A tram in Tokyo?
If we are more familiar with that of the cities of Nagasaki or Hiroshima which crisscross their hearts, the megalopolis hides in its north the vestiges of this mode of transport which revolutionized traffic in the city.
The Japanese capital, which had a large network at the end of the 19th century (there were no less than fifty lines covering nearly 200 kilometers in its golden age), has gradually seen its silhouette disappear. , when Tokyo chooses to give priority to the car and the metro.
The new transport policy put in place on the eve of the 1964 Olympic Games accelerated the disappearance of Tokyo trams.
To discover
Travel to Japan: tailor-made tours, hotels and stays from our partners
All ?
No !
Residents are mobilizing to preserve a small section of their line, the Toden Arakawa, put into service in the early 1910s. The only preserved part of the historic network, it continues to wind through the popular neighborhoods of northern Tokyo, connecting Minowabashi Station to Waseda University for 12 kilometers.
It even has its hour of glory every spring: the line serves numerous sites where you can admire the cherry trees in bloom.
A particularity which led to the tram being renamed “Sakura Tram” and its body being decorated with five-petaled flowers.
On board, its large windows and its gentle slowness seem to have been designed for the observation of these radiant plants which animate this charming lung of the city, where the Tokyo of the Shōwa era seems to have never disappeared.
Dive into ancient Tokyo
From Minowa subway station, crossing the Ozeki Yokocho intersection before passing under the porch of the former headquarters of the Oji Electric Railway Company to reach the small Minowabashi station, feels like a leap in time.
In the surrounding area, small colorful shops with outdated storefronts liven up the area.
We will make a detour to the Joyful Minowa
shotengai
(shopping gallery), with its retro architecture, to stock up on onigiris, yakitoris and other sweet treats in anticipation of the breaks.
On the station platform, the first travelers are already waiting in single file.
Thirty stations punctuate the line.
Some are worth stopping for a photo session or exploring the surrounding streets, others simply cross, noses pressed to the windows to catch a glimpse of the budding trees protruding from the fences and lining the rails.
Between the Arakawa-nichome and Arakawa-nanachome stations (stops no. 4 and 5), keep your eyes peeled: the first sakuras of the line are blooming along the track and can be admired from above from a strange space artificial but lush green, Arakawa Park, which covers a sewage treatment plant.
The benches facing the aptly named swan (and turtle!) lake invite you to take a break and taste mochi flavored with cherry blossom and other pastel pastries that you have chosen earlier, with the SkyTree in the background .
Back on board, we let the tram go to Miyanomae station (stop no. 10), where we stop to immortalize the sumptuous weeping cherry trees that inhabit the courtyard of the Oguhachiman Shinto shrine.
We will take the road again at station no. 12, Arakawa-yuenchi-mae.
With a little luck, the next tram will be photogenic: if the vehicles were modernized a few years ago, two gleaming wagons faithfully reproduce the appearance of those of yesteryear.
A stone's throw from Arakawa-shako-mae station (n°13), well-preserved models from the 1950s and 1960s, as well as small models and period photos of the neighborhoods they served, are on display: notice to ferrovipaths!
The place, free, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and public holidays.
One hundred views of Edo
and cherry blossom bridge
If the trams were modernized a few years ago (left), two gleaming wagons faithfully reproduce the appearance of those of yesteryear (right).
In the background, the famous Tokyo Skytree which rises to 634 meters high.
RICHARD A. BROOKS / AFP
The lunch break soon begins, heralded by the thick rows of cherry trees which border a small hill.
At the top stretches the Asukayama park planted with sakuras, very close to the eponymous station (n°17), which is accessed by a mini-funicular.
However, you may not be alone in coming to do
hanami
: it is the most popular park in the area where you can spread your tarpaulin for a picnic under the cutthroat branches.
The master of print Hiroshige, who illustrated the places in his collection One
Hundred Famous Views of Edo,
undoubtedly contributed to its fame.
For those who have packed up their bags, hop on the next tram and stop at Shin-koshinzuka station (No. 20).
Barely ten minutes' walk will take you to the Somei cemetery (open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), where nearly a hundred cherry trees with vast branches bloom quietly, watching over the rest of artists and writers.
We get back on board for a final ride escorted by powdery clouds as the tram approaches Omokagebashi station (n°29) after having crossed the Kanda River.
Just a stone's throw away, the Omokage Bridge constitutes one of the most beautiful panoramas of the route.
And when the end of flowering is near, witnessing the flight of petals carried by the current is perhaps the best way to capture all the beauty of the impermanence of things, which Japan cherishes so much.
From there, we go up the river before reaching the Waseda metro station, which will take us to the center of Tokyo, where we almost forgot the tumult.
Itinerary, timetables, prices… Practical information
From Shin-koshinzuka station, it only takes a ten-minute walk to arrive at the Somei cemetery where a hundred cherry trees watch over the resting places of artists and writers.
Kei Oguchi - stock.adobe.com
To increase the number of jumps on the line, opt for the one-day Toden pass (400 yen, approximately €2.50) which can be purchased on board, at the Minowabashi information center or at a terminal at the Toei line.
The Sakura Tram runs daily between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.
As the line is very busy during the cherry blossom season (which should begin in Tokyo around March 22 this year), plan your train trip during the week.
On weekends, get up early to enjoy the sakuras without the crowds or take a walk after dark under the illuminated trees.
The line can be covered without interruption in just under an hour;
with breaks, allow a good half-day visit.
“The train route of the month”
From the small picturesque line to the long journey through several countries,
Le Figaro
Voyage offers you every month an idea for an itinerary to take by train.
Find our previous stories on this page.
IN VIDEO
- Shinkansen: we tested the first class of the Japanese high-speed train