Karasuma Oike Station (烏丸御池駅)
Karasuma Oike Station, located in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, is a stop on the Kyoto Municipal Subway line.
Lines
Karasuma Line of the Kyoto Municipal Subway (station number K08)
The Tozai Line of the Kyoto Municipal Subway (station number T13)
Station layout
Located at the crossing of Karasuma-dori Street, under which the Karasuma Line runs, and Oike-dori Street, under which the Tozai Line runs, this station enables passengers on either line to switch to the train on the other line. For the Karasuma Line, placed at the level immediately under the gate-installed level, two separate platforms with two tracks served between them, the structure of this type being used only here on the Karasuma Line, are provided (having been designed to allow passengers to change trains with Tozai Line here), while an island platform serving two tracks is provided for the Tozai Line placed at the level immediately under the Karasuma Line level. Two elevators from Hitachi are installed: one operating between the platform for the direction of Takeda Station on the Karasuma Line and the platform for the Tozai Line; and the other between the platform for the direction of Kokusaikaikan Station on the Karasuma Line and the platform for the Tozai Line. These elevators accommodate 20 passengers and support the use of a stretcher. On the platform of the Tozai Line, safety measures are provided. The station color of the Tozai Line is vermillion.
A manned ticket gate and a shop (service center) are located on the north side of the station. Entering from the manned ticket gate, you will find "Oike Station Gallery" (in a mezzanine-like space when viewed from the gate-placed level), where local information and art/craft works are displayed.
Station surroundings
With the Karasuma Oike crossing (Karasuma-dori Street and Oike-dori Street) on the north side of this station, the area around it constitutes a quiet business district.
SHIN-PUH-KAN (Shinpukan) (formerly the Kyoto Central Telephone Office)
Nakagyo Post Office (formerly the Kyoto Post & Telegraph office, a national important cultural property)
The annex (formerly the Bank of Japan Kyoto Branch, a national important cultural property)
The headquarters of Nichicon Corporation
Kyoto International Manga Museum
Wings Kyoto
Kyoto-shi [Kyoto City] Nakagyo Youth Action Center
Hello Work (public employment security office) Karasuma Oike
Kyoto Labour Bureau
The Kyoto branch of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation (NTT West)
Rokkaku-do (Choho-ji Temple)
History
May 29, 1981: Corresponding to the operational start of the portion between Kitaoji Station and Kyoto Station on the Karasuma Line, this station started its operation as Oike Station.
May 22, 1997: Its name was changed to Karasuma Oike in preparation for the start of operations of the Tozai Line.
October 12, 1997: The portion between Daigo Station and Nijo Station on the Tozai Line started its operation, and this station became the one at which the train lines to be used could be changed.
April 1, 2007: PiTaPa came into use.
January 16, 2008: Trains of the Keihan Keishin Line started using this station.
Before the Tozai Line commenced operations, not many passengers got off trains at this station; consequently, the area around it wasn't well developed as a business district. Once the Tozai Line started operating, this station, becoming the only subway station in Kyoto City where two subway lines crossed, was able to provide very convenient transportation means, thus promoting the development of the area around the station.
Others
The station was among those chosen in the second selection of 100 prominent stations in the Kinki region. On the Karasuma Line of the Kyoto Municipal Subway, where a station was placed at the crossing of a street and the Karasuma-dori Street, only the street name was given as the station name (such as Gojo Station and Marutamachi Station). The name of this station was initially 'Oike' Station when the Karasuma Line commenced operations, but it was changed to 'Karasuma Oike,' the name of the crossing, in preparation for the opening of the Tozai Line.
Adjacent stations
Karasuma Line
Marutamachi Station (Kyoto Municipal Subway) (K07) - Karasuma Oike Station (K08) - Shijo Station (Kyoto Municipal Subway) (K09)
Tozai Line
Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station (T12) - Karasuma Oike Station (T13) - Nijojo-mae Station (T14)