Tofukuji Station (東福寺駅)
Located in Kishinokami-cho, Fukuine, Higashiyama Ward of Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Tofukuji Station is a stop on the Keihan Electric Railway and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) lines.
Accessible railway lines
Keihan Electric Railway
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
The ICOCA (West Japan Railway Company) and PiTaPa (Surutto KANSAI Association) cards can be used on both lines. However, J-Thru cards can only be used on JR lines and KANSAI THRU PASS compatible cards can only be used on the Keihan Line.
Keihan Electric Railway
It is an above-ground station with two platforms opposite each other and double tracks; the station building and ticket gates are on the outbound (east-side) platform. Ticket gates are also installed on the inbound platform; they connect to the JR station building and a passageway for direct exit. The two platforms are linked by an underpass.
Boarding platforms
※Each platform has a length sufficient to accommodate a seven-car train. Track numbers are not indicated.
JR West
The station's two platforms and double tracks are located above ground opposite each other, and the over-track structure houses its administrative offices. Ticket gates are found in only one location. Station operations are commissioned to JR West Japan Transportation Service Co., Ltd.
It is a station at which rapid trains stop, but a JR ticket office ('Midori-no-madoguchi') has yet to be established (Seishun 18, popularly known as a Red Ticket, is always available).
It is station situated within 'Kyoto Municipality' in accordance with JR's Specific Ward Municipal System.
Boarding platforms
Usage status
JR West - The number of passengers boarding at this station came to approximately 6,178 per day in fiscal year 2006.
Keihan Electric Railway - The number of passengers boarding at this station came to approximately 6,216 per day in fiscal year 2006.
(Source: Both from the Kyoto Prefecture Statistical Report)
Tofukuji, as the station came to be called, is used by many tourists during the autumn season when the trees change color; the station becomes extremely congested due to the limited space it occupies.
In 2007, JR West and other railways urgently recommended following the transfer route: Kyoto Station→Tofukuji Station→(Keihan) Shichijo, Gojo, Shijo Stations to avoid the congestion of Kyoto's Higashiyama district. An ad is posted on the exterior wall of the Kyoto Tower (Keihan Electric Railway is its parent company) and guide maps have been prepared, but since this station is a stop for local (sub-express) trains, many passengers still use Shichijo Station at which limited express trains stop (or they use Tambabashi Station, which connects to the Kintetsu Kyoto Line).
Station surroundings
Senyu-ji Temple
Mishima-jinja Shrine (Kyoto Prefecture)
Otani Junior & Senior High School (Kyoto)
Kyoto International Junior & Senior High School
Japanese Red Cross Kyoto Daiichi Hospital
Kyoto Sekijuji-Byoin-nai Post Office
Kyoto Municipal Hiyoshigaoka High School
Nintendo Kyoto Research Center (Former Nintendo Head Office Building)
Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. (situated within the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center)
Bus stops
No bus routes operate out of this station. The nearest bus stops are Kyoto City Bus stops: Tofukuji and Tofukuji-michi.
Tofukuji
It is located along Higashioji-dori Street, some five minutes on foot from the station.
Kyoto City Bus
Route 202: For Nishioji-Kujo (via Kujo Shako depot)/for Kumano-jinja Shrine (via Gion)
Route 207: For Omiya Station (Kyoto Prefecture) (via Kujo Shako depot)/for Shijo-Omiya (via Gion)
Route 208: For Nishioji-Shichijo (via Nishioji-dori Street)/for Nishioji-Kujo (via Shichijo-dori Street, Kyoto Station)
Tofukuji-michi
It is located along Shidan-kaido Road, about five minutes on foot from the station.
Kyoto City Bus
Route Minami (south) 5: For Takeda Station (Kyoto Prefecture) Higashi-guchi (East Exit) (via Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine)/for Kyoto Station
History
Tofukuji Station didn't exist when the distance between Kyoto and Inari of Nara Line was inaugurated as part of the present Tokaido Main Line in 1879.
April 15, 1910: Keihan Electric Railway Tofukuji Station was inaugurated.
October 1, 1943: The station became a Keihanshin-kyuko-dentetsu station as a result of amalgamation.
December 1, 1949: The station became a Keihan Electric Railway station due to the corporate severance.
December 27, 1957: Japan National Railways' Tofukuji Station on the Nara Line was inaugurated. The operations of the Japan National Railways station at the time were commissioned to Keihan, and JNR tickets were also sold at the Keihan windows.
April 1, 1987: The Nara Line stations became JR West stations as a result of the split privatization of Japan National Railways.
May 9, 1993: The roof over the platform for Osaka at Keihan Tofukuji Station was extended from 61 meters to 100 meters, and a wheelchair-accessible restroom was installed.
October 23, 1993: The construction of new station administrative offices was completed.
December. 5, 1993: The construction of JR Nara Line Tofukuji Station administrative offices over the tracks was completed.
Given such a change, the JR station affairs, which had been totally commissioned to Keihan until then (transfer wickets installed within the over-track facilities) and Keihan inbound platform, which was connected to Nara Line platform (currently Platform 2) without a partition, were partitioned off. A kiosk stall that had operated on the Keihan inbound platform was closed, and automatic vending machines were installed in its place.
August 12, 1994: A wheelchair ramp was installed on the platform for Demachiyanagi.
December 27, 1994: Keihan Tofukuji Station improvement works, such as the roof extension on the platform for Demachiyanagi, slope installation, etc., were completed.
October 1, 2001: Nara Line Tofukuji Station became a station at which rapid and regional rapid trains stop.
March 15, 2003: Nara Line Tofukuji Station became a stop for Miyakoji Rapid Service.
September 6, 2003: Keihan Main Line Tofukuji Station became a station at which sub-express trains stop.
September 13, 2003: The JR and Keihan wickets were completely separated. The configuration in which JR had an intermediate wicket within the Keihan ticket gates was eliminated.
Keihan Electric Railway
■K-Ltd. Express/■Limited Express/■Express
Nonstop
■Sub-express/■Local
Toba-kaido Station - Tofukuji Station - Shichijo Station
West Japan Railway Company (JR West)
■Miyakoji Rapid Service/■Rapid Service/■Regional Rapid Service
Kyoto Station - Tofukuji Station - Rokujizo Station
■Local
Kyoto Station－Tofukuji Station - Inari Station
※Miyakoji Rapid Service makes special stops at Inari Station per the New Year's holiday timetable.