Line · Aichi · Boundaries: MLIT / GSI / Japan Post

History

The first section, between Nakamura Kuyakusho and Imaike, opened on 10 September 1989. Between Nagoya and Imaike it runs beneath Sakura-dōri avenue, from which the line takes its name, threading under the older subways and underground arcades of central Nagoya. Since it passes beneath every existing line it crosses between Nagoya and Gokiso, it runs deeper than any other line on the Nagoya Municipal Subway: its deepest point is at Marunouchi Station at a depth of 24 metres, and most stations on that stretch sit close to 20 metres below the surface in order to clear the large underground malls around Nagoya Station (Meieki) and Sakae.

From the outset the Sakura-dōri Line was designed for one-man operation. Automatic train operation (ATO) was introduced in 1994, and from 16 February 1994 the line began one-man (single-crew) operation. For years it was the only line of the Nagoya Municipal Subway to use automatic train operation.

The line was extended on 30 March 1994, when the 8.6-kilometre section from Imaike to Nonami opened. This more than doubled the line's length.

The final extension to date opened on 27 March 2011, when the 4.2-kilometre section from Nonami to Tokushige came into service, reaching into the Midori Ward suburbs in the city's southeast. The extension was accompanied by the opening of a new depot, and new 6050 series trains were bought as part of the project, entering service on 5 July 2010. The line was an early adopter of platform-edge safety: platform doors (movable platform gates) were in use from the opening day at the four new stations Naruko-kita, Aioiyama, Kamisawa and Tokushige, and installation across every station on the line was completed by 23 July 2011.

The Sakura-dōri Line is worked by two classes of rolling stock, the 6000 series that has run the line since its opening and the 6050 series bought for the 2011 extension. Although the platforms are built for longer trains, services are currently formed of five cars.

On 4 January 2023 the western terminus, Nakamura Kuyakusho, was renamed Taiko-dōri. The Sakura-dōri Line links the Nagoya Station district through the city centre to the growing residential districts of Midori Ward, interchanging with the Higashiyama, Meijō and Tsurumai lines along the way.

Stations on this line

21 stations tracked on the map, listed alphabetically. Select any to read its page.

Timeline
  • 198910 September: the first section, Nakamura Kuyakusho–Imaike (6.3 km), opens.
  • 1994Automatic train operation (ATO) is introduced on the line.
  • 199416 February: one-man (single-crew) operation begins.
  • 199430 March: the line is extended from Imaike to Nonami (8.6 km).
  • 201127 March: the line is extended from Nonami to Tokushige (4.2 km) and a new depot opens. Platform doors are in use from opening day at the four new stations.
  • 201123 July: installation of platform doors (movable platform gates) is completed at every station on the line.
  • 20234 January: the western terminus, Nakamura Kuyakusho, is renamed Taiko-dōri.

Sources

Last updated 16 October 2026.

← All lines