In addition, "meidai" in the station name is an abbreviation for Meiji University, from which the station is named, and "mae" indicates spatial proximity, similar to "front" in English.
Station layout
Meidaimae Station has three floors:
2F: Keio Line platforms
1F: Ticket gates
B1F: Keio Inokashira Line platforms
Both lines have two opposing side platforms serving two sets of tracks.[2]
There are upward-only escalators between the Inokashira Line platforms and the concourse. Between the Inokashira Line platform and the Keiō Line platform, on the east end is an upward-only escalator, and on the west end is a downward-only escalator. There are elevators between the Inokashira Line Kichijoji-bound platform and the concourse, between the concourse and the Keio line down platform, between the Inokashira Line Shibuya-bound platform and the concourse, and between the concourse and the Keio Line up line platform.
There are toilets on the first floor, inside the ticket gates, including multi-purpose toilets.
On March 31, 2007, a new ticket gate was opened in the middle section of the Inokashira Line Kichijoji-bound platform, called Frente Exit (フレンテ口, furente guchi). This exit is exit-only, and connects directly to the shopping building Frente Meidaimae (フレンテ明大前, Frente Meidaimae), connected to the station, which opened on May 24 of the same year, run by the Keio Group. The roof covering the Kichijoji-bound platform is attached to the first floor of this building. Additionally, some of the Frente Meidaimae stores are on (that is, face and open onto) the Kichijoji-bound platform.
The station first opened on 15 April 1913 as Kayakukomae Station (火薬庫前駅).[1] This was renamed Matsubara Station (松原駅) in 1917, and again renamed Meidaimae on 8 February 1935.[1] The Inokashira Line platforms opened on 1 August 1933.[2]
From 22 February 2013, station numbering was introduced on Keio lines, with Meidaimae Station becoming "KO06" on the Keio Line and "IN08" on the Inokashira Line.[3]
^ abcdTerada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. pp. 204–206. ISBN4-87366-874-3.
^ abKawashima, Ryozo (April 2010). 日本の鉄道 中部ライン 全線・全駅・全配線 第1巻 東京駅―三鷹エリア [Railways of Japan - Chubu Line - Lines/Stations/Track plans - Vol 1 Tokyo Station - Mitaka Area]. Japan: Kodansha. pp. 8, 54. ISBN978-4-06-270061-0.
^京王線・井の頭線全駅で「駅ナンバリング」を導入します。 [Station numbering to be introduced on Keio Line and Inokashira Line] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Keio Corporation. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.