Tokyo Streetcar Network Inaugurated

July 30, 1898 saw the inauguration of Tokyo's initial electric streetcar service between Shinbashi and Nihonbashi, operated by the Tokyo Electric Railway. This innovation replaced horse-drawn trams and addressed urban congestion in the rapidly modernizing capital. Engineer Ichisuke Fujioka played a key role in adopting American and European technology. The line featured 600-volt overhead electrification and carried thousands daily, fostering economic integration between commercial districts. It influenced Japan's broader electrification efforts and set the stage for the extensive subway and rail networks that define Tokyo today, symbolizing the Meiji era's embrace of Western infrastructure.