Transit Hub · Minowa / Arakawa

Toden Arakawa Line (Tokyo Sakura Tram) & Minowabashi 都電荒川線(東京さくらトラム)・三ノ輪橋停留場

Tokyo's last surviving streetcar line, rattling through rose-lined backstreets from a lovingly retro Showa terminus at Minowabashi to Waseda.

About

Once Tokyo had over 40 tram routes; only the Arakawa Line survives, a 12 km run through the low-rise northern neighbourhoods that time largely forgot. Minowabashi, the eastern terminus, has been restored with a Showa-retro look: old-fashioned signs, wooden benches and lamps, with the Joyful Minowa covered shopping arcade right next door. The line is famous for roses: volunteers tend thousands of bushes along the tracks, at their peak in May and again in October and November. Highlights along the way include Arakawa-yuenchimae, for one of Tokyo's smallest amusement parks; Arakawa Shako-mae, where the free Toden Omoide Hiroba displays two retired trams on weekends; the steep hill around Asukayama; and Zoshigaya, near the atmospheric Kishimojin temple. Ride the whole line for about 50 minutes for less than the price of a coffee.

Highlights

• Minowabashi terminus restored in Showa-retro style
• Rose bushes lining the tracks, blooming in May and autumn
• Toden Omoide Hiroba: retired trams on show at Arakawa Shako-mae on weekends (free)
• Tram climbing and descending Asukayama hill alongside road traffic
• Joyful Minowa shopping arcade next to the terminus
• Single-car trams in varied liveries, including a retro-styled car

Tips

• Pay a flat fare on boarding; the one-day pass is worth it if you hop off three or more times.
• Toden Omoide Hiroba is open only on weekends and holidays, roughly 10:00–16:00.
• Mid-May is peak rose season; the eastern half of the line, from Minowabashi toward Arakawa-ku Yakusho-mae, is especially lush.
• Avoid weekday commuting hours, when trams fill with locals.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Ramen-ya Toy BoxRamen & Noodles · 130 m away
• Jokan-ji (Nagekomi-dera)Temple · 220 m away
• Joyful Minowa Shopping StreetShopping Street · 340 m away
• Susanō ShrineShrine · 650 m away
• Senju Ohashi BridgeBridge · 960 m away
• Otori Shrine (Asakusa)Shrine · 1.1 km away
• Arakawa Nature ParkPark · 1.1 km away
• Onoterusaki ShrineShrine · 1.4 km away