Some information is abbreviated in route maps and index maps. However, route maps and index maps specialize in information such as “what lines are located where,” “what stations are located on those lines,” and “where multiple lines are connected. When multiple lines cross without connecting, the law is that they cross at the same stations as the real ones. Naturally, however, some information is abbreviated and spilled out. For example, although the location of the lines are correctly depicted, it is not clear how far apart they actually are. It often happens that a train line that looks close on the map is actually further away than expected, or vice versa. In addition, the lines on a route map are sometimes skewed due to the need to squeeze in all the existing stations or to give priority to legibility. The direction in which the tracks actually run and the direction of the tracks on a route map or index map do not always match. If you are just looking up information such as, “To go from station A to station B, first take the XX line to station C, and then change to the XX line,” there is nothing wrong with this. However, sometimes it is better to pull out a map and check the physical location.
For example, there are many cases in which a subway station is far away even though it is transferable. For example, there are many cases in which stations on multiple lines are connected and “transferable,” but when you actually try to transfer, you find that the stations are far apart. A famous example of this is the Tokyo Metro Akasaka-mitsuke Station (Ginza and Marunouchi Lines) and Nagatacho Station (Hanzomon, Yurakucho, and Namboku Lines). Particularly difficult are Akasaka-mitsuke Station and Nagatacho Station on the Yurakucho and Namboku Lines. When transferring between these two stations, you have to walk from one end of the platform to the other at Nagatacho Station on the Hanzomon Line, and this alone takes about three minutes at most. This is not something that can be understood by just looking at a route map. Nowadays, more operators publish station maps on their websites, so the situation is different, but in the days when only paper timetables and route maps were available, there were many things that could only be understood by visiting the site. If you think about it dispassionately, it is not surprising that such things happen. Because trains arrive and depart from stations with many cars connected to them, station facilities are naturally not “dots” but rather long, narrow lines. This means that the distance between stations can be surprisingly large, depending on their location. This is where the need for maps arises. For example, Google Maps shows not only roads and buildings above ground, but also subways and underground malls underground. This is a useful reference for knowing the location of subway stations in relation to each other. Of course, station maps published on the websites of railroad operators are also useful, but there are still difficulties in knowing their location in relation to aboveground roads and facilities.
There are cases where different train lines are in close proximity to each other. Conversely, there are cases where the two lines are not connected on the map, but are actually very close (or within walking distance). This type of combination seems to be particularly noticeable in the Kinki region. One example is in the right bank (north side) of the Yamato River in the southern part of Osaka. Here, the Nankai Railway Nankai Main Line, Hankai Railway Hankai Line, Nankai Railway Koya Line, and JR Hanwa Line run almost parallel to each other, starting from the west. And the straight line distance between the Nankai Electric Railway Nankai Main Line and JR Hanwa Line, located at both ends, is about 1.8 km. Of course, stations on the Hankai Line and Nankai Koya Line, which are located in the middle of the line, are much closer. The author has actually walked to both Sugihonmachi Station on the Hanwa Line and Abikomae Station on the Nankai Koya Line on business. I walked to both stations because I thought it was faster than going south to Mikunigaoka Station and changing trains. The Odawara Line of Odakyu Electric Railway and the Keio Line of Keio Electric Railway are also closer to Shinjuku than one might think. Therefore, except on rainy days, I walked from Yoyogi Uehara Station or Tohokuzawa Station instead of going to Shinjuku Station to commute from my home along the Odakyu Line to my office in Sasazuka. This was faster and had the advantage of a later last train if he went directly from Sasazuka to Tohokuzawa Station. There are also cases where stations of different operators are located close to each other, but with different station names. For example, Ushida Station on the Tobu Skytree Line and Keisei Sekiya Station on the Keisei Main Line. Although they appear to be separate stations on the route map, they are actually located across the street from each other. In addition, there are many other combinations close enough to walk to each other, such as Shin-Kawasaki Station on the JR Yokosuka Line and Kashimada Station on the JR Nambu Line, Higashi Jujo Station on the JR Keihin Tohoku Line and Jujo Station on the JR Saikyo Line, Shin-Sapporo Station on the JR Chitose Line and Atsubetsu Station on the JR Hakodate Main Line. However, Shin-Sapporo Station and Atsubetsu Station are about 1.3 to 1.5 km apart, and I would not like to walk there in winter.
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