Rail Congestion Edges Up in Japan, but Far from Pre-Pandemic Levels
Rail congestion rose again in Japan’s major cities in fiscal 2025, but trains are still far less packed than they were before the pandemic.
According to a report from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, the rate of rail congestion in the Tokyo metropolitan area increased slightly in fiscal 2025, though it remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels. The average congestion rate during peak morning hours for Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya stood at 143% (up 4 points from the previous year), 117% (up 1 point), and 126% (no change), respectively.
The report notes that congestion rates had plummeted in fiscal 2020 due to the pandemic and remained stagnant the following year before starting to rise again in fiscal 2022. Before the pandemic, congestion rates exceeded 160%, but are now around 20 points lower. A congestion rate of 143%, or 43% above standard capacity, indicates that passengers can still sit down, hold onto a strap, or hold onto a bar near the train door, but with minimal physical contact with other riders.
Even on the most crowded lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, pre-pandemic congestion rates approached 200%, a level characterized by significant body contact and inability for those near the doors to move. However, the congestion rates for such lines in fiscal 2025 were much lower.
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