Tokyu Corporation

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 multinational keiretsu (conglomerate) holding company headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Its main operation is the Tokyu Railways Company, Ltd.[1] (東急電鉄株式会社, Tōkyū Dentetsu kabushiki gaisha), a wholly owned subsidiary operating railways in the Greater Tokyo Area.

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
Formerly東京急行電鉄株式会社
Tōkyō Kyūkō Dentetsu KK (1 May 1942-1 Sep 2019)
TypePublic K.K.
IndustryConglomerate
Predecessor
  • Musashi Electric Railway
  • Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway
FoundedMay 16, 1910 (1910-05-16) (as Musashi Electric Railway Company; renamed Tokyo-Yokohama Electric Railway in October 25, 1924 (1924-10-25))
September 2, 1922 (1922-09-02) (Meguro-Kamata Electric Railway)
October 16, 1939 (1939-10-16) (current iteration of company)
Renamed Tokyu in May 1, 1942 (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
OwnerDai-ichi Life (6.35%)
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
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryPrivate railroad
FoundedApril 25, 2019 (2019-04-25) (incorporation)
October 1, 2019 (2019-10-01) (effective reorganization)
FounderKeita Goto
Headquarters,
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

History

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 company in 1910. Keita Gotō, now known as a notable Japanese industrialist, was appointed as the CEO of the Musashi Electric Railway in 1920 and later he began a mass 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; 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 forced the company to acquire the Odawara Express Railway and the Keihin Electric Railway in 1943 to support Japan's efforts in World War II. In 1944 it also acquired the Keio Teito Electric Railway (which has merged with Odawara Express before in 1940). In 1948, Tokyu divested the forced-acquired companies, and the divested companies are now known as Odakyu Electric Railway, Keikyu Corporation, and Keio Corporation respectively. The 1943–1948 era of Tokyu was colloquially known as Dai-Tokyu (lit. Great Tokyu).

Tokyu lines

Line Symbol Route Length (km) Stations Date opened Max speed (km/h)
Tōyoko Line TY Shibuya Yokohama 24.2 21 1926 110
Meguro Line MG Meguro Hiyoshi 11.9 13 1923 110
Den-en-toshi Line DT Shibuya Chūō-Rinkan 31.5 27 1907 110
Ōimachi Line OM Ōimachi Mizonokuchi 10.4 15 1927 85
Ikegami Line IK Gotanda Kamata 10.9 15 1922 80
Setagaya Line SG Sangen-Jaya Shimo-Takaido 5.0 10 1925 40
Tōkyū Tamagawa Line TM Kamata Tamagawa 5.6 7 2000 80
Total (7 lines) 99.5 96
Tokyu route map

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

The Tokyu Group also owns two smaller railroad companies (Ueda Kōtsū, Izukyū Corporation), several bus companies and a major upscale department store chain called Tokyu operating in Japan and in 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, now merged with the flag carrier JAL Japan), 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.

Rolling stock

New Tokyu 2020 series ten-car EMUs and Tokyu 6020 series seven-car EMUs have entered service since spring 2018.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. "Company Profile|Company Outline|Tokyu Railways". 東急電鉄. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
  2. 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.
  3. 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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