Photo: Tokyo

Toei Subway Takes a Child-friendly Approach

Trains with child-friendly areas now available on all lines

Photo: Tokyo
Kim   - 2 min read

Traveling with children on public transport can present a number of challenges. From managing boredom and restlessness on long journeys to juggling all the extra bits and pieces required when little ones are along for the ride, these additional stressors can make getting from A to B overwhelming for parents or caregivers.

The Toei Subway is doing their part to help alleviate some of that overwhelm, with child-friendly areas now available on all Toei-operated lines. The spacious areas are colorfully decorated with popular characters like Miffy and Thomas the Tank Engine, and were added to make passengers traveling with children feel more at ease.

Because of this initiative to make traveling with children easier, Toei Subway was recognized with the Japan Child-rearing Support Award for 2023, which is sponsored by the Japan Child-rearing Support Association. Several different categories are considered when awarding winners, such as safety and security, comfort, and convenience – and you can see how having dedicated child-friendly areas onboard trains would certainly help to meet these requirements.

Please note that while child-friendly areas are available on all Toei-operated lines, not *every* single train has a child-friendly space. If you'd like to get confirmation that the train you intend to board has a child-friendly space, it's recommended to download the Toei Transportation app. Once you've downloaded the app, tap the icon for train location, select the relevant line you're traveling on, and look for the baby icon which indicates that a child-friendly space is available.

The baby icon indicates a child-friendly space is available onboard
The baby icon indicates a child-friendly space is available onboard

Getting there

Toei operates four subway lines in the Tokyo area:

  • Toei Subway Asakusa Line (A)
  • Toei Subway Mita Line (I)
  • Toei Subway Shinjuku Line (S)
  • Toei Subway Oedo Line (E)

You can find more information about the routes and stops on the Toei Subway website. The Toei Transportation app is available for both Apple and Android devices.

Kim

Kim @kim.b