Tokyo to get 24-hour public transport?

As anyone who's been forced into an all-night karaoke session or had to sleep at a manga café after missing the last train home can tell you, Tokyo's remarkable public transport system does have its limitations. But the days of waiting, bleary-eyed for the first train home may be coming to an end. Tokyo Governor Naoki Inose has revealed that plans are underway to introduce 24-hour buses and late-night subway services in the capital, starting with an all-night bus route between Roppongi and Shibuya.

The governor revealed his plans to Japanese reporters during an official visit to New York – one of the few cities in the world where the trains keep running, 24/7. At present, Tokyo's trains and subways only do that once a year, on New Year's Eve, and Inose admitted that it would be difficult to replicate the Big Apple's level of service since subways here don't have multiple tracks. However, he spoke about extending subway hours 'as much as possible', in addition to introducing 24-hour buses to the capital. To which we can only say: about time, too.

The first such bus route will run between the nightlife hotspots of Roppongi and Shibuya, and is due to launch by the end of the year (when asked about the exact timing, Inose joked that it would be 'like a Christmas present'). Buses will run once an hour, and if the scheme proves a success, additional 24-hour routes will be added around the city. We're not sure how this squares with the official clampdown on all-night dance parties, but maybe Inose plans to ditch that policy, too. Here's hoping...

Sources: Asahi Shimbun, Sankei News