Kanamecho, is a subway station located in Toshima Ward in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. It is one stop west of Ikebukuro, Tokyo's busiest subway station which almost an underground city in itself. Kanamecho is like Ikebukuro's little brother, and way less crowded.
The station consists of two floors which serve two different Tokyo Metro lines: the Fukutoshin Line in the lower lever (platform one) and the Yurakucho Line in the upper level (platform two), and a third, top level which houses the ticket machines, the gates, an information stand, toilets, coin lockers, a 700 yen photo booth and an elevator.
Kanamecho has six different exits which will each take you to a separate street. Exit number two might be a good choice for those traveling by bike, since a free, vast bike parking lot is located right next to the exit, in front of a conveniently located FamilyMart supermarket.
It is quite easy to find your bearings in Kanamecho station; every corridor has informative signs that indicate where the two different lines are located, how much distance has to be covered to get there and, once on the proper platform, which track goes in which direction.
Platform 1 hosts trains to Ikebukuro and Shibuya (two of the most lively, crowded and confusing stations in Japan) on the Fukutoshin (brown) Line, and trains going to Nagatacho on the Yurakucho (yellow) line. Platform 2, on the other hand, is for trains to Wakoshi on both lines.
If in doubt, as in any other Tokyo subway station, a little office can be found alongside the ticket gates (on the top level), in which a Metro operator will give assistance to anyone who requires it.
In order to avoid and prevent accidents, Kanamecho Station is equipped with both platform edge doors on every track. There is an automated external defibrillator on the top level which, let's hope, none of us have to ever see in use.
Don’t forget to grab a copy of the subway map from the information stall, after crossing the ticket gates. These free maps are available both in Japanese and Roman alphabet, and t hey come in different sizes so they are easy to carry in your pocket.
