情報の視覚化は理解を容易にし、日本の様々なデータが公開されている。不動産広告には改札から改札までの所要時間が記載されていないことがある。主要駅までの所要時間を可視化したデータが紹介され、交通系ICカードの利用履歴を活用して実際の所要時間マップが作成された。例えば、東京ディズニーリゾートの最寄り駅である舞浜駅と新浦安駅の所要時間の違いなどが示されている。地理と自然に関するデータを分かりやすくまとめた本が紹介され、データに隠れた真実が明らかになる様子が描かれている。
Visualizing information makes it easier to understand (lists of numbers and text). Through visualization, people can grasp the big picture and recognize the essence of things more easily. In Japan, various data ranging from everyday things like the number of stores of famous chain stores and the location of convenience stores to social issues like aging population and climate change are publicly available. By visualizing these data, a different side of Japan that was previously unseen will be revealed.
This time, we would like to introduce data that visualizes the time required to major stations from ticket gate to ticket gate, compiled clearly by Nyanko Soba in the book “Understanding Japan Intuitively: The Truth Hidden in Data”. We will hold lectures and presentations on this methodology. Real-time required time from gate to gate that cannot be found in real estate information is now visible.
Text by Nyanko Soba
The time required from gate to gate is not listed in real estate advertisements.
When I saw real estate advertisements saying “△△ minutes to ○○ station” on the platform, I felt a complicated feeling inside and didn’t know how long I had to wait for the train.
Real estate advertisements indicate the “time from boarding the bus to getting off,” but in reality, it includes the “time from the gate to the platform,” “waiting time for the bus,” and “time to move after boarding.” Therefore, the required time does not match the property advertisement.
So, this time, we created a “realistic” map of the required time from gate to gate using the usage history of transportation IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, etc.).
Reasons why it takes longer from Shin-Urayasu station to Maihama station
Let’s first look at the time required from Tokyo Station to Otemachi Station (Figure 1).
This map shows the median of the travel time from the gate to the platform between Tokyo Station and Otemachi (either nearest station). We narrowed down the search range for people who entered the gate from 10 am to 3 pm on a certain date in December 2021 (business days). The time required from Ikebukuro Station, Shinjuku Station, and Shibuya Station to Tokyo Station is 25-27 minutes. Remembering these numbers will make moving around Tokyo easier.
* The median is the middle value when the data is arranged in ascending order. For example, if 5 users move from Shinagawa Station to Tokyo Station, and their required times are 13 minutes, 14 minutes, 15 minutes, 16 minutes, and 92 minutes (the last person in the station?), the average time is 150 ÷ 5 = 30 minutes, and the median is 15 minutes. The median is closer to reality.
One noteworthy station is Maihama Station, the nearest station to Tokyo Disneyland Resort. The time required to Tokyo Station is 36 minutes, which is 4 minutes longer than the next Shin-Urayasu Station (32 minutes). Both stations stop express trains, so is it inevitable?
One possible reason for this is the difference in user behavior.
On the way back from Tokyo Disneyland Resort, some people might buy souvenirs at Tokyo Station, chat with friends, or prepare their belongings for the next step. Theoretically, they should arrive in a shorter time, but everyone’s little detours are reflected in the numbers… Thinking this way, even impersonal data looks a bit cute.
Next, let’s look at the time required to Shinjuku (Figure 2). In addition to Shinjuku Station, people who alighted at nearby stations like Seibu-Shinjuku Station, Shinjuku-West Exit Station, and Shinjuku-Sanchome Station are also included in the statistics.
The time from Ikebukuro Station and Shibuya Station is 14-15 minutes. The Chuo Line, Keio Line, and Odakyu Line arrive relatively quickly at stations 21-22km away, like Kokubunji Station, Fuchu Station, and Shin-Yurigaoka Station in 33-34 minutes. On the other hand, despite being closer in distance, it takes a long time from the eastern part of Tokyo.
Since the 2010s, in the real estate market of apartments and others, Musashikosugi Station (Kawasaki City Nakahara Ward) and Urawa Station (Saitama City Urawa Ward) have been attracting attention (Figure 3, Figure 4).
In Musashikosugi, stations of the Yokosuka Line and Shonan-Shinjuku Line were built in 2010, reducing the time to the city center by more than 10 minutes. The Shonan-Shinjuku Line started stopping at Urawa Station in 2012. Looking at the map, you can reach Tokyo and Shinjuku from any station in about 30 minutes, and major business districts in Tokyo are also within 40-50 minutes. In terms of daily life, with almost all amenities available at the station, good access to Yokohama, Kawasaki, Omiya, Saitama Shintoshin, and other areas, it’s understandable why it’s popular.
Let’s also take a look at the situation in Osaka and Nagoya (Figure 5 and 6).
In many areas of the Kinki region, JR and private railways operate in parallel, enhancing competitiveness by improving service levels such as operating speed and train frequency. Time required to Osaka Station: 33 minutes from Sannomiya Station (about 31 km), 41 minutes from Kyoto Station (about 43 km). Compared to express trains in the capital area, the time required per unit distance is reduced by 1-2%.
In the Chukyo area, Meitetsu and JR also operate high-speed trains. The time required from Gifu Station (about 30 km) to Fujioka Station (about 14 km) on the Nagoya Municipal Subway is almost the same.
Reference (1): Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism “13th Metropolitan Traffic Census” (2021) (https://www.mlit.go.jp/sogoseisaku/transport/sosei_transport_tk_000007.html)
Reference (2): Background of Figures 1-6 uses data from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan’s “Provisional Geographical Survey Map Vector Experiment”.
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Nyanko Soba
Born in Tokyo, raised in Kanagawa Prefecture. Data visualization craftsman. While working on planning, development of cloud services, and utilization of big data in private companies, he has been focusing on open data, visualization of public statistics, and development of map applications as personal activities, looking at Japan and today’s Japan from an aerial perspective. He has published many works. Among his main activities are the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s “Committee on Survey Research on the Maintenance and Promotion of 3D City Models.” His X (former Twitter) account name is “@ShinakawaJP” (with about 66,000 followers). He has been interviewed by TV stations, newspapers, and online media.