Dainichi Station, Railway and metro station in Moriguchi, Japan
Dainichi Station is a combined railway and metro station in Moriguchi, Japan, serving both an underground metro line and an elevated monorail line. The metro level has an island platform with two tracks, while the monorail occupies a separate elevated structure above ground.
The station opened in 1983 as the northern terminus of the Tanimachi Line, one of Osaka's metro lines. In 1997, the Osaka Monorail extended its route to reach this station, turning it into a transfer point between two separate systems.
The name Dainichi comes from a Buddhist term referring to a central solar deity widely venerated in Japan. This kind of religious reference in place names is common across the Osaka region and gives the station a quiet connection to local tradition.
Signs in both Japanese and English guide passengers between the underground metro and the elevated monorail, making it straightforward to transfer between the two lines. Those changing from one system to the other should leave a little extra time, as the walk between levels takes a few minutes.
Dainichi Station is the only point where the Tanimachi Line meets the Osaka Monorail, two systems run by entirely separate operators. This makes the station a rare example in Japan of a junction between a municipal metro and a regional monorail at a single location.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
