By AZUSA ITO/ Staff Writer
September 1, 2023 at 07:00 JST
A ferry sails near Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge as part of a pilot program for the metropolitan government in fiscal 2022. (Provided by the Tokyo metropolitan government)
A new ferry service will set sail in October as another means of daily public transportation for commuters in the capital offered by the Tokyo metropolitan government.
The ferry will link the Nihonbashi district of Chuo Ward and the Toyosu district of Koto Ward during rush hour on weekdays.
“The new option of transportation by ferry is finally becoming a reality,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told a regular news conference on Aug. 4.
She added, “The ferry service will join the list of available transportation means for the new community, making commuting and transportation even more convenient.”
The new community is the Harumi Flag high-rise complex in the Harumi district that was the site for the Olympic Village during the Tokyo Summer Games held in 2021 and will be opened for new residents next spring.
The metropolitan government hopes the ferry will help ease passenger congestion on trains and buses.
Kanko Kisen Kogyo KK and Mitsui Fudosan Co. will head the operation.
The service is planned to be offered in the morning and during the evening and later on weekdays. Passengers other than commuters will also be allowed to take the ferry.
The timetable, the number of crew members, the fare and other details are under consideration, officials said.
Next spring will see the opening of another ferry route linking the Harumi district of Chuo Ward with the Hinode district of Minato Ward. That route will be operated by KK Tokyo-wan Cruising and Nomura Real Estate Development Co.
The metropolitan government has conducted pilot tests and other programs since fiscal 2019 with the goal of introducing ferry service as a commuting option. However, the relatively expensive fare has been deemed a central obstacle in making a ferry a viable alternative.
Officials of the metropolitan government’s traffic planning section said the fare will be set during the coming operation at around 500 yen ($3.42), the fee charged during the pilot experiments.
Part of the expenses will be covered by subsidies from the metropolitan government.
Large hydrogen station to be set up at former Olympic Village
October 17, 2022
Lottery to buy apartments at Olympic village set for July 17
July 7, 2023
Jet ferry services from Fukuoka to Busan to resume in November
October 27, 2022
Tokyo governor eyes ‘hydrogen pipeline’ for the capital
November 27, 2022
New Tokyo subway line in the works to open in 2040s
November 25, 2022
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
