Thanks to your support and nomination, I have been appointed as the 7th president of the Japan Subway Association.
Since its establishment in December 1979, the Association has consisted of public and private subway operators nationwide, railway operators who share tracks with subways, and subway systems manufacturers, sharing knowledge and information, working together to solve issues involving subway construction, development, and operations, and working to help enhance public transportation in cities and secure transport of goods.
　It has been 97 years since the first subway in Japan opened in Tokyo in December 1927. The extension of existing lines and creation of new ones accompanying urban development during this time has led to the current 48 lines stretching 854.7 km across 12 cities from Hokkaido to Kyushu and a total ridership of 15.9 million passengers per day, meaning subways play a vital role as a fundamental public transportation system in civic life and urban activities.
Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd., where I serve as president, operates businesses that support the urban infrastructure of Tokyo, the capital of Japan, and help make life vibrant for those who come to the city, and we are performing extension work on the Yurakucho and Namboku lines to further improve convenience.
Subways help alleviate urban traffic congestion by providing high-speed underground travel and on-time service while ensuring high levels of safety and stability through advanced operating systems. Compared to transportation modes other than railways, subways are environmentally friendly with low carbon dioxide emissions and are designed to be universally accessible to everyone, including the elderly and foreigners.
　Meanwhile, subway ridership in FY 2024 remains at only 94.4% that of FY 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, many challenges remain, such as putting in place measures for aging infrastructure, earthquakes, increasingly severe natural disasters, barrier-free design to support an aging society, as well as digitalization and other new service improvements. As the Association, we will continue to request government support and work with subway operators and related organizations to implement further safety measures, flood prevention, and improvements in accessibility in ways both tangible and intangible, as well as promote a decarbonized society, introduce evolving railway technologies, and develop solutions for linear metro challenges.
　As president, I will work to actively communicate the role and appeal of subways both in Japan and abroad and will strive to have more passengers use subways as a beloved means of transportation that is a safe, secure, comfortable, convenient, and good both for people and the environment.
　I ask for your continued guidance and support.