Japan’s JR East commemorates 150th anniversary of train services in style

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:35 JST, October 14, 2022

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) marked 150 years of railway operations in Japan on Friday by running a special train Nagomi along the same route — between Shimbashi Station in Tokyo and Sakuragicho Station in Yokohama — as the first domestic train.

On Oct. 14, 1872, during the fifth year of the Meiji era (1868-1912), Emperor Meiji boarded a steam train, which ran the 29-kilometer stretch in 53 minutes, as part of events to celebrate the launch of railway services in the country.

To commemorate the day, the anniversary service featured Nagomi, which is used with a special train for Imperial family members when they travel via rail.

“I want to enjoy the ride on this amazing train and just feel the history,” said a 40-year-old company employee from Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, as she boarded the train.