An Anecdote About the Coloring of Marunouchi Line Trains

Since the birth of railways in Japan, Japanese railway vehicle technology has developed by learning from overseas, but that development was stalled for a time due to the influence of the war. In 1946, railway bureaucrat Kiyohide Suzuki was appointed as the third president of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (now Tokyo Metro). For the future of the Authority, he invited Yoshitane Higashi, who was said to be the best operator in Japan, to serve as a director, and preparations were made to lead Japanese railway technology.

At the time, the Authority considered the Marunouchi Line to be the model for future subways, and established basic propositions for the vehicles: "The performance must be excellent, not inferior to subway vehicles in Western countries; the specifications must incorporate novel concepts in line with the modernization of railways; and the performance and feel must not look outdated even after years of use." The Authority decided to introduce groundbreaking new high-performance electric trains using numerous Western technologies, such as the Cardan drive system manufactured by the American company Westinghouse. President Suzuki, who had gone on an overseas inspection tour, proposed a very novel color and design. Regarding the paint, when President Suzuki and Director Higashi were inspecting overseas for the construction of the Marunouchi Line, they decided on a scarlet medium red based on the color of a Benson & Hedges cigarette tin they had purchased on a British European Airways flight, and requested a design from the Tokyo University of the Arts. As a result of investigating overseas examples, they focused on New York subway cars and decided to install equipment similar to that mounted on those cars. Even when they tried to order samples of electrical components from overseas, it was difficult to import them easily at the time due to a shortage of foreign currency. Even when they were able to import them with the cooperation of relevant ministries, they were shocked to find that, due to many years of delay in development, they could not even understand the structure once the packaging was opened. Amidst this, the development of the 300 series, the first vehicle developed by the Authority, proceeded through trial and error. At this time, the imported technology was the foundation of the high-performance train, and because digestion and absorption were attempted through the development of the 300 series, the 300 series is evaluated as a major milestone in the history of electric train development. Amidst the post-war confusion and lack of funds, the Marunouchi Line opened between Ikebukuro and Ochanomizu on January 20, 1954. It was the first Japanese railway vehicle to be equipped with a WN drive for the propulsion system and an electromagnetic direct brake with a self-lap (automatic air brake) for the braking system. Although it ended commercial operation in 1996 due to replacement by the 02 series, it received the Japan Railfan Club's Pre-Blue Ribbon Award on January 25, 2014.

Later, the Tozai Line opened, and the blue color of the body stripe, which is the coloring of the Tozai Line vehicles, was also based on the color of Hi-Lite cigarettes, following the instructions of Director Higashi.

The line color adopted for the 300 series has also been inherited by the new 2000 series vehicles that began commercial operation in 2019. Currently, the 300 series is preserved at the Subway Museum, but it was the first high-performance electric train to reach a practical level, and it established the technological foundation that led to the Shinkansen.

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※ The header image is the Teito Rapid Transit Authority 300 series.

References
"Exploring the Origins of Technology: High-Performance Trains That Announced the End of the Post-War Era - Around the Birth of the Eidan Marunouchi Line 300 Series - Interview with Hiroshi Mochizuki (Teito Rapid Transit Authority OB)" Shunichi Fukuhara, R&M 2007 No. 4, Japan Railway Rolling Stock & Machinery Association, published April 1, 2007
"Development History of the Eidan Subway 300 Series" Kazuaki Sawauchi, Railway Pictorial December 2016 Special Issue, Denkishakenkyukai, Tetsudotosho Kankokai, published December 10, 2016
Kotsu Shimbunsha 066 The Job of Building Vehicles: Former Eidan Rolling Stock Department Manager Talks About Subway Development History, Kei Satoda, published April 15, 2014, Kotsu Shimbunsha Co., Ltd.

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