Streetcar Hit by Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima Makes Special Run; Operation Marked 80th Anniversary of Service Resumption

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:35 JST, August 10, 2025

HIROSHIMA — A streetcar that was hit by the atomic bomb resumed service for a day in Hiroshima, three days after the 80th anniversary of the bombing.

The atomic bombing claimed the lives of 185 employees of Hiroshima Electric Railway Co. and damaged 108 streetcars. Even so, the company resumed operations just three days later, on Aug. 9, inspiring the city’s residents.

Streetcar No. 156, the oldest atomic-bombed car, was built a century ago and remained in regular service until 1971. It was repaired in 2020 and has since been used at special events in the city.

On Saturday, the streetcar was operated for the first time in five years without passengers for about an hour and 50 minutes and passed by the area near the Atomic Bomb Dome.

“The fact that 80 years ago the service was restored in just three days is deeply moving,” the driver said. “I hope this atomic-bombed streetcar will serve as a living witness and prompt people to think about peace and about Hiroshima.”