Some universities in central Tokyo are calling for awareness of a planned partial suspension of the Yamanote train line this weekend, as they plan to hold entrance examinations during the period.
The Yamanote Line is a loop railway service connecting major locations in central Tokyo.
East Japan Railway says services will be shut down on the outer loop of the line clockwise from Osaki to Ikebukuro stations all of Saturday, and on the inner loop counterclockwise along the same section all of Sunday.
The firm will also reduce services for the rest of the outer and inner loops on both days.
The shutdown is due to construction at Shibuya Station.
Some universities have entrance examinations for the next academic year on the weekend.
Around 900 people from across Japan are expected to take an exam at Rikkyo University, near Ikebukuro Station.
The university has posted on its homepage a notice of the railway suspension, asking test-takers to arrive well in advance.
Rissho University, close to Gotanda and Osaki stations, as well as Tokyo Fuji University, near Takadanobaba Station, have also posted alerts on their webpages.
Other universities away from the Yamanote Line are also advising examinees to be aware that it may take longer than usual to reach them.
JR East will allow passengers to ride subway lines without additional charges to reach their destinations. It will also increase the number of trains on the Saikyo Line, which runs parallel to the affected section of the Yamanote Line.
Those traveling to stations for which no alternative routes are available are advised to use parts of the loop that are not suspended. For example, to go from Osaki to Mejiro Station on Saturday, one could first head toward Ikebukuro on the Saikyo Line or the Shonan-Shinjuku Line and then transfer to the inner loop of the Yamanote Line to get to Mejiro.
JR East says about 590 trains will be suspended over the two-day period, affecting some 640,000 people.