The Arakawa Tram Line: A Century of Tokyo Streetcars

To talk about grand mountains and rivers, the Arakawa Tram Line has none; to talk about convenience, it still lacks that. But what it does offer is an old-world charm so rich it stirs nostalgia.

 

During the late Meiji and Showa eras, streetcars in Tokyo were once very much a part of people's daily lives. The predecessor of the Arakawa Tram Line, the “Oji Electric Railway,” which ran between Otsuka and Higashi-funabashi, carried the daily routines of many during that era a century ago. At its peak, it spanned 213 kilometers and carried up to 1.93 million passengers a day—an astonishing figure at the time. As private car ownership became widespread, the former glory of the streetcar faded, but thanks to strong local support, the Arakawa Line was preserved. Today, the green single-car trams glide through the streets of Tokyo without seeming out of place. Starting with the academic vibe of Waseda, the Arakawa Line passes through scenes reminiscent of old Edo, as if by design slowing its pace to preserve the essence of the past.

On a bright and sunny morning, we arrive at our first stop, Waseda. From the small station in the middle of the road, we walk up the slope to the right front, passing by affordable student street restaurants, until we reach the quite famous private university—Waseda University. Established in 1920, Waseda originated from the Tokyo Senmon Gakko (Tokyo Vocational School) founded in 1882. On campus, you can feel a vibrant atmosphere, and buildings such as the Okuma Auditorium and the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum exude a strong historical ambience, reflecting the unique humanistic character and refined elegance of Waseda. From here, following the Kanda River just one stop away, we stroll to Omokagebashi.

In the past, the Kanda River in the Shinjuku area was lined with dyeing workshops, where shops cleaned and dried fabrics along the clear stream—a spectacular sight that no longer exists. Today, the Tomita Dye Craft still preserves traditional techniques and culture with its old wooden houses and workshops. The Tomita Dye Craft workshop is open for visits and also offers fabric dyeing experiences. From small double-sided tea towels to dyeing your own T-shirts, you can choose your favorite patterns from a vast collection of stencils dating back to the Edo period. Under the guidance of artisans, you apply the dye paste and scrape it off yourself, completing your own hand-dyeing process. As for the deeper craft of dyeing, that’s left to the professionals.

A few stops further is Komagome, surrounded by ancient shrines and beautiful cemeteries. Our next stop is Komagome before Kishibojin Shrine. After getting off the tram, the long shrine approach is lined with huge cypress trees, giving the illusion of traveling back in time. Kishibojin Shrine, with a history dating back to the 16th century, has its current main hall reconstructed in 1664. The shrine’s deity, Kishibojin, known for her gentle expression, is revered for safe childbirth and child-rearing, and has flourished as a place of worship for centuries. To the east of Komagome lies a cemetery that was once the final resting place of literati. When visiting Zoshigaya Cemetery, sunlight spills over the stone tombstones, with many people wandering among them—far from any eerie feeling. Before becoming a cemetery, this area served as a hunting lodge for shoguns in the 19th century. Even as a cemetery, it retains abundant natural greenery. Many notable figures are buried here, such as Natsume Soseki and Takehisa Yumeji. It’s not uncommon to see Japanese visitors quietly paying their respects, and as you watch, a subtle melancholy may settle in your heart, making you linger here for a long while.