Welcome to Japan Railway Journal. This episode is all about monorails.

A monorail is a transportation system that uses a single rail,

in which vehicles run either over the rail or under the rail.

In 1821, the first patent was granted in the United Kingdom, and that is said to be the first record of such a system.

In Japan, the first system was built in 1951, as the ride in the amusement park in western part of Tokyo.

From amusement park to a popular means of transportation.

Let's take a look at Japanese monorails and the technology behind them.

The Tokyo Monorail will celebrate its 60th anniversary in September 2024.

The airport access line that connects JR Hamamatsucho Station to Haneda Airport

was Japan's first full-scale "urban transportation" monorail.

Currently, eight companies operate monorails in various locations throughout the country.

With a total track length of 114.4 kilometers, Japan is the world's largest monorail nation.

The other monorail operating in Tokyo is the Tama Monorail.

Running north to south in western Tokyo's Tama region,

the monorail serves as a means of transportation for local residents.

There are also two monorail operators in Chiba prefecture.

One is the Chiba Urban Monorail, which operates two lines out of JR Chiba Station.

The other is the Disney Resort Line, which runs between the major theme park's various facilities.

Kanagawa Prefecture's Shonan Monorail, which opened in 1970, is Japan's second oldest after the Tokyo monorail.

The line connects Ofuna Station, in Kamakura City, to Enoshima, a popular tourist destination.

Osaka Monorail operates two lines in the northern part of Osaka prefecture.

The total operating distance of 28 kilometers is the longest of all the monorail lines in Japan.

Kitakyushu Monorail, in Fukuoka prefecture, connects the central and suburban areas of Kitakyushu city.

Yui Rail opened in Okinawa prefecture in 2003.

This monorail connects the airport to the center of Naha city.

There are two types of monorail in Japan.

On one, the suspended type, the vehicle is suspended from the rail above.

On the other, the straddle type, the vehicle straddles the rail.

Of Japan's eight operators, six use the straddle type.

Now let's take a look at the Osaka Monorail, which runs straddle-type monorails.

Osaka Monorail has a route length of 28 kilometers and a daily ridership of approximately 120,000.

A third sector company funded by Osaka Prefecture, it originally opened in 1990 with a line just 6.7 kilometers long.

Since then, the line has been extended five times.

The monorail now operates on two lines: the main line, which runs through the northern part of Osaka Prefecture,

and a branch line that runs out to the suburbs.

For the most part, the main line runs above an expressway.

Railways in Osaka Prefecture are spread out
radially from Osaka City.

Our company connects these radial railways
into a loop.

The Osaka Monorail intersects with six cities and six other railway lines,

playing an important role in Osaka's transportation network.

Along the line are residential areas, as well as commercial facilities, universities, an airport, and tourist resources.

Osaka Monorail, which carries many passengers, has 22-vehicle sets in its rolling stock.

The vehicles' structures were researched and developed in Japan.

These are the tires for monorail operation.
Here are the running wheel tires.

There are the horizontal wheel tires
used for guiding.

And hidden beneath here,
are the stabilizing wheels.

The Tokyo Monorail, which opened in 1964, is also a straddle type,

although it's an ALWEG type, which was the world standard at the time.

On this type, the tire housing protrudes up into the front and rear of each car,

so the seats are irregularly placed.

The Osaka Monorail, on the other hand, is a Japanese design.

The main difference is that the bogie, motor, and tires are all installed under the floor, and the cars are bigger.

This means there is more space than the ALWEG type, and the floor is flat.

The Japanese-style straddle type monorail is so highly regarded, it's used by the Chongqing Monorail in China,

the Daegu Monorail in South Korea,

and the Palm Jumeirah Monorail in the UAE.

The Osaka Monorail is the only straddle-type monorail in Japan that has branch lines.

At the station where the main line diverges, you can see the turnouts move and the monorails coming and going in each direction.

This sight is mentioned as a "must-see" spot on the Osaka Monorail website.

One of the biggest differences between a conventional railway and a monorail like this

is that the turnouts are jointed and motorized.

By creating smooth curves with no corners, there are no major jolts or shocks when the vehicle passes through junctions.

A number of Osaka Monorail's drivers used to drive regular trains.

To train new drivers on the particulars specific to monorails, and to familiarize them with one-person operation,

Osaka Monorail introduced a driving simulator.

Osaka Monorail is the only company that has such a facility.

It's a one-person-operated vehicle, so the
driver has to open and close the doors.

They are open now. I'll close them to depart.

Passengers are clear.

No abnormalities. Doors closed.

The monorail is operated using a mass-control handle, just like a regular train.

Pulling the handle causes the monorail to accelerate, while pushing it slows it down.

Monorails operate on rubber tires.
They have significant resistance,

resulting in a tendency to stop abruptly
without much inertia.

This training facility is designed to simulate
how to handle such situations.

Unlike the other companies, Osaka Monorail also runs tourist monorails.

Since 2023, the Japanese Sake Monorail has run once a month.

This train, which is run in cooperation with local governments throughout Japan,

gives passengers the chance to enjoy sake and food from various regions.

For this monorail, a specially wrapped car was used.

This wrapped car was created to promote "Expo 2025" which is set to be held in Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

In January 2024, the Japanese Sake Monorail ran in collaboration with Tottori Prefecture.

Onboard, Tottori sake was served along with a delicious crab lunchbox.

At 4:00 PM, the reception opens at the departure station.

With only 130 spots available, tickets sold out quickly.

Prior to the monorail's departure, a special stage was set up inside the station

to showcase traditional performing arts from Tottori Prefecture.

The tour members get onboard.

"Tottori Carnival Monorail!"

"Here we go!"

At 4:40 PM, the monorail departs.

There are no restrooms onboard, so it makes occasional stops along the way.

As soon as the tour is underway, the participants open their lunch boxes, and begin to feast on the delicious crab meat.

While they are feasting, the participants take part in games where they can win prizes like whole crabs and snacks.

It's a lot of fun. So I come here every time.

It's not your everyday experience, right? Riding the
monorail and having drinks together is really fun.

Two hours later, after a delicious banquet, the tour comes to an end.

Currently, Osaka Monorail is working to extend the line, with completion expected in 2029.

Already under construction, the plan is to extend the line beyond Kadoma-shi Station,

currently the easternmost terminus on the main line.

The extension will add approximately 9 kilometers to the line.

Once the extension is complete, the line will have four additional stations, that connect to other railway lines.

One of the main objectives is to expand the
transportation network, and properly form it.

Once railways established, towns
naturally develop around them.

So, the next objective is to revitalize the region.
I think these two are the main points.

So the Osaka Monorail is a transportation system that effectively uses the route above a highway.

Yes, and here, there is a very important and also a very generous scheme for the monorail operators,

because the construction cost of the infrastructure for the monorail is basically almost entirely paid by the road budget.

And this scheme is basically part of the effort to cope with the very special transport situation within Japan,

and this, I think, has prompted the technical development of the monorail system.

Yeah, since you mentioned technical development,

and it's wonderful to see that Japan developed concept of moving the machinery below the train car,

that's making more space in the train car, is now getting adopted at more places around the world.

And I think that's because of the maturity of the system.

Mature in a sense that many monorail operators have been operating the system within Japan for many decades now.

And that is helped by the fact that there is a trust in the Japanese rail industry.

Next up, let's have a look at the Shonan Monorail, which runs a suspended-type monorail.

Shonan Monorail is a privately-owned monorail company, that opened in 1970.

On a suspended-type monorail, the bogies and wheels run inside a box-shaped rail housing.

They are connected by a strong device that holds the suspended coaches, each weighing 17 tons.

Although the vehicle sways from side to side while it's in motion, it runs on rubber tires, so it makes less noise.

In addition, since the tires and the bogie are enclosed,

they are less susceptible to bad weather conditions, such as snow and heavy rain.

In the 1960s, as urban areas faced increasingly
severe traffic congestion issues,

ideas of using monorails emerged as a potential
solution utilizing both ground and airspace,

potentially alleviating traffic congestion.

With this in mind, Shonan Monorail was
experimentally established.

The Shonan Monorail line runs 6.6 kilometers from Ofuna Station, in Kamakura City,

to a station near Enoshima, one of Shonan's most popular tourist destinations.

Ofuna Station is also a transfer station for the JR line, so it can be crowded during the morning and evening rush hours.

The Shonan Monorail runs eight times an hour, which is approximately every seven to eight minutes.

The monorails come frequently.
They're very convenient.

Great view, and my kid loves it.

On weekends and holidays, the monorail is especially popular among tourists heading to Enoshima.

In recent years, the number of inbound visitors has also increased.

The Shonan Monorail runs through an area with many ups and downs.

Some sections are steeper than any monorail line in Japan.

However, the strong grip of the rubber tires ensures the monorail runs safely.

Our monorail runs along the edge of the mountains.

We refer to it as the Shonan roller coaster.

Shonan Monorail also promotes this thrilling ride on their website.

It's actually, like it says, like a roller coaster.

I didn't realize how much it turns and goes up and down.

It's really exciting. I loved it.

It's well worth the money.

It's very interesting. It was suprising for me.

Let's take a ride on the 6.6-kilometer-long Shonan Monorail!

Departing from Ofuna Station, the monorail takes a wide left, then a right, to arrive at the first station, Fujimi Station.

From Fujimi Station, a straight route of approximately 1 kilometer takes us over a hill.

The difference in elevation is about 20 meters.

Going down, we come to Shonan-Fukasawa Station.

From here, we face a steep climb.

This 74-per-mille gradient, that is 74 meters per thousand, is the steepest on the line.

Heading back downhill, the train goes through a tunnel.

As the train accelerates downhill, it reaches speeds of up to 75 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest section of the route.

And the monorail reaches an elevation of 60 meters, the highest point on the line.

Running downhill again and passing through another tunnel, the train arrives at the terminal, Shonan-Enoshima Station.

At Shonan-Enoshima Station, the platform is located on the 5th floor of the building.

Directly opposite the ticket gate is a rooftop terrace.

From the terrace, Mt. Fuji can be seen towering in the distance.

This location is a popular spot for photos of Japan's most famous mountain.

Transportation systems have the role of safely
delivering passengers to their destinations.

That said, we aim to take it a step further by
promoting the appeal of Shonan Monorail.

We want riding our monorail to become a unique
experience, akin to riding a roller coaster.

Looks like you're in for an exciting ride on the Shonan Monorail, going up and down, through a tunnel, just like a roller coaster.

Actually the construction of the Shonan Monorail was intended also as the showcase for future sales of the system,

which was successful when the Chiba Urban Monorail adopted the system and opened in 1988.

Since the monorail runs at high elevation you get that spectacular view from above, unless you're scared of height.

Yes, and as the transport system, the monorail has no CO2 emissions at least on site, and also it's free of traffic jam.

So I would like to see more projects adopting the monorail system in many different parts of the world.

Yes.

Next up is Tourist Trains in Style, where we introduce amazing tourist trains from all across Japan.

Fifty Two Seats of Happiness is a tourist train operated by Seibu Railway.

On this restaurant train, passengers enjoy an authentic course meal onboard.

From Tokyo to Chichibu, they offers a brunch course, and a dinner course from Chichibu back to Tokyo.

The name "fifty two seats of happiness" comes from the sense of relaxation and luxury, that can be felt on the 52-seat train.

The body of the four-car train depicts the four seasons and the natural landscape of Chichibu.

The ceiling inside the car was also creatively designed.

Using Japanese washi paper, it expresses the beauty of the valley.

And the flow of the river is expressed using locally-sourced timber.

Cars 2 and 4 are the dining cars.

With tables for four and two people, each of the spacious cars has just 26 seats.

Car 3 is a dedicated kitchen car.

Through the glass windows, passengers can see how the food is prepared.

Today, we're taking the dinner-course train.

At 4:12 PM, the train departs Seibu-Chichibu Station, bound for Seibu-Shinjuku Station.

Shortly after departing, the attendants serve welcome drinks.

The first dish arrives.

Here's an appetizer, highlighting the natural flavors
of locally grown vegetables.

The menu, which changes with the seasons, is overseen by a renowned chef.

Passengers look out on the scenery, while enjoying food made with ingredients from along the line.

Onboard, a duet performs live.

Every dinner course is accompanied by live music.

This is an extraordinary and totally relaxing
experience. I'm glad I came here.

I'm impressed with the dishes with local ingredients.
I feel like being treated by the locals.

About 2 hours and 20 minutes later, the train arrives at the final stop, Seibu-Shinjuku station.

Fifty Two Seats of Happiness makes one round trip per day, mainly on weekends and holidays.