Arashiyama Line

My first experience with a Japanese tram was on the Arashiyama Line, also known as the Randen, and the encounter was entirely unplanned. Knowing little about it, a friend and I followed Google Maps to a tram stop at the corner of Hankyu Saiin Station.

The Randen Sai Station itself is quite unassuming. Its platform is curved to match the arc of the tracks and is only long enough for about two modern train cars. For one thing, it is certainly too antiqued to fit the commuter crowd. I was surprised to see a chartered tram, presumably for a company event, breeze past before our passenger tram arrived.

Once on board, I was struck by the number of passengers. Even at 11 am, the tram was unexpectedly crowded for what I presumed was a less-frequented, historical line. It was full of tourists. Some passengers were carrying cameras, while many conversed in languages other than Japanese. Moreover, the ride was certainly not comfortable. Despite running at a relatively low speed, the tram was shaky. During our 12-minute ride in the train, maintaining balance was a persistent challenge. Moreover, it was a curious discrepancy: the rickety, old-fashioned experience was drawing a significant modern crowd.

Interestingly, every Randen station we passed shared the same antiquated style. The combination of the direct summer heat, the simple above-ground shelters, and the wide expanse of single-family homes, or ikkodate, visible from the window made me feel as though I had traveled decades back in time, a stark contrast to the modernity of Osaka I had gradually acclimated to by then.