The Meijō Line (名城線, Meijō-sen) is a subway line in Nagoya, Japan, part of the Nagoya Municipal Subway system. It is a loop line that runs from Kanayama, via Sakae, Ōzone, Nagoya Daigaku, and back to Kanayama, all within Nagoya. The Meijō Line's color on maps is wisteria purple and stations are labeled with the prefix "M". Officially, the line consists of the Nagoya City Rapid Railway Line 2 (名古屋市高速度鉄道第2号線, Nagoya-shi Kōsokudo Tetsudō Dai-ni-gō-sen), the western part, and Line 4 (第4号線, Dai-yon-gō-sen), the eastern part. All stations accept manaca, a rechargeable contactless smart card, and other major Japanese IC cards.
The Meijō Line is the second loop subway line built in Japan, after the Toei Ōedo Line. The Ōedo Line, however, is not a true loop line as it is operated like a figure 6, with trains from the western Hikarigaoka terminus running anticlockwise around the loop and terminating at Tochōmae, returning around the loop to Hikarigaoka. Thus the Meijō Line is the first (and currently only) true loop subway line in the nation. The line is longer than the JR Ōsaka Loop Line (21.7 km or 13.5 mi), but shorter than the JR Yamanote Line (34.5 km or 21.4 mi). It takes 48 minutes to complete the loop.
The name Meijō is derived from the abbreviated kanji of Nagoya Castle (名古屋城, Nagoya-jō).
The Meikō Line (名港線, Meikō-sen) acts as a branch line from the Meijō line, with roughly every other anticlockwise train running toward Nagoyakō instead of Nagoya Daigaku. The Meikō Line's color on maps is a stripe of wisteria purple and white, and stations are labeled with the prefix "E". Officially, the line is part of Nagoya City Rapid Railway Line 2. The line provides through service to the Meijō Line.
The line was originally part of the Meijō Line. When the eastern part ("Line 4") of the current loop line was completed in 2004, the entire loop was renamed the Meijō Line, with the remaining section (between Kanayama and Nagoyakō, outside the loop) being renamed to the Meikō Line.
The name Meikō is derived from the abbreviated kanji of Nagoya Port (名古屋港, Nagoya-kō).
The first section of Line 2, between Sakae-machi (now named Sakae) and Shiyakusho (now named Nagoyajo), opened in 1965. The line was named the Meijō Line in 1969, and the extension was completed in 1971. Line 4 opened its first section between Aratama-bashi and Kanayama in 1974. The extension project was completed in 2004, making a loop line together with Line 2.
Women-only cars were introduced on the line on 4 July 2016, operating in the mornings until 09:00.[2]