Japan Images: The Last Tram in Tokyo

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

When you think of the super high-tech, neon saturated city of Tokyo, perhaps the word tram is not the first thing to enter your mind.

Me neither but I stumbled across a post somewhere on the interwebs about Tokyo’s last remaining streetcar line, the 12km Toden Arakawa Line, which dates from 1913 and decided to check it out.

The Toden Arikawa Line runs from Waseda Station to Minowabashi Station and if you’re keen you can ride the entire route in just under an hour. The cost was great value at roughly ¥160.

We only rode a few stations and then walked between a few others to enjoy the local neighbourhood including the Zoshigaya Cemetery, which can be found near the Toden Zoshigaya Station.

So if you’re looking for a less frenetic day out in Tokyo, where life moves a little slower than the usual tourist areas, take a ride on the last tram in Tokyo.

For more information visit the Toei Toden Arakawa Line website

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Japan Australia 5 pts

Love trams in Japan. We used to have them in Gifu but now extinct :(

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innocencewalker 5 pts

I love this little tram! I've never ridden it, but I frequently change trains at Oji station, a stop along this line. Now I really want to just hop on it someday!

xtong 5 pts

I love this tram, used to ride it everyday to the campus!

zonjineko 5 pts moderator

xtong It's such a great area of Tokyo and I was expecting it at all. It's good to get out of the normal tourist areas and see what you can find.

somukeru 5 pts

I was looking forward to riding on that line earlier this year but, sadly, our trip was planned for mid-March and had to be cancelled at the last minute. :(

Petestrash

Isn't there another streetcar line still in tokyo, or has the Tokyu Setagaya streetcar line closed?

ranggaw0636

wow, i want to ride it someday

Alex

I love the toden, I used to take it all the time.

Airbuzz

Used to take that trat train too from machiya to otsuka.. Very peaceful when you want to avoid packed train.

KyleHase

Thought I recognized that train when I stumbled upon your post. I actually take the Arakawa line all the time to and from my home in Oji (Oji eki-mae sta.). Funny fact, the locals call it the "ching-ching densha" because of the bell.

Ulas

This is the one, my favourite transportation in Japan! Back then when Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (Tokyo Gaigodai) was in Nishigahara in Kita-ku, I was an exchange student there and I took this tram to commute. Memories....

AdelaideBen

Really nice that they've kept this... unfortunately the tram itself isn't very historical, but it's nice to think that even amidst the hussle-bussle of a city like Tokyo, there's still room for a very nice way of getting around (not to mention that light rail is very efficient as well)... as Adelaide is finding out... and is very popular (and a tourist attraction in itself) in Melbourne. There should be more of it.

zonjineko

The tram looks a bit older on the inside than it does in that photo but yes would be great to see something original.

I was in Adelaide a few weeks back - the new trams looked great around Port Road.