Osaka Subway

The Osaka Subway is, of course, color coded but the city planners have installed a little joke within the colors.

For instance the main Mido Suji (red) and Tanimachi (purple) lines are colored so to represent the veins and arteries of the city – appropriate as they stretch throughout the city and carry thousands and thousands of passengers everyday.

Sakisuji line is brown because it runs through some very dirty areas, and Tsurumi Ryoguchi is light green because it goes to a lovely park.

The Sennichimae line is pink because along that line there were lots of love hotels along that road!

Anyways, the subway is efficient although a little on the pricey side. It is zoned and the minimum ticket price is Y200.

You can buy a “Rainbow card” for Y3,000, which gives you a 10% bonus, from ticket vending machines at any station. With this you can use the bus as well as the new tram.

If you’re resident here then you can also use a Pitapa card which is like a credit card but has an microchip in it which automatically charges your account. This can be used on all transport as well as some shops and even vending machines (good grief!). Apply at any station.

The trains run from early morning, typically about 5am, through to midnight all year round although reduced services operate on weekends and national holidays.

If you transfer from the subway to a bus and get a reduced price for the bus journey of Y100.

In 2006 a new Imazato line opened to serve the Eastern part of the city, and having got the tunneling machine the city seems to have gone subway mad and is now constructing a new East – West line across the city center.

References:
Osaka city official subway site

Osaka City Subway Nice site with lots of details of each station and photos.