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Tokyu Corporation

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Tokyu Corporation
Tokyu, Tōkyū Dentetsu, Tōkyō Kyūkō (before 2006), TKK (from Tokyo Kyuko Kabushikigaisha)
Native name
東急株式会社
Tōkyū kabushiki-gaisha
FormerlyTokyo Express Electric Railway (1942-2019)
Company typePublic (Kabushiki gaisha)
IndustryConglomerate
Predecessor
  • Musashi Electric Railway
  • Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway
FoundedMay 16, 1910; 114 years ago (1910-05-16) (as Musashi Electric Railway Company; renamed Tokyo-Yokohama Electric Railway in October 25, 1924; 100 years ago (1924-10-25))
September 2, 1922; 102 years ago (1922-09-02) (Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway)
October 16, 1939; 85 years ago (1939-10-16) (current iteration of company)
Renamed Tokyu in May 1, 1942; 82 years ago (1942-05-01)
FounderKeita Goto
Headquarters,
Japan
Area served
Tokyo and Kanagawa
Key people
President-Director Chairperson Representative Director
Kiyobumi Kamijo Toshiaki Koshimura
ServicesPassenger railways
Other related services
OwnerMTBJ investment trusts (8.04%)
Dai-ichi Life (5.55%)
Custody Bank of Japan investment trusts (4.32%)
Nippon Life (3.89%)
SMTB (3.70%)
ParentTokyu Group
Websitewww.tokyu.co.jp
Tokyu Railways Company, Ltd.[1]
Tokyu, Tōkyū Dentetsu, Tōkyō Kyūkō (before 2006), TKK (from Tokyo Kyuko Kabushikigaisha)
Native name
東急電鉄株式会社
Tōkyū Dentetsu kabushiki gaisha
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryPrivate railroad
FoundedApril 25, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-04-25) (incorporation)
October 1, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-10-01) (effective reorganization)
FounderKeita Goto
HeadquartersShibuya First Place
8-16 Shinsenchō, ,
Japan
Area served
Tokyo and Kanagawa
Key people
Hirofumi Nomoto (CEO)
ServicesPassenger railways
Other related services
OwnerTokyu Group
ParentTokyu Corporation
Websitewww.tokyu.co.jp/railway

The Tokyu Corporation (東急株式会社, Tōkyū kabushiki-gaisha), a contraction of and formerly kyō Kyūkō Dentetsu kabushiki gaisha (行電鉄株式会社, "Tokyo Express Electric Railway Share Company") until 2 September 2019, is a Japanese keiretsu or conglomerate headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. While a multinational corporation, its main operation is the Tokyu Railways Company, Ltd.[1] (ja:東急電鉄株式会社, Tōkyū Dentetsu kabushiki gaisha), a wholly-owned subsidiary operating railways in the Greater Tokyo Area.

History

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Logo of the Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway
Logo of the Tokyo-Yokohama Electric Railway
Former Tokyu logo

The oldest predecessor of company was the Musashi Electric Railway (武蔵電気鉄道, Musashi Denki Tetsudō), opened in 1908. The railway's operations were converted into a kabushiki gaisha (company) in 1910. Keita Gotō, now a notable Japanese industrialist, was appointed as the CEO in 1920 and he began a major expansion program.

The most important predecessor was first registered on September 2, 1922, as the Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway (目黒蒲田電鉄, Meguro-Kamata Dentetsu) and is related to the construction of Den-en-chōfu. It was originally founded by the developers of Den-en-chōfu). It was acquired by the Musashi Electric Railway in 1924, shortly before Musashi was renamed into the Tokyo-Yokohama Electric Railway (東京横浜電鉄, Tōkyō-Yokohama Dentetsu), also known as the Toyoko, in the same year.

After Musashi/Toyoko's acquisition, the Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway initially operated as a subsidiary of Toyoko. It was not until 16 October 1939 that both Toyoko and Meguro-Kamata Electric railways were formally merged and the new company took the Toyoko name.

In 1938, Toyoko established Toyoko Eiga [ja], possibly for competition with Ichizo Kobayashi's Toho Company. It became the Toei Company in 1951.

Toyoko took its current name on 1 May 1942, after the Japanese government compelled the company to acquire the Odawara Express Railway and the Keihin Electric Railway in 1943 to support Japan's efforts in Pacific War of World War II. In 1944 it also acquired the Keio Teito Electric Railway (which had merged with Odawara Express before in 1940).

In 1948, after the war, Tokyu divested the acquired companies, and the divested companies are now known as Odakyu Electric Railway, Keikyu Corporation, and Keio Corporation respectively. The 1943–48 era of Tokyu was colloquially known as Dai-Tokyu (lit. Great Tokyu).

Tokyu lines

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Tokyu route map
Line Symbol Route Length (km) Stations Year opened Max speed (km/h)
Tōyoko Line TY ‹See TfM›Shibuya‹See TfM›Yokohama 24.2 21 1926 110
Meguro Line MG ‹See TfM›Meguro‹See TfM›Hiyoshi 11.9 13 1923 110
Den-en-toshi Line DT ‹See TfM›Shibuya‹See TfM›Chūō-rinkan 31.5 27 1907 110
Ōimachi Line OM ‹See TfM›Ōimachi‹See TfM›Mizonokuchi 10.4 16 1927 85
Ikegami Line IK ‹See TfM›Gotanda‹See TfM›Kamata 10.9 15 1922 80
Setagaya Line SG ‹See TfM›Sangen-Jaya‹See TfM›Shimo-Takaido 5.0 10 1925 40
Tōkyū Tamagawa Line TM ‹See TfM›Kamata‹See TfM›Tamagawa 5.6 7 2000 80
Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line SH ‹See TfM›Shin-yokohama‹See TfM›Hiyoshi 5.8 3 2023
Total (8 lines) 105.3 96

Tokyu also operates the Kodomonokuni Line (Nagatsuta StationKodomonokuni Station, 3.4 km) under contract with and on behalf of Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Company.

Topological route map
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The Tokyu Group also owns two smaller railroad companies, Ueda Kōtsū and Izukyū Corporation; several bus companies; and a major upscale department store chain, the Tokyu Department Store operating in Japan and the MBK Center in Bangkok, Thailand. Other retail operations include Tokyu Hands stores (except for the two locations in Nagoya, which are owned by Sanco Creative Life Co., indirectly controlled by Kintetsu Group Holdings, and operated under license). It also runs a number of hotels under the names Tokyu/Pan Pacific in Japan and formerly owned the Pan Pacific Hotels abroad, which it sold to UOL Limited of Singapore.

Formerly the owner of Japan Air System (JAS), Tokyu used to be the largest shareholder of Japan Airlines Holdings (JAL) following JAS's merger with JAL. The Tokyu Group also owns and operates the upscale Tokyu Hotels and budget Tokyu Inns.

From 1958 until 2001, Tokyu also owned the Japanese (now American) Shirokiya department store company. It was the owner of Mago Island until 2005, when Mel Gibson purchased it for US$15 million.[2]

Tokyu Corporation is also the largest single shareholder in the Shizuoka Railway Company, but its holdings in the railway are not part of the group.

Rolling stock

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New Tokyu 2020 series ten-car EMUs and Tokyu 6020 series seven-car EMUs have entered service since early 2018.[3][4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Company Profile|Company Outline|Tokyu Railways". 東急電鉄. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  2. ^ "Mel Gibson buys Fijian island". Los Angeles Times. 3 March 2005. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  3. ^ Ueshin, Daisuke (17 March 2017). 東急田園都市線2020系、新型車両は「これまでにない新しさ」2018年春導入へ [New Tokyu Denentoshi Line 2020 series trains to be introduced in spring 2018]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Japan. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  4. ^ Ueshin, Daisuke (12 October 2017). 東急大井町線、新型車両6020系を来春導入! 急行を7両編成化、3月ダイヤ改正 [New Tokyu Omimachi Line 6020 series trains to be introduced next spring - express services to be lengthened to 7 cars by March timetable revision]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Japan. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
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