Osaka Metro launched to take over municipal subway operations

April 1, 2018

Osaka- The municipal subway system in the western Japan city of Osaka was privatized on Sunday, with the new operator, Osaka Metro Co., coming into being.

The move marked the first privatization of a public subway system in the country. Hideaki Kawai, 63, a former executive of electronics giant Panasonic Corp. , assumed the post of president of Osaka Metro, which took over the subway operations from the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau.

At Umeda Station on Osaka Metro's Midosuji Line, a monument bearing the new subway operator's logo was unveiled in the morning.

At a ceremony held in the city later in the day, Kawai said, "We'll work to offer subway services with supreme safety."

Osaka Mayor Hirofumi Yoshimura said, "I want Osaka Metro to grow to become the top private railway company" in the Kansai western Japan region, including Osaka Prefecture.

On top of the railway services, Osaka Metro is set to expand its "ekinaka" commercial facility operations at the premises of train stations and launch non-railway businesses, such as operating hotels. "We aim to maximize the value of the underground space," Kawai said.

Also on Sunday, the municipal bus service in the city of Osaka was privatized and placed under the wing of Osaka Metro as a subsidiary.

Former Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto worked on privatizing the municipal subway system with a history of 85 years, but was unable to achieve the mission during his tenure.

Yoshimura attained the goal as he won the Osaka municipal assembly's approval after proposing that all shares in Osaka Metro be owned by the municipal government. Jiji Press