The EMUs of the 103 series were the direct development of the 101 series. Most of the carriages were powered, which now had 110 kW per axle instead of 100 kW compared to their predecessors. Some carriages were rebuilt directly from the 101 series. Over 3,000 vehicles of the original 103-0 series were produced and further series were created either by new construction or by refurbishing older vehicles.
They were used throughout Japan in commuter service and were generally made up of three to ten cars each. Since the beginning of the 21st century, a large number have been scrapped. Four four-car sets were sold to Indonesia, where they were used in the Jakarta area until 2016. In Japan today, only refurbished vehicles from JR West and JR Kyushu are still in use.
