Gokokuji Station
Y11 · Yurakucho Line · Bunkyo
Gokokuji Station (護国寺)
Gokokuji is one of the original stations of the Yurakucho Line, opened on 30 October 1974 with the first section between Ikebukuro and Ginza-itchome, and it takes its name from the temple a short walk away. Y11 is a straightforward island platform, with half-height platform screen doors in use since 26 March 2011.
Its structure hides a line that was never built. When it was designed, a branch of Line 8 was planned to run from here toward Nakamurabashi, with its own station under Shinobazu-dori crossing this one at right angles, and the station was shaped to allow the two to be stacked and connected. Because the branch was to cross rather than join, no junction was provided in the tunnels, which is why Gokokuji has none of the diverging track found at Kotake-mukaihara or Toyosu. It is the westernmost station in Bunkyo, and the 2025 survey counted 41,077 entries and exits a day, 91st on the Tokyo Metro network.
Finding Gokokuji on the signs
Every line gives the station its own letter-and-number code. You never have to read the Japanese name to find the right platform.
Station numbers at Gokokuji
Tokyo signposts every platform, exit and train door with a letter and a two-digit number. Matching the number is faster than reading the name — and it is what you will see on the map, in announcements and on the platform edge.
First and last trains at Gokokuji
| Line and direction | Weekdays first – last | Saturdays, Sundays & holidays first – last |
|---|---|---|
| YYurakuchoY11 towards Shin-kiba | 05:04 – 00:03 | 05:04 – 00:03 |
| YYurakuchoY11 towards Wakoshi | 05:07 – 00:29 to Ikebukuro | 05:07 – 00:29 to Ikebukuro |
Departure times come from the operators’ own GTFS timetables (ODPT GTFS Toei-Train-GTFS (version 20261009, valid 2026-03-14..2027-03-12) + TokyoMetro-Train-GTFS (version 20261008, valid 2026-09-19..2027-03-12)). Japan publishes two subway timetables: 平日 weekdays and 土休日 Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays. There is no separate Sunday timetable, and the December 30 – January 3 period runs the holiday timetable.
How often do trains run?
| Line | Weekdays, busiest hour | Sat / Sun / holidays, busiest hour |
|---|---|---|
| YYurakucho | 22 trains/hour (about one every 2.7 min) | 12 trains/hour |
Departures in one direction during the hour with the most trains at this station, counted in the operators’ timetable.
Next stations from Gokokuji
Scheduled running time between Gokokuji and the stations either side of it.
| Line | Next station | Running time |
|---|---|---|
| YYurakucho | Y12Edogawabashi | 2 min |
| YYurakucho | Y10Higashi-ikebukuro | 2 min |
Transfers and connections
Only the Yurakucho Line stops here, and no other railway serves this station, so there is nothing to transfer to inside the station.
Accessibility
| Line | Step-free by elevator | Accessible toilet | Escalator | Exits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YYurakucho | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
- Yurakucho Line: Step-free elevator route street-gate-platform (official “1-route by elevator”). Street elevator at exit(s): 1, 6. Operator page (checked Oct 20, 2026).
Taken from the operators’ own accessibility pages and nothing else. Tokyo Metro: the “1-route” (step-free street-gate-platform path by elevator, slope, stair lift or wheelchair escalator) is complete at all 180 stations; a separate list shows stations with an elevator-only 1-route.
What is near Gokokuji Station?
Gokokuji Temple, which gave the station its name, is about 240 m from the exits, and the publisher Kodansha, whose headquarters stands above, built a direct entrance from its basement into the station when the building was rebuilt. Ochanomizu University lies roughly 310 m away and the University of Tsukuba’s school for visually impaired pupils about 190 m, part of a cluster of schools that gives the area much of its daytime traffic. Otsuka Police Station is around 230 m from the gates.
| Place | Distance (straight line) | On foot, estimated |
|---|---|---|
| Gokokuji Temple 護国寺 | 240 m | about 4 min |
| Ochanomizu University お茶の水女子大学 | 310 m | about 5 min |
| Special Needs Education School for the Visually Impaired, University of Tsukuba 筑波大学附属視覚特別支援学校 | 190 m | about 3 min |
| Otsuka Police Station 大塚警察署 | 230 m | about 4 min |
Places from OpenStreetMap within 400 m of the station. The walking time is an estimate (straight line plus 30 %, 80 m a minute), not a measured route. © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.