Demachiyanagi Station (出町柳駅)
Demachiyanagi Station, located in Tanaka Kamiyanagi-cho/Shimoyanagi-cho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City, is a stop operated by the Keihan Electric Railway and the Eizan Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Because this station is the terminal for the Keihan Electric Railway in Kyoto Prefecture, it used to be called 'Kyoto Demachiyanagi Station,' but that name has rarely been used since the timetable revision that occurred in fall 2003.
When the Kurama Fire Festival is held, the admission is restricted at Demachiyanagi Station for the Eizan Electric Railway because the transportation capacity of the railway and the capacity of Kurama area are limited. The line to join this festival extends up to the underground stairway of Demachiyanagi Station of the Keihan Electric Railway.
Available railway lines
Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Oto Line *terminal station
Eizan Electric Railway
Eizan (Main) Line, Eizan Electric Railway *starting and terminal station
Station layout
The station building has a structure in which the entrance for the underground Keihan Electric Railway is integral with that for the aboveground Eizan Electric Railway.
The platforms and station facilities of the Eizan Electric Railway, the entrance for the Keihan Electric Railway as well as the bus terminal, are located on the ground-floor level; the concourse of the Keihan Electric Railway is located on the first basement level, and the platforms of the Keihan Electric Railway are located on the second basement level. There are two ticket gates of the Keihan Electric Railway: Eiden-guchi on the north and Imadegawa-guchi on the south; however, Imadegawa-guchi isn't connected to the outside concourse and thus is an independent ticket gate (because the major sewage waterway for rainwater to the Kamo-gawa River runs under Imadegawa-dori Street). Eiden-guchi of the Keihan Electric Railway, as its name indicates, is integral with the station of Eizan Electric Railway.
Keihan Electric Railway
Station information
It is an underground station having an island platform with two tracks. There are two ticket gates: "Eiden-guchi" on the north and "Imadegawa-guchi" on the south.
Each corner at the intersection of Imadegawa-dori and Kawabata-dori Streets has an entry and exit point, but only two of the points located on the south side are connected to Imadegawa-guchi; the other two points on the north side are connected to the concourse of the Eiden-guchi ticket gate. The first basement level, which has the ticket gates, is divided into the Eiden-guchi side and the Imadegawa-guchi side, so it's only possible to come and go between these two ticket gates by using the platform. The Imadegawa-guchi ticket gate is only available between 7:00 and 21:00.
Elevators are available from the Eizan Electric Railway station building, which is located almost on the ground level to the Eiden-guchi concourse, and from the Eiden-guchi concourse to the platform, allowing people to use a wheelchair and others.
Because this is the starting station, a unique departure melody was previously used (for limited express and K-limited express trains, a melody called 'Ushiwakamaru' was used), but since June 17, 2007 a departure melody composed by Minoru MUKAIYA has been used (for K-limited express trains, 'Keihan Tokkyu (music)' has been used).
Platforms
Both platforms can support eight-car trains. Limited express and K-limited express trains usually start from Platform 2. There is a lead track on the Osaka side of this station, which is used, for example, to adjust shuttle trains.
Boarding limited express and K-limited express trains
Limited express and K-limited express trains stop at a point short of the actual stop position to let all passengers get off the train, and all doors are closed to organize the inside of the cars (change the direction of the rotating cross seats), after which the train moves forward to the actual stop position and the doors are opened to let passengers board the train. The purposes of stopping the train at two different positions are to separate the doors for boarding and exiting, as well as to protect passengers from accidents due to the automatically rotating cross seats. The seats of a car with a TV set (Car 5 of the Keihan Electric Railway Series 8000 and Keihan Electric Railway Series 3000) are rotated adversely toward the travel direction (to bring the direction in line with the placement of the TV set).
However, for some K-limited express trains or trains whose schedules are set back, this series of operations isn't performed and the seats are instead rotated by each passenger. This series of operations is also not performed for limited express trains that are driven from the train depot to the station directly and have remained on the lead track on the Osaka side before being sent to the platform because no passengers are on the train.
Incidentally, the operation to stop trains twice at different positions is always executed even for trains comprising cars for which seat rotation is not required (Keihan Electric Railway Series 9000 with fixed cross seats, and Keihan Electric Railway Series 6000 and Keihan Electric Railway Series 7200 with long seats) for the purpose of separating the boarding and exiting passengers. There are exceptional cases where the operation to stop trains twice at different positions isn't executed, specifically when a limited express or a K-limited express train of the Keihan Electric Railway Series 8000 or 3000 returns to the direction of Osaka as an express train after stopping at this station.
Eizan Electric Railway
It is an aboveground station having four toothed platforms with three tracks. It is a manned ticket gate with some automatic ticket checkers (no platform ticket is available, but it's possible to go to the platform to see someone off by informing the station attendant). There is a TSUTAYA Eizan Demachiyanagi Station branch store, whose franchise right is owned by the Eizan Electric Railway Co., Ltd., on the second floor of the station building. There is a Lotteria shop on the west side down the road on the side facing the Kyoto bus terminal, which used to be available from Platform 1 in the station.
The major gateways to the Keihan Electric Railway are located in front of the ticket gate of the Eizan Electric Railway; up and down escalators are available, and there is an elevator near the southwest corner. A gently inclined ramp connects the road in front of the station and the station premises, while a flat access aisle extends to the platforms, providing easy movement for people in wheelchairs.
Although currently unseen head-on because it's hidden by the new station building that was built to coincide with the opening of the Keihan Oto Line to traffic, the original station building is a historic piece of architecture having the structure of a Buddhist temple. Even now, it can be seen from the top side of the platforms.
The capacity of Platform 1 is only for a train with a car, while that of Platforms 2 and 3 is for a train with two cars. Incidentally, the shed doesn't completely cover the entire area; therefore, the second car of a two-car train protrudes from the shed.
Platforms
Platforms are located as follows from the Takano-gawa River side.
History
September 27, 1925: Demachiyanagi Station, operated by Kyoto Dento, began services.
March 2, 1942: Kyoto Dento passed the right of railway business to Keifuku Electric Railroad Co., Ltd. Accordingly, the station belonged to Keifuku Electric Railroad Co., Ltd.
April 1, 1986: Keifuku Electric Railroad Co., Ltd., passed the right of railway business to Eizan Electric Railway Co., Ltd. Accordingly, the station belonged to Eizan Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
October 5, 1989: Demachiyanagi Station, operated by Keihan Electric Railway, began services.
June 24, 1993: 'Keihan Demachiyanagi Building' was completed and the headquarters of Eizan Electric Railway Co., Ltd., were transferred to the building.
Station surroundings
The area between the Takano-gawa and Kamo-gawa rivers, and to the east
This area is basically a residential area with a few stores and small business offices on the street extending from the aboveground station building to Hyakumanben Chion-ji Temple and Imadegawa-dori Street.
Kyoto University Yoshida Campus
The Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics (KCGI)
Hyakumanben Chion-ji Temple
Kyoto Computer Gakuin (KCG) Kamogawa Campus
Sakyo Ward General Office, Kyoto City
The Kyoto Tanaka post office
The Shimogamo police station
The area between the Takano-gawa and Kamo-gawa rivers, and to the west
The northern area between the Takano-gawa and Kamo-gawa rivers has been a quiet residential area for a long time.
The Demachi Line of Kyoto Denki Tetsudo (later Kyoto City Trams) was once located in the area between the Kamo-gawa River and Kawaramachi-dori Street, two bridges ahead from the aboveground station building, and many shops called 'Taneya' or 'Naeya,' selling agricultural and horticultural goods, stood on both sides on the wide street; however, many of these shops are no longer open. A portion of the street is a city-run parking lot. The area near the intersection of Kawaramachi-dori and Imadegawa-dori streets, slightly below there, has several banks, pachinko parlors and restaurant chains.
The area between Kawaramachi-dori Street and Teramachi-dori Street has the 'Demachi Shopping Arcade,' which comprises various shops. The area down Teramachi-dori Street has Doshisha University and the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
The junction of the Kamo-gawa River (Yodo-gawa River system) and the Takano-gawa River (Kyoto Prefecture)
Kamomioya-jinja Shrine (Shimogamo-jinja Shrine)
Tadasu-no-Mori forest
Kyoto Family Court
Doshisha University, Imadegawa Campus
Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Surrounding streets
Shimogamo-hondori Street
Bus services
Kyoto City bus
Prior to 1989, the bus stop on Imadegawa-dori Street was called "Kamo-Ohashi Higashizume" and that on Kawabata-dori Street was called "Eiden-mae."
Imadegawa-dori Street bus stop (to the east)
System 3: For Hyakumanben and Kitashirakawa Shibuse-cho
System 3: For Hyakumanben and Kyoto University of Art and Design
System 17: For Jisho-ji Temple and Kinrin Shako-depot
System 201: For Gion and Shijo Karasuma
System 203: For Ginkaku-ji Temple, Gion and Omiya Station (Kyoto Prefecture)
System Express 102: For Ginkaku-ji Temple and Kinrin Shako-depot
Imadegawa-dori Street bus stop (to the west)
System 3: For Shijo Kawaramachi, Saiin Station, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies and Matsuobashi
System 17: For Kyoto Station (via Kawaramachi-dori Street)
System 201: For Senbon Imadegawa, Nijo Station and Shijo Omiya
System 203: For Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine and Nishioji Shijo
System Express 102: For Kitano Tenman-gu Shrine, Rokuon-ji Temple, Daitoku-ji Temple and Kitaoji Bus Terminal
Kawabata-dori Street bus stop (to the south)
System 4: For Shijo Kawaramachi and Kyoto Station (nonstop between Kawaramachi Gojo and Kyoto Station)
Kawabata-dori Street bus stop (to the north)
System 1: For Kitaoji Bus Terminal, Bukkyo University and Nishigamo Shako-depot
System 4: For Kamomioya-jinja Shrine, Matsugasaki Station (Kyoto Prefecture), Midorogaike and Kamo-wakeikazuchi-jinja Shrine
The Kawaramachi-Imadegawa bus stop is located a few minutes' walk from the bus stop. More systems and services are available at this bus stop (including all the above-mentioned systems as well as systems 37, 59 and 205).
Kyoto Bus
Demachiyanagi Station is a main terminal for Kyoto Bus.
Terminal bus stops
System 32: For Kitaoji Station, Kyoto Sangyo University, Ichihara and Hirogawara
System 34: For Kitaoji Station, Kyoto Sangyo University, Ichihara, Shizuhara and Shiroyama
System 35: For Kitaoji Station, Kyoto Sangyo University and Ichihara
System Express 36: For Izumojibashi and Kyoto Sangyo University
System 37: For Kitaoji Station, Hiragino and Kumogahata Iwayabashi
System 10: For Takaragaike, Yase-Hieizanguchi Station, Ohara and Kuchiki Gakko-mae (front of Kuchiki school)
Kawabata-dori Street bus stop (to the north)
Systems 16 and 17: For Takaragaike Koen park, Yase Station and Ohara
Systems 21 and 23: For Takaragaike, Iwakura Station (Kyoto Prefecture) and Iwakura Jisso-in Temple
Systems 41 and 43: For Takaragaike, Iwakura Station and Iwakura Muramatsu
Kawabata-dori Street bus stop (to the south)
Systems 16 and 17: For Sanjo Keihan, Shijo Kawaramachi, Shijo Karasuma and Kyoto Station (System 16 goes only up to Shijo Kawaramachi)
Systems 21, 39 and 41: For University Hospital, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine and Shijo Kawaramachi
Imadegawa-dori Street bus stop (to the east)
System 55: For Ginkaku-ji Temple, Shugakuin Station and Matsugasaki Station (Kyoto Prefecture)
System 51: For Ginkaku-ji Temple, Enryaku-ji Bus Center and Mt. Hiei
Kawabata-dori Street bus stop (to the west)
System 55: For Sanjo Keihan and Shijo Kawaramachi
System 51: For Sanjo Keihan, Shijo Kawaramachi, Shijo Karasuma and Kyoto Station
In addition to the above, services between Demachiyanagi Station and Takano Shako-depot are available.
Until the Keihan Oto Line opened to traffic in 1989, most buses arrived at and departed from Sanjo Station (Kyoto Prefecture), and there were some buses called "relay buses" between Sanjo Keihan and Demachiyanagi Station. At that time, a connection discount was available when a person took a Kyoto Bus from a stop between Sanjo Keihan and Demachiyanagi Station and then transferred to a train of the Eizan Electric Railway or took the reverse route (from Sanjo Keihan, the person was supposed to buy an Eizan Electric Railway connection discount ticket before taking a bus; on the contrary, he/she was supposed to buy a Kyoto Bus discount ticket at the ticket gate of Demachiyanagi Station when connecting from a train of the Eizan Electric Railway to a Kyoto Bus).
Keihan Bus
Terminal bus stops
Kansai Airport Limousine Bus services for Kansai International Airport
Imadegawa-dori Street bus stop (to the east)
System 57: For Enryaku-ji Bus Center and the peak of Mt. Hiei
Imadegawa-dori Street bus stop (to the west)
System 57: For Sanjo Keihan, Shijo Kawaramachi and Kyoto Station
Adjacent stations
Keihan Electric Railway
Oto Line
K-Limited Express/Limited Express
Sanjo Station (Kyoto Prefecture) - Demachiyanagi Station
Express/Sub-Express/Local
Jingu-marutamachi Station (Keihan) - Demachiyanagi Station
Eizan Electric Railway
Eizan Main Line (including trains that go directly to the Kurama Line)
Demachiyanagi Station - Mototanaka Station