Uchikura & Co., LLC

The Man Behind Asia's First Subway: Hayakawa Noritsugu

Many people who visit Tokyo ride the Ginza Line without realizing that they are traveling on the oldest subway line in Asia. The line first opened on December 30, 1927, connecting Ueno and Asakusa, a distance of just 2.2 kilometers.

 

Behind this achievement was a remarkable man named Hayakawa Noritsugu (早川徳次).

 

During a visit to London in the early 1900s, Hayakawa saw the London Underground and immediately recognized its potential. At the time, Tokyo's streets were becoming increasingly crowded, and he believed that underground transportation would be essential for the city's future. What seemed like a bold and risky idea to many became his life's mission.

 

Turning that vision into reality was not easy. Hayakawa spent 11 years securing funding, obtaining approvals, overcoming engineering challenges, and convincing skeptics that a subway could succeed in Tokyo. His persistence eventually paid off when the first section of the Tokyo Underground Railway opened in 1927. It was the first subway in Asia.

 

Ironically, despite his success, Hayakawa was later pushed out of the company he had founded. The man who dreamed of Tokyo's subway and fought to build it was no longer part of the business that grew from his vision.

 

Today, millions of passengers use Tokyo's subway network every day, yet few know his name. There is a small statue of Hayakawa near Inarichō Station on the Ginza Line, quietly honoring the man who made it all possible.

 

As a business owner, I find Hayakawa's story both inspiring and humbling. Innovation often requires years of effort, persistence, and personal sacrifice. Sometimes the people who create great things do not receive the recognition they deserve. Yet their contributions continue to benefit generations that follow.

 

Every time I ride the Ginza Line, I think of Hayakawa Noritsugu—a visionary who looked at London, imagined a better future for Tokyo, and made it happen.