A couple getting off the Toden Arakawa Line at Kishimojin-mae Station was happily heading for the exit

It was a bit of a mystery to me that only the Toden Arakawa Line is still in operation while other trams were discontinued one after another. According to a railroad writer named Tatsuya Edakubo, the main reason for this is that most of the tracks were "specialized tracks" that did not run over roads. Indeed, although running with cars on the road near Asukayama, the Toden Arakawa Line runs on specialized tracks in most sections. This allowed the line to survive without having to take measures to deal with traffic congestion, which was becoming serious.

I wonder what would have happened if trams were still running in all directions in Tokyo. I can only dream that it would be a great tourist resource. If we changed our minds about how to deal with traffic congestion and kept cars out of the city, Tokyo would be one of the most eco-friendly cities in the world.

There are already car-free cities in the world where cars are not allowed. They include Zermatt in Switzerland, Venice in Italy, and the Old City of Fez in Morocco. All of these cities are small in comparison to Tokyo, so if a metropolis like Tokyo, with a population of over 10 million, decided to go car-free, it would surely have an overwhelming presence. Be that as it may, I recommend that those who were not usually associated with the city feel as if they are traveling in an unfamiliar town when they take a leisurely ride on the Tram in Tokyo.

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