Suasana di dalam gerbong “Model 161”

Kereta trem Hankai Densha menghubungkan kota Osaka dan Sakai. kereta trem beroperasi di berbagai daerah di Jepang, tetapi sekarang jumlahnya telah berkurang. Kini hanya sekitar dua puluh jalur trem yang tersisa. Salah satunya adalah jalur Kereta Hankai (Hankai Densha). Kereta Hankai mulai beroperasi pada tahun 1900 dan memiliki sejarah panjang selama 100 tahun lebih. Pada jalur Hankai kita bisa menaiki kereta buatan tahun 1928, kereta tertua di Jepang yang masih beroperasi.

Jalur Hankai tidak hanya digunakan untuk wisata, melainkan juga sebagai transportasi sehari-hari oleh masyarakat sekitar yang pergi ke sekolah, tempat kerja, dan pusat perbelanjaan.

Kereta trem tertua yang masih beroperasi, “Model MO161( モ 161 形 )”, memiliki tujuh gerbong. Kereta ini tidak selalu beroperasi setiap hari karena butuh perawatan lebih. Jadwal keberangkatan kereta baru ditetapkan setelah pukul delapan setiap harinya.

“Model MO161” memiliki atap gerbong yang tinggi sehingga terasa lapang. Kita bisa merasakan sejarah kereta dari interiornya seperti pintu dan jeruji jendela. Meski begitu rasanya agak sulit percaya bahwa kereta ini dibuat sebelum tahun 80-an. Di dalam gerbongnya dipasang juga teknologi-teknologi yang biasa kita temui di kereta modern.

Jalur Hankai melewati wilayah pemukiman sehingga dekat dengan kehidupan masyarakat. Inilah kekhasan jalur Hankai. Trem berhenti di lampu merah dan berjalan dengan pelan sehingga penumpang bisa menikmati pemandangan di sepanjang jalur dengan seksama. Dengan ini kita bisa melihat sekilas pemandangan kehidupan sehari-hari di Jepang.

Ada begitu banyak lokasi wisata menarik di sepanjang jalur trem. Mulai dari Kuil Sumiyoshi Taisha atau yang akrab disebut “Sumiyossan”, Kuil Myokoku-ji dengan satu-satunya taman batu dengan pohon palem di Jepang, hingga Taman Hamadera-kouen yang memiliki lebih dari 5,000 pohon pinus.

Inilah Kuil Sumiyoshi Taisha (住吉大社).  Stasiun trem terdekat adalah “Sumiyoshi Toriimae”.

Cara naiknya sederhana. Peraturannya adalah penumpang naik melalui pintu belakang dan keluar melalui pintu depan. Khusus di stasiun keberangkatan, penumpang bisa naik dari pintu manapun.  Tarifnya sama untuk semua tujuan, orang dewasa 210 yen dan anak-anak 110 yen. Ketika akan turun, uangnya dimasukkan ke dalam kotak yang ada di samping kursi pengemudi. Penumpang juga bisa membayar dengan kartu IC, kartu prabayar yang dapat digunakan di berbagai alat transportasi Jepang. Pengguna kartu IC cukup menempelkan kartu ke mesin di dekat kotak uang. Hati-hati, kita tidak bisa mengisi ulang kartu IC di dalam trem, jadi pastikan kartu Anda punya saldo yang cukup.

Bagian samping kursi pengemudi “Model MO161”. Ketika turun, masukkan uang ke dalam kotak yang ada di tengah

Anda bisa membayar dengan uang maupun kartu IC tiap menggunakan trem. Namun, jika ingin berpuas-puas naik trem, MATCHA rekomendasikan untuk menggunakan tiket “Zensen Ichinichi Free Jousha Teku Teku (dewasa 600 yen, anak 300 yen). Dengan ini Anda bebas naik trem Hankai berapa kali pun dalam satu hari. Tiket ini bisa dibeli antara lain di stasiun Tennoji-Ekimae, Shin-Imamiya-Ekimae, Abikomichi, Hamadera-Ekimae, dan di dalam trem.

Tiket seharian naik sepuasnya. Caranya gosoklah tanggal, bulan, dan tahun sesuai dengan tanggal penggunaan tiket

Peta jalur kereta Hankai. Di bagian belakang terdapat petunjuk naik trem dalam bahasa Inggris, Cina, dan Korea

Trams (streetcars), known as romendensha in Japanese, were ubiquitous in Japan's

major towns and cities from the early 20th century to the 1950's and 1960's.

With the expansion in subways and the prevalence of the family car from the 1960's onwards,

trams have become a thing of the past in many places in Japan. Tram lines were torn up

across the nation to pave the way for the all-conquering motor car.

Tokyo still has one tram line, the Toden Arikawa Line, running from Waseda Station to

Minowabashi Station. Osaka maintains the Hankai Uemachi Line from Tennoji to

Sumiyoshi-koen in the south of the city. The Randen tram in Kyoto, the ancient capital's last

remaining tram, runs from Shijo Omiya to Arashiyama. However, these are mere skeletons of

the once large tram networks that crisscrossed these three important cities.

Some towns have completely removed all their tram lines including Shizuoka (1974), Nagoya

(1974) and nearby Gifu (2005).

Fortunately many Japanese cities have kept their trams and promoted their use as a tourist

attraction for visitors. The trams in Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Kumamoto and Kagoshima are

examples of this practice.

If you are visiting Japan make a point of riding a tram to capture something of Japan's history

of urban transport and a fleeting experience of a bygone age.

Hiroshima's streetcar system is a good way to get around the city and out to Miyajima

Kagoshima Streetcars, Kyushu

Tram Systems in Japan

Trams in Fukui - Fukui's trams are operated by Fukui Railway and run 24km from from Echizen-Takefu Station in Echizen to Tawaramachi and Fukui-Ekimae stations in Fukui. Services are infrequent 2 or 3 an hour.

Trams in Hakodate - Hakodate's tram network is much reduced since its heyday but still consists of two routes covering 10.9km. Tram #2 goes from Yunokawa to Yachigashira while tram #5 goes from Yunokawa to Hakodate Dock. Both trams go via Matsukazecho, Hakodate-Ekimae and Jujigai.

Trams in Hiroshima - Hiroden runs the trams (streetcars) in Hiroshima city and Hiroshima Prefecture, the longest and most used streetcar network in Japan. There are six tram lines in central Hiroshima and over 270 trams preserved from all over Japan as well as some from Europe, which makes a ride on Hiroshima's trams a popular tourist activity. The Green Mover Max tram that runs on the network is the first tram wholly built in Japan. Hiroshima's trams were imported from overseas beforehand. A tram that survived the atomic bomb in 1945 was restored to run on the network for the 70th anniversary of the event in 2015.

Trams in Kagoshima - Kagoshima has four tram lines running on two routes. Route 1 (blue) runs from Kagoshima-Ekimae to Takamibaba to Takenohashi to Korimoto to Taniyama and Route 2 (red) from Kagoshime-Ekimae to Takamibaba to Kagoshima-Chuo-Ekimae to Korimoto.

Trams in Kumamoto - Kumamoto shiden - has two main routes running on five lines. The tram system in Kumamoto has been in operation since 1924 and is one of the oldest continuously running streetcar networks in Japan.

Trams in Kochi - the Kochi streetcar network begins at Kochi Station and has trams from all over the world including Germany, Norway and Portugal. The network at over 25km is the longest in Japan after Hiroshima and has 3 lines: the Sanbashi Line from Kochi-Ekimae to Harimayabashi to Sambashidori-Gochome, the Ino Line from Harimayabashi to Ino and the Gomen Line from Harimayabashi to Gomenmachi.

Trams in Kyoto - the Randen (Keifuku) Line runs out to Arashiyama in western Kyoto from Shijo Omiya and Kitano Hyakubaicho stations.

Trams in Matsuyama - Iyotetsu runs 5 tram lines numbered 1-6 omitting the unlucky "4".Line 1 (Loop Line): Matsuyamashi-Ekimae to Minami-Horibata to Komachi to Kami-Ichiman to Minami-Horibata to Matsuyamashi-Ekimae (Only operates in this direction.)Line 2 (Loop Line): Matsuyamashi-Ekimae to Minami-Horibata to Kami-Ichiman to Komachi to Minami-Horibata to Matsuyamashi-EkimaeLine 3: Matsuyamashi-Ekimae to Kami-Ichiman to Dogo-OnsenLine 5: Matsuyama-Ekimae to Minami-Horibata to Kami-Ichiman to Dogo-Onsen.Line 6: Honmachi-Rokuchome to Minami-Horibata to Kami-Ichiman to Dogo-Onsen.

Streetcar in Kagoshima

Streetcar in Kumamoto, Kyushu

Trams in Nagasaki - Nagasaki has four streetcar (tram) lines operated by Nagasaki Electric Tramway: Line 1 (blue) from Akasako (Ohato) to Shokakuji-shita, Line 3 (red) Akasako (Sakura-machi) to Hotarujaya, Line 4 (yellow) Shokakuji-shita (Nishihamano-machi) to Hotarujaya and Line 5 (green) Ishibashi (Nishihamano-machi) to Hotarujaya.

Trams in Okayama - the streetcar system is a good way to get around Okayama though there are just less than 5km of track. There are two lines: the Higashiyama Line from Okayama-Ekimae to Yanagawa to Higashiyama and the Seikibashi Line from Okayama-Ekimae to Yanagawa to Seikibashi.

Trams in Sapporo - the Sapporo shiden operates trams on three lines covering about 8km covering the route from Nishi-Yon-Chome to the entertainment quarter of Susukino.

Trams in Toyama - Toyama on the Japan Sea coast has a small tram network from Minami-Toyama-Ekimae to Daigaku-mae. A few streetcars operate between Minami-Toyama-Ekimae and Toyama-Ekimae.

Trams in Toyohashi - Toyohashi in Aichi Prefecture runs a modern street car service from Toyohashi Station to the Akaiwaguchi and Undokoenmae stops to the east. Street cars have been in operation in the city since 1925. Fares are a flat 150 yen for adults or passes can be purchased.