A ranking of Tokyo’s 10 best train and subway lines for spotting handsome men

Even when you’re underground, there’s still scenery to be checked out, list’s creators say.

The Tokyo area is crisscrossed by dozens of train and subway lines. Each services a different part of the capital, but that’s not the only reason to make use of different railways.

According to Toyo Keizai Online, each line also has its own appeal in the unique characteristics of the handsome men aboard its trains. Toyo Keizai recently ranked the top 10 lines of attractive men, so let’s take a look at Toyo Keizai’s advice on the best places to look for Y-chromosome eye candy, as well as the reasons why they made the list.

10. Joban Line

Primarily serving traditionally blue-collar Arakawa Ward, the stops on the Joban Line closest to downtown, such as Nippori and Minami Senju, have been going through a bout of gentrification, which in turn is reflected by successful young professionals on the line, as well as remnants of a rough-around-the-edges vibe for those who like bad boys.

9. Keiyo Line

Going from hard-working and hard-edged to the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the Keiyo Line is the place to find playful guys who are in touch with their cute side. That’s because it runs through Maihama Station, which is the closest stop to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea.

8. Yurakucho Line

The first subway line on the list, the Yurakucho Line goes to the downtown neighborhood of Yurakucho (naturally) and Ginza, two sections of Tokyo filled with flagship stores of elite fashion brands and blue-blooded corporate offices, in which men with sophisticated tastes and the finances to satisfy them work.

7. Chiyoda Line

While the word “Chiyoda” doesn’t concur up the sort of fancy lifestyle that “Yurakucho” does, the Chiyoda Line makes the list thanks to a similar combination of wealth and good looks. The subway line makes multiple stops in the fashion mecca of Harajuku, and since it also passes by prestigious hospitals associated with the University of Tokyo, Juntendo University, and Nihon University, odds are the men working and studying in those facilities are going to be able to afford all the cool clothes they could want.

6. Oedo Line

The Oedo Line loops through a wide swath of Tokyo, and many would say it doesn’t have a particularly set image in most people’s minds. But Toyo Keizai reminds us that it passes by some major draws for foreign travelers such as the Tsukiji fish market, the museums and park of Ueno, and the English-friendly nightlife district of Roppongi, making it a great line to ride while daydreaming about your Prince Charming from a foreign land.

5. Rinkai Line

The Rinkai Line spends a good chunk of its length running underground as it passed through the waters of Tokyo Bay. Once it finally reaches the surface, though, it provides sweeping backdrops of the city skyline, giving a romantic frame to the sight of trend-savvy employees at the media companies of the Odaiba and Tennozu neighborhoods on their way home from work.

4.Chuo Line

The Chuo Line cuts right through the middle of downtown Tokyo, but makes the list because of what happens once you get west of the city center. The areas around Kichijoji and Nakano Stations are home to a large number of galleries and music clubs, so along that stretch of the line you’ve got a chance of catching a glimpse of avant-garde artists and cool up-and-coming musicians.

3. Denentoshi Line

The Denentoshi Line’s final stop is Shibuya, which is always one of Tokyo’s most energetic and trendy neighborhoods. But the Denentoshi Line secures the number-three spot because it runs southwest from downtown through Sangenjaya, Komazawa Daigaku, and the riverside Futako Tamagawa district. All three are affluent residential areas popular with financially comfortable families, and so a ride on the Denentoshi Line, stealing a glance at young fathers enjoying some worry-free family time on their day off, makes for a nice vision of what could be.

2. Ginza Line

In contrast to the Denentoshi Line, going further into downtown from Shibuya on the Ginza subway line takes you to Omotesando, the fanciest part of Harajuku, and Aoyama-itchome, also known for its gourmet restaurants and exclusive boutiques. It’ll also take you to Shimbashi and Nihombashi, where some of Japan’s largest and most important cororations are headquartered, making it a sort of supercharged version of the Yurakucho and Chiyoda Lines.

1. Hibiya Line

Finally, at the top of the ranking is the Hibiya Line, which won the crown thanks to having a little something for everybody. The subway line starts out above ground at Nakameguro Station, rolling past the Megurogawa River (one of Tokyo(s most popular cherry blossom viewing venues) before diping under the surface on its journey to Ebisu and Hiroo Stations. All three stops are known for their abundance of elegant dining and drinking establishments, appealing to a more mature clientele than the cheaper pubs of Shibuya or Shinjuku.

That’s not to say riders of the Hibiya Line don’t know how to party, since it also takes you to Roppongi, Japan’s liveliest enclave of dance clubs where nightlife routinely continues until sunup. But if you prefer your men more on the majime (earnest) side, right after Roppongi comes Kamiyacho, and then Kasumigaseki and Hibiya Stations, all stalwart business centers for generations. And finally, when you get to the very end of the line northeast of downtown, you’re in Kitasenju, another neighborhood that’s close enough to downtown to attract successful young professionals, but quiet enough that it attracts families too.

Of course, it should be pointed out that the Hibiya Line also passes through Akihabara, long the nation’s gathering beacon for anime otaku and geeky men of all varieties. But then again, considering how many women now identify as otaku, even that’s something the Hibiya Line has in its favor.

Source: Toyo Keizai Online via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: SoraNews24, Pakutaso (1, 2, 3, 4)

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