Streetcars or tramcars (trams) used to be very popular in Japan in the early 20th century. Over time, their number dwindled due to the emergence and flourishing of regular cars and subways. They soon became a thing of the past. Though most places have completely removed their trams, some areas in the country have kept…

As one of only two remaining streetcar lines operating in Tokyo, the Toden Arakawa Line (都電荒川線) is a literal journey back in time. Almost all of Tokyo’s old streetcar network was closed in the 1960s but concerned residents successfully campaigned to save what is now the Toden Arakawa Line, and the affection that motivated the…