This is a list of town tramway systems in Japan, past and present, by region. Regions and towns are arranged in geographic order, northeast to southwest.
Legend System Still Operating System Closed
Hokkaidō Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Asahikawa Shigai Kidō(旭川市街軌道) Asahikawa Electric (600 V DC) 3 November 1929 8 June 1956 原口隆行 Haraguchi, Takayuki. 2000. 日本の路面電車 II (廃止路線東日本編) Nippon no romendensha II (Haishi Rosen Higashi-Nippon-hen) (JTB Can Books series). Tokyo: Japan Travel Bureau. Asahikawa Denki Kidō(旭川電気軌道) Asahikawa - Higashikawa (東川) and Asahiyama (旭山) Electric (600 V DC) 8 January 1927 31 December 1972 Hakodate City Transportation BureauHakodate Horse 12 December 1897 1913 Electric(600 V DC) 31 October 1913 Sapporo StreetcarSapporo Horse 1909 1918 Electric(600 V DC) 4 August 1918
Tōhoku region Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Akayu Human 3 May 1919 30 June 1924 Connected hot-spring resorts in Akayu village with Akayu railway station. Operation suspended because of depot (carbarn) fire. Restoration of service planned, not carried out. Electrification planned ca. 1926, not carried out . Akita Basha Tetsudō(秋田馬車鉄道) Akita to Tsuchizaki (土崎) Horse 14 July 1899 1922 Akita City Transportation Bureau(秋田市電) Electric(600 V DC) 21 January 1922 30 March 1966 Hanamaki Dentetsu(花巻電鉄) Hanamaki - Nishi-Namari-onsen (西鉛温泉) Electric(600 V DC) 16 September 1915 31 August 1969 Horse traction used on some segments on temporary basis, 1920 - 1926. Connected Hanamaki town with Shidohira (志戸平), Ōzawa (大沢), and Namari (鉛) hot-spring resorts. Matsuyama Jinsha Kidō(松山人車軌道) Matsuyama Human 22 November 1922 1 January 1930 Connected Matsuyama railway station with Chiishi (千石). Last jinsha (human-powered tramway) in Japan to carry passengers. Heritage jinsha tramway operates at Cosmos Garden, within Gohommaru Park, Matsuyama, with replica vehicle (built 1992) . Sendai City Transportation Bureau(仙台市電) Sendai Electric(600 V DC) 25 November 1926 31 March 1976Brown, Colin (2007). "Tramway Opening and Closure Dates". Bullet-In Issue 61, p25 Akiu Denki Tetsudō(秋保電気鉄道) Nagamachi (長町), Sendai - Akiu-onsen (秋保温泉) Horse 23 December 1914 1925 Electric(600 V DC) 14 June 1925 8 May 1961 Matsushima Densya(松島電車) Matsushima Electric(600 V DC) 4 February 1922 by 1938 (or 22 January 1938) Closed because construction of Sendai - Matsushima - Ishinomaki electric railway (opened in stages 1925 - 1928) ended the need for the tramway.
Kantō region Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Musashi Chūō Denki Tetsudō(武蔵中央電気鉄道) Hachiōji Electric(600 V DC) 23 November 1929 30 June 1939 Kawasaki City Transportation Bureau(川崎市電) Kawasaki Station - Shiohama (塩浜) Electric(600 V DC) 13 October 1944 1969 Municipal town tramway. Suihin Densha(水浜電車), later Ibaraki Kōtsū Mito Electric(600 V DC) 28 December 1922 1 June 1966 Connected Mito, Ōarai and Minato. Seisō Denki Kidō(成宗電気軌道) Narita Electric(600 V DC) 11 December 1910 10 December 1944 Tōbu Nikkō Tramway(日光電気軌道) Nikkō Electric(600 V DC) 10 August 1910 24 February 1968 Connected Nikkō Station and Umagaeshi (馬返). Noda Human 18 December 1900 13 October 1926 Odawara Denki Tetsudō(小田原電気鉄道), later Hakone Tozan Railway Odawara 1 October 1888 1900Operation suspended 21 December 1944 – 12 September 1946. Tramway extended between Kōzu Station, Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto as built. Odawara - Kōzu segment closed 6 December 1920. Replaced by railway line. Odawara - Hakone-Yumoto segment closed 31 May 1935. Replaced by railway line. Electric(600 V DC) 21 March 1900 31 May 1956 Kawagoe Denki Tetsudō(川越電気鉄道) Ōmiya - Kawagoe Electric(600 V DC) 16 April 1906 ? Formally closed from 25 February 1941.Utsunomiya Light Rail(宇都宮ライトレール）Utsunomiya - HagaElectric(750 V DC)26 August 2023
Tokyo Location Name of system Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Tokyo Tokyo Toden(東京都電) Horse 25 June 1882 1903Electric traction demonstrated at exhibition in Ueno Park, 3 May - 1 July 1890; introduction of electric traction to Japan. First electric tramway within Tokyo opened 22 August 1903. Last lines of historic “municipal” system closed 11 November 1972. The last remaining line (Toden Arakawa Line) is one of the company systems taken into municipal ownership from 1 February 1942. These served areas that were outside of the Tokyo municipal boundary until annexations in 1932. Electric 22 August 1903 Jōtō Denki Kidō(城東電気軌道) Electric(600 V DC) 30 December 1917 ? Connected with municipal network from 7 May 1929. Higashi - Arakawa (東荒川) - Imaibashi (今井橋) Electric(600 V DC) 31 December 1925 19 May 1952 Unconnected line of the Jōtō system, located east of the Arakawa drainage canal. Replaced by trolleybus. Suginami Line(杉並線) Electric 26 August 1921 10 December 1963 Tamagawa Denki Tetsudō(玉川電気鉄道) Tamagawa Line (玉川線) Electric(600 V DC) 6 March 1907 11 May 1969 Built by predecessor of today's Tokyu Corporation. Not taken into municipal ownership (excepting short segments lying northeast of Shibuya. Setagaya Tōkyū Setagaya Line Electric 18 January 1925 Surviving portion of Tōkyū Tamagawa Line. Kanamachi (金町) Human 7 December 1899 1912 Replaced by electric railway line.
Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Yokohama City Transportation Bureau(横浜市電) Yokohama Electric(600 V DC) 15 July 1904 31 March 1972
Chūbu region Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Meitetsu Gifu Lines(名鉄岐阜市内線) Gifu Electric 11 February 1911 31 March 2005 Meitetsu Okoshi-sen(名鉄起線) Ichinomiya Electric(600 V DC) 1 February 1924 31 May 1954 Service suspended from 1 June 1953, and formally closed from 1 June 1954. Kanazawa Denki Kidō(金沢電気軌道), later Hokuriku Tetsudō Kanazawa Electric(600 V DC) 2 February 1919 10 February 1967原口隆行 Haraguchi, Takayuki. 2000. 日本の路面電車 III (廃止路線西日本編) Nippon no romendensha III (Haishi Rosen Nishi-Nippon-hen) (JTB Can Books series). Tokyo: Japan Travel Bureau. Matsumoto Electric Railway Matsumoto Electric 19 April 1924 31 March 1964 Nagoya City Tram(名古屋市電) Nagoya Electric 6 May 1898 31 March 1972 Meitetsu Okazaki Shinai-sen(名鉄岡崎市内線) Okazaki Horse 1 January 1899 1912 Service suspended 19 June 1945 because of firebomb attack, restored 1946 . Electric(600 V DC) 1 September 1912 17 June 1962 Shizuoka Tetsudō Shimizu Shinai-sen(静岡鉄道清水市内線) Shimizu Steam 6 December 1913 17 July 1917 Services suspended from 7 July 1974. Electric 24 December 1928 20 March 1975 Shizuoka Tetsudō Shizuoka Shinai-sen(静岡鉄道静岡市内線) Shizuoka Electric(600 V DC) 2 August 1920 14 September 1962 Manyō Line Takaoka Electric(600 V DC) 10 April 1948 The current line incorporates segments opened from 12 October 1930 as part of Toyama - Shimminato railway. Toyama Chiho Railway Toyama Electric 1 September 1913 Operation suspended 1 August 1945 because of firebomb attack. Service restored in stages from 14 January 1946 . Toyohashi Railroad City Line Toyohashi Electric 14 July 1925
Kansai region Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Mie Kōtsu Shinto-Sen(三重交通神都線) Ise Electric 5 August 1903 19 January 1961 Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau(神戸市電) Kobe Electric(600 V DC) 5 April 1910 13 March 1971 Kuwana Denki(桑名電軌) Kuwana Electric(600 V DC) 17 September 1927 9 January 1944 Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau(京都市電) Kyoto Electric(600 V DC) (line 10 Kitano tramway until 31 July 1961: .) 1 February 1895 30 September 1978 Keifuku Electric Railroad Kyoto - Arashiyama Electric 25 March 1910 Keihan Keishin Line Misasagi Station (Kyoto) - Hamaōtsu Station Electric1,500 V DC (600 V DC until 1996) 15 August 1912 Street track segment in Kyoto replaced by new underground alignment built as part of a metro project and opened 12 October 1997. Four-car metro trains operate on a short segment of street track in Ōtsu. Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau(大阪市電) Osaka Electric 12 September 1903 31 March 1969 Hankai Tramway Osaka - Sakai Horse 20 September 1900 31 January 1908 Electric(600 V DC) 1 October 1910 Nankai Railway(南海和歌山軌道線) Wakayama Electric(600 V DC) 23 January 1909 31 March 1971
Chūgoku region Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Hiroshima Electric Railway Hiroshima Electric 23 November 1912 Hiroshima Electric Railway Miyajima Line Hiroshima - Miyajima Electric 22 August 1922 Opened in stages, completed 1 February 1931. Built as a railway, through workings over town tramway system started 1 April 1958. Railway stock gradually replaced by tramway stock; last railway stock withdrawn 20 August 1994 . Iwakuni Denki Kidō(岩国電気軌道) Iwakuni Electric(600 V DC) 2 February 1909 5 April 1929Brown, Colin (2004). "Rural Private Railways (Part 2): The Iwakuni Denki Kidō". Bullet-In Issue 52, 28-29 Kure City Transportation Bureau(呉市電) Kure Electric(600 V DC) 31 October 1909 17 December 1967Brown, Colin (2006). "Rural Private Railways (Part 4): Kure Denki Tetsudō". Bullet-In Issue 57, 16-19 Okayama Electric Tramway Okayama Electric(600 V DC) 5 May 1912 Sanyō Denki Kidō(山陽電気軌道) Shimonoseki Electric(600 V DC) 25 December 1926 6 February 1971 Town tramway system incorporated a short length of railway line opened 22 April 1914, electrified 9 April 1926. Yonago Densha Kidō(米子電車軌道) Yonago Electric(600 V DC) 1 April 1925 27 November 1938
Shikoku Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Tosaden Kōchi Electric 2 May 1904 East-west tramway line extends between Ino, Kōchi and Gomen. Matsuyama City Line Matsuyama Steam 22 August 1895 15 April 1927 Electric 8 August 1911 Shikoku Suiryoku Denki(四国水力電気市内線), later Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railroad Takamatsu Electric(600 V DC) 20 May 1917 3 July 1945 Closed because of firebomb attack which destroyed most of the town. Town tramway not rebuilt because extension of local electric railway lines to town center and railway station eliminated the need for the tramway. Officially closed from 8 January 1957.
Kyūshū Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Nishi-Nippon Railroad Fukuoka Shinai-sen(西鉄福岡市内線) Fukuoka Electric(600 V DC) & 9 March 1910 10 February 1979 and gauge lines (included dual-gauge sections). Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau Kagoshima 1 December 1912 Karatsu Horse 11 June 1900 1930 Petrol (gasoline) 1913 28 November 1930 Nishi-Nippon Railroad Kitakyūshū-sen(西鉄北九州線) Kitakyūshū Horse 11 June 1906 1920 Electric 5 June 1911 25 November 2000 Chikuho Electric Railroad Line Kitakyūshū - Nōgata Electric(600 V DC) 21 March 1956 Express tramway line. Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau Kumamoto Steam 24 July 1908 July 1920 Electric 1 August 1924 Kurume - Hita Horse 25 October 1903 1905 Petrol (gasoline) 1905 1929 Steam 1918 1929 Electric 1918 1929 On segments of line within Kurume. Final operating segments closed 25 March 1929 . Nagasaki Electric Tramway Nagasaki Electric 16 November 1915 Operation suspended from 9 August 1945 because of damage caused by atomic bomb attack. Service restored in stages from 25 November 1945 . Ōita Kōtsu Betsudai Line(大分交通別大線) Ōita - Beppu Electric(600 V DC) 10 May 1900 4 April 1972 Nishi-Nippon Railroad Ōmuta Shinai-sen(西鉄大牟田市内線) Ōmuta Electric(600 V DC) 1 December 1927 5 January 1952 Service suspended from 6 January 1952, and formally closed from 15 March 1954. Saga Denki Kidō(佐賀電気軌道) Saga Electric(600 V DC) 10 April 1930 20 August 1937 Tsuyazaki Horse 28 April 1908 13 April 1939
Okinawa Prefecture Name of system Location Tractiontype Gauge Date (from) Date (to) Notes Okinawa Denki Kidō(沖縄電気軌道) Naha Electric(500 V DC) 3 May 1914 19 March 1933 Line officially closed from 12 August 1933.
See also List of town tramway systems List of light-rail transit systems List of rapid transit systems List of trolleybus systems
References