AT A GLANCE
Why go?
The Yokohama Tram Museum preserves the memory of a beloved city streetcar system that ran for nearly seventy years, from 1904 to 1972. Set on the grounds of the former Takigashira rolling stock factory where the trams were once maintained, the museum lets visitors board seven original tram cars, explore Yokohama's transport history, and even take the controls of a working tram simulator.↗↗↗
Affordable, stroller- and wheelchair-friendly, and compact enough to enjoy in under an hour, the museum offers a charming detour for families, railway enthusiasts, and anyone curious about how a port city grew around its public transit.↗↗
The Chin-Chin Densha: Yokohama's Streetcar Legacy
For decades, the clanging streetcars known affectionately as "chin-chin densha" were the pulse of everyday life in Yokohama. From the Meiji era through Japan's rapid postwar reconstruction, these trams carried workers, students, and shoppers across the port city's growing network of routes. When the system was finally abolished in 1972, Yokohama lost a defining piece of its urban identity. One year later, the city opened this museum on the very grounds where the trams had been serviced, ensuring that future generations could still sit inside a vintage car and feel the atmosphere of an era when streetcars shaped the city's rhythm.
