Jōban Line

The Jōban Line (Japanese: 常磐線, Hepburn: Jōban-sen) is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially began at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo and ended at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi. However, following the inauguration of the Ueno–Tokyo Line, Jōban Line services are operationally extended to originate from Shinagawa or Ueno. Likewise, through‑running operations continue beyond Iwanuma, where Jōban Line trains proceed onto the Tōhoku Main Line tracks to Sendai. The route generally parallels the Pacific coastline of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures.

The name "Jōban" is derived from the names of the former provinces of Jōshū (Japanese: 常陸), and Banshū (Japanese: 磐城), which are connected by the line to reach Tokyo.

The section of the Jōban Line between Tomioka and Namie, which extends through the exclusion zone surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, closed in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. After some major repairs, the section reopened on 14 March 2020 after 9 years without service.