Tokyo Metro to Remove All Public Phones by November 2028

The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation announced on September 29 that it will remove all public telephones from its subway stations by November 2028. The decision comes in response to a persistent decrease in usage and evolving communication environments.

The removal process will be implemented in phases. Notices will be posted at stations at least two weeks prior to the actual removal date to inform passengers. After removal, users can check the locations of nearby public telephones on the NTT East Japan website or through a dedicated inquiry service.

Public telephone usage has seen a significant decline across Japan. Data shows that the number of public telephones nationwide dropped from approximately 584,000 in fiscal year 2002 to about 146,000 by fiscal year 2020, a reduction of nearly 438,000 units over 18 years.

Concurrently, with the increasing frequency of natural disasters, the demand for emergency communication tools at locations like evacuation shelters has risen. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has established a system to allocate funds saved from reducing standard public phones to maintain disaster-specific public phones located in shelters and temporary lodging facilities.