# Fukuoka City Subway

The Fukuoka City Subway (福岡市地下鉄, Fukuoka-shi Chikatetsu) serves Fukuoka, Japan.
The lines are operated by the Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau. Unlike most other public operators in Japan, the company only operates subways without any bus lines.
All stations are equipped with automatic platform gates. All lines are automatically operated by ATO system, although drivers are used as a precaution. The lines introduced Hayakaken, a smart card system from March 2009. This superseded the prepaid magnetic card systems.

## History

July 26, 1981 - Kūkō Line section: Muromi - Tenjin [5.8km] opened.
April 20, 1982 - Kūkō Line section: Tenjin - Nakatsu-Kawabata [0.8 km] & Hakozaki Line section: Nakatsu-Kawabata - Gofukumachi [0.5km] commenced operations.
March 22, 1983 - Kūkō Line section: Muromi - Meinohama [1.5km] & Nakatsu-Kawabata - Hakata [1.4km, temporary station] opened.
April 27, 1984 - Hakozaki Line section: Gofukumachi - Maidashi-Kyudaibyoinmae [1.6km] commenced service.
March 03, 1985 - Kūkō Line Hakata station now at Hakata railway station [0.3km]
January 31, 1986 - Hakozaki Line section: Maidashi-Kyudaibyoinmae - Hakozaki-Kyudaimae [1.6km] commenced service.
November 12, 1986 - Hakozaki Line section: Hakozaki-Kyudaimae - Kaizuka [1km] commenced operations.
March 03, 1993 - Kūkō Line section: Hakata - Fukuokakūkō [Fukuoka Airport] [3.1km] opened to public.
February 03, 2005 - Nanakuma Line section: Hashimoto - Tenjin-minami [12km] opened.
March 27, 2023 - Nanakuma Line section: Tenjin-minami - Hakata [1.6km] opened.

## Lines

Fukuoka City Subway has 3 lines, Kūkō Line, Hakozaki Line, and Nanakuma Line
Hakata and Nakasu-Kawabata stations are counted twice (as Kūkō-Nanakuma and Kūkō-Hakozaki interchanges, respectively). The total number of individual stations is therefore 36.
| Color & Icon | Color & Icon | Mark | Line | Name | First section opened | Last extended | Length | Stations | Gauge | Train Length |
| Orange | | K | Line 1 | Kūkō Line | 1981 | 1993 | 13.1 km (8.1 mi) | 13 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 6 cars |
| Blue | | H | Line 2 | Hakozaki Line | 1982 | 1986 | 4.7 km (2.9 mi) | 7 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 6 cars |
| Green | | N | Line 3 | Nanakuma Line | 2005 | 2023 | 13.6 km (8.5 mi) | 18 | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | 4 cars |
| Total: | Total: | Total: | Total: | Total: | Total: | Total: | 31.4 km (19.5 mi) | 38 | | |

## Airport rail link

Visitors traveling to Fukuoka by Shinkansen (bullet train) disembark at JR Hakata Station. They can then transfer to the Fukuoka City Subway system by changing to Hakata Subway station, located under JR Hakata station. Fukuoka Airport is also linked to the Fukuoka City Subway with the Kūkō Line, making it the only subway line that directly links to an airport [Toei Asakusa Line also serves Narita and Haneda, but are not the stations of the line itself, rather the suburban lines through service]. Downtown Fukuoka City can be reached in about 10 minutes by subway, making Fukuoka Airport one of the most accessible major-city airports in the world.

## Station logos

Fukuoka City Subway employs unique logos (symbol mark and symbol color) for each station, much like Mexico City Metro. For example, Fukuokakūkō Station (Airport), has a logo symbolizing an airplane. The symbol marks of Kūkō and Hakozaki Line stations were designed by Isao Nisijima [ja], with those of Nanakuma Line stations being designed by his son Masayuki Nisijima, building on his father’s posthumous works.

## Rolling stock

* 1000 series, 2000 series, 4000 series: Kūkō Line, Hakozaki Line
* 3000・3000A series: Nanakuma LineFukuoka City Subway 4000 series train at Meinohama Station

## Fares

Ticket prices for the subway lines are determined by the distance traveled (¥200-340). Tickets for the subway can be purchased at all subway station ticket machines.

### Special tickets
#### Magnetic cards

* One Day Pass (一日乗車券, Ichinichi jōshaken) – unlimited travel for one day
** Kūkō Line, Nanakuma Line, Hakozaki Line
*** ¥640
*** Chikamaru Ticket (ちかまるきっぷ, Chikamaru-kippu), priced at ¥100, is available only to children during school vacation periods. A coupon is attached to the ticket which may be exchanged for a McDonald's hamburger.
* Two Day Pass (二日乗車券, Futsuka jōshaken) – unlimited travel for two days, limited to foreign tourists only
** Kūkō Line, Nanakuma Line, Hakozaki Line
*** ¥720
* Commuter Pass (定期券, Teikiken)
** Kūkō Line, Nanakuma Line, Hakozaki Line
* Chika Pass (ちかパス, Chika-pasu) – unlimited travel
** Kūkō Line, Nanakuma Line, Hakozaki Line
*** 1 Month: ¥12,000
*** 3 Months: ¥34,200
*** 6 Months: ¥64,800

#### Contactless smart card

* Hayakaken (はやかけん, Hayakaken)
** Kūkō Line, Nanakuma Line, Hakozaki Line
Hayakaken is a rechargeable contactless smart card for the Fukuoka City Subway. It can also be used as a Commuter Pass (Chika Pass included) on subway lines. Starting in 2010, it became compatible with Nishi-Nippon Railroad's nimoca, JR Kyushu's SUGOCA and JR East's Suica. As of March 2013, it also became compatible with other major IC cards as part of the Nationwide Mutual Usage Service.

## Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau

Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau (福岡市交通局, Fukuoka-shi Kōtsūkyoku) is a public organization of transportation in Fukuoka, Japan. The organization operates subways. It was founded in 1973.