First electric multiple unit service in Japan

On July 15, 1904, Hankyu Railway introduced Japan's first electric multiple-unit trains on the 10.5 km Minoo-Arima line. Using 600 V DC overhead power and wooden-bodied motor cars built by local workshops, the service offered frequent, clean, and reliable travel that contrasted sharply with steam operations. This innovation helped popularize the private railway model in Japan and laid groundwork for the dense, efficient suburban networks that still define Kansai region mobility today.