1.
the Yamanote Line; the JR loop line circling central Tokyo
The circular JR line that connects Tokyo's main hubs — Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Ueno. Because it links almost every major district, it functions as the backbone of the city and as the mental map ordinary residents use for central Tokyo.
Note the reading: the line is やまのてせん, though the place name 山手 elsewhere is read やまて.
Common expressions
- 内回り: the inner loop, running clockwise on the map
- 外回り: the outer loop, running counterclockwise
- 山手線内: inside the loop — shorthand for central, expensive Tokyo
- 山手線ゲーム: a word-chain party game named after the line's stations
Cultural note
Property ads and conversation use 山手線の内側 (inside the loop) as a rough boundary of central Tokyo, much as Londoners speak of Zone 1. The line's green livery is so familiar that 黄緑の電車 alone identifies it.