toden

Toden is the common name for Tokyo’s historic electric streetcar network, known in Japanese as 都電. The term is used to refer to the former system of tram lines operated in Tokyo and to the surviving lines that are part of Tokyo’s current transit network. The name reflects its origin as an urban electric railway service in the capital.

The Toden system began in the early 20th century, expanding rapidly as a primary mode of urban transport in Tokyo. Over the decades, rising automobile use and changes in urban planning led to the closure of many lines and the replacement of streetcar service with buses and heavy rail. By the late 1960s, most of the original network had been dismantled.

Today, the only surviving line is the Toden Arakawa Line, operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation. This line runs in northern Tokyo and preserves the character of the historical tram network, using older rolling stock and operating as a slower, street-running service along major streets. It serves as a living reminder of Tokyo’s early public transit era and has become a point of historical and cultural interest for the city.

The term “Toden” remains commonly used in reference to Tokyo’s tram heritage. While the modern network is greatly reduced, the Arakawa Line and related heritage discussions continue to highlight the role of electric trams in Tokyo’s urban development and transportation history.