Tram systems in Tokyo
Tokyo is Japan’s capital, situated on Tokyo Bay on the eastern side of Honshu. The city developed from Edo into one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas, combining major business and shopping districts with historic temples, gardens and residential neighbourhoods. Its attractions range from the Imperial Palace and the temples of Asakusa to the entertainment districts of Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Railways form the backbone of Tokyo’s public transport system. JR East operates urban and suburban services, including the Yamanote Line, while Tokyo Metro and Toei operate the subway networks. Numerous private railway companies connect the central districts with the surrounding suburbs, supported by extensive bus services, monorails and automated transit lines.
Trams now play a smaller, local role. Tokyo retains two separate tram lines, the Toden Arakawa Line and the Tokyu Setagaya Line, which serve residential districts and provide connections with the wider railway network.
The Toden Arakawa Line, also branded Tokyo Sakura Tram, runs for 12.2 kilometres between Minowabashi and Waseda, serving 30 stops. It is the sole surviving line of the former municipal Toden tram network. The route passes through northern Tokyo’s neighbourhoods, shopping streets and areas known for their seasonal flowers, with connections to railway and subway services along the way.
The Tokyu Setagaya Line runs for 5 kilometres between Sangen-jaya and Shimo-takaido, serving 10 stops in western Tokyo. Originally opened in 1925 as a branch of the Tamagawa tramway, it survives as a separate local line. It connects with the Den-en-toshi Line at Sangen-jaya, the Odakyu Line at Yamashita via nearby Gotokuji station, and the Keio Line at Shimo-takaido.
The two lines are geographically separate and do not share tracks or provide through services.
Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei Transportation) operates the Toden Arakawa Line / Tokyo Sakura Tram, alongside Toei’s subway, bus and other transport services. Official website
Tokyu Railways operates the Setagaya Line as part of its railway network serving Tokyo and the surrounding area. Official website
Tokyo’s tramway history began with a horse-drawn railway between Shimbashi and Nihombashi in 1882. Electric tram operation followed in 1903, with a service between Shinagawa and Shimbashi. In 1911, Tokyo City purchased the Tokyo Railway Company’s tramway business, establishing the municipal undertaking that developed into the extensive city tram network.
Trams became a major part of everyday travel in Tokyo. At its height, the municipal network operated 41 routes, carrying an average of approximately 1.93 million passengers a day in the 1943 financial year.
Much of today’s Arakawa Line originated separately from the municipal network. The private Oji Electric Tramway opened its first section between what are now Asukayama and Otsuka-ekimae in 1911. Further extensions followed, and the final section to Waseda opened in 1930, completing the corridor used by today’s line. The undertaking was absorbed into the municipal system in 1942.
In western Tokyo, the present Setagaya Line opened as a branch of the Tamagawa Electric Railway, commonly known as Tamaden. Services began between Sangen-jaya and Setagaya on 18 January 1925, followed by the extension to Shimo-takaido on 1 May 1925. It formed part of a separate tramway system whose main line linked Shibuya with the Tama River area.
Increasing road traffic reduced the reliability and efficiency of Tokyo’s street-running trams. A major closure programme between 1967 and 1972 removed approximately 181 kilometres of the municipal network. The surviving corridor between Minowabashi and Waseda benefited from running largely on reserved track, strong local support and the difficulty of providing replacement buses along suitable roads.
Two overlapping services remained: route 27, between Minowabashi and Oji-ekimae, and route 32, between Arakawa-shakomae and Waseda. On 1 October 1974, these were combined into the Arakawa Line, establishing the single municipal tram line that survives today.
The Tamagawa tramway’s main line and Kinuta branch closed in 1969. The Sangen-jaya–Shimo-takaido branch survived, largely because its reserved alignment protected it from road congestion, and became the Setagaya Line.
The Arakawa Line adopted driver-only operation throughout in 1978 and began introducing air-conditioned trams in 1984. Later fleet renewal included the 8500, 8800 and 8900 series, alongside retro-styled 9000-series cars and extensively rebuilt 7700-series vehicles. In 2017, the line received the additional name Tokyo Sakura Tram, intended to strengthen its appeal to visitors and promote the surrounding neighbourhoods.
The Setagaya Line underwent a substantial modernisation programme between 1999 and 2001. Air-conditioned, articulated 300-series trams replaced the older fleet, while raised platforms and access ramps enabled step-free boarding. These improvements retained the line’s role as a local tramway while bringing its vehicles and stops up to more modern standards.
Tokyo’s two tram lines are listed below.
| Line | Description |
|---|---|
| SA | The Toden Arakawa line (SA) runs between Minowabashi and Waseda via Machiya-ekimae, Oji-ekimae and Otsuka-ekimae. |
| SG | The Tokyu Setagaya line (SG) runs between Sangen-jaya and Shimo-takaido via Setagaya, Kamimachi and Yamashita. |
Tokyo’s two tramways are physically separate, but both use the unusual 1,372 mm track gauge and are electrified at 600 V DC, supplied through overhead wires.
The Toden Arakawa Line / Tokyo Sakura Tram extends for 12.2 kilometres between Minowabashi and Waseda, with 30 stops. Most of the double-track route occupies its own alignment: the operator records 10.5 kilometres of reserved track and 1.7 kilometres of track within roads. The maximum operating speed is 40 km/h.
The Tokyu Setagaya Line extends for 5 kilometres between Sangen-jaya and Shimo-takaido, with 10 stops. It is double track and runs almost entirely on a reserved alignment, although it crosses roads at level. Its gauge and electrical supply differ from those used on Tokyu’s conventional railway lines.
The Arakawa Line uses compact, air-conditioned, double-ended single cars. The passenger fleet comprises 33 trams across five classes:
| Class | Fleet | First entered service |
|---|---|---|
| 8500 series | 5 | 1990 |
| 9000 series | 2 | 2007 |
| 8800 series | 10 | 2009 |
| 8900 series | 8 | 2015 |
| 7700 series | 8 | 2016, following rebuilding |
The 9000 series has a retro appearance inspired by early Tokyo municipal trams. The 8800 and 8900 series use more contemporary styling, while the 7700 series combines rebuilt 7000-series bodies with renewed interiors, bogies and electrical equipment.
One of the 8500-series cars, 8501, received a special interior and exterior refurbishment designed by Eiji Mitooka, returning to service in April 2026.
The Setagaya Line uses 10 two-car articulated 300-series units, introduced between 1999 and 2001. These air-conditioned trams have stainless-steel bodies, wide plug doors, inverter-controlled traction and regenerative braking. Each unit is approximately 24 metres long and 2.5 metres wide, with a maximum operating speed of 40 km/h. Raised platforms and access ramps provide step-free boarding.