First Railroad in Japan Opens

On July 4, 1864, the first section of Japan's inaugural railway opened between Yokohama and Shinagawa, using British-built 4-4-0 locomotives and 3 ft 6 in gauge track. British engineer Edmund Morel supervised construction under the Tokugawa shogunate, marking Japan's entry into the industrial age just before the Meiji Restoration. The short line quickly expanded into the Tokaido Main Line, connecting Tokyo and Osaka. It symbolized Japan's rapid modernization, facilitated trade, and introduced timetables, signaling, and ticket systems modeled on British practice. The event laid the foundation for one of the world's most advanced rail networks.