Tokyo Underground Railway Planning Begins

On August 19, 1903, Tokyo's municipal government formally initiated studies for an underground electric railway, later becoming the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. Engineer Noritsugu Hayakawa led the project, drawing inspiration from London's Underground and New York's IRT. The line would eventually open in 1927 as Asia's first subway, using 600-volt third-rail power and steel-bodied cars. This innovation addressed severe street congestion in the rapidly growing capital and set standards for earthquake-resistant tunneling. The decision reflected Japan's Meiji-era modernization drive and established the template for the world's most extensive metro networks.