Located in a trendy neighborhood of Shibuya Ward is Tokyo Metro’s Ebisu Station, which is serviced by the Hibiya Line. Ebisu is the eponymous mythological god of luck, fishermen and merchants. His statue next to the station is an common meeting point. The station was once home to an adjacent Yebisu brewery. Nowadays, beer lovers can take a short walk to the Yebisu Beer Museum via Exit 1 of the Metro.
Ebisu’s Tokyo Metro station is quite small and very simple to navigate as it is serviced by just two tracks. Prior to the 1964 Summer Olympics, the station opened in March of that year and shortly after the antiquated tram service became defunct. Today the station stands at the center of a metropolitan office space. Being that the station only serves one Tokyo Metro Line, the station itself does not have much to offer. Inside you will find Metro’s convenience shop, an ATM and an ID photo taking machine. The Hibiya Line will connect you a number of essential Tokyo sites, such as the nightlife district of Roppongi, the ritzy, glitzy shopping area of Ginza and the home to the world’s largest fish market, Tsukiji. The station is directly next to the JR Ebisu Station, which serves the Yamanote, Saikyō, and Shōnan-Shinjuku Lines.
Despite being a smaller station, Tokyo Metro Ebisu Station is outfitted with a large flat screen television broadcasting news highlights and weather information smack in the middle of the ticket gates. As well, Tokyo Metro has begun free Wi-Fi service for most of its stations, helping passengers stay connected even while riding underground. The routers are installed behind the large station maps to ensure the strongest signal. Currently, the Wi-Fi service is in its test phase and Tokyo Metro must decide whether to keep the service after mid-summer. Being that it is quite difficult to find free Wi-Fi in Tokyo, I see that most passengers would wish to keep this convenient service. What do you think?
Tourists with their Tokyo Metro Open Tickets can surely put Ebisu Station on their list of places to visit as the surrounding area includes Ebisu Garden Place, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum and the aforementioned Beer Museum. For a taste of local nightlife, be sure to check out the nearby food stall corridor, Ebisu Yokocho.
