Hankai Line

The nihongo|Hankai Line|阪堺電車阪堺線|"Hankai Densha Hankai sen" is a tramway in the cities of Osaka and Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd. owns and operates the line.

In Japan, trams are called "chin-chin trains" because when they run on city roads with many cars and people, they ring their bells to make them beware of it. The bell's sound, "chin, chin" gave its name to the trams.

The line's name comes from Nihongo|Osaka|大阪 (the kanji　character for "-saka" is also pronounced "han") and Nihongo|Sakai|堺 (whose kanji contributed the "kai").

History

The Hankai Line has its origin in the Hankai Tramway Co., Ltd., founded in 1910. In 1915 the company merged with the Nankai Railway which runs north and south in Osaka. As motorization developed as an alternative form of transportation, trams lost their passengers. Then in 1980 the split from Nankai, after which, the line has struggled for existence.

tations

Ebisucho - Minamikasumicho - Imaike - Imafune - Matsudacho - Kita-Tengachaya - Shotenzaka - Tenjinnomori - Higashi-Tamade - Tsukanishi - Higashi-Kohama - Sumiyoshi - Sumiyoshi-Toriimae - Hosoigawa - Anryumachi - Abikomichi - Yamatogawa - Takasujinsha - Ayanocho - Shimmeicho - Myokokujimae - Hanadaguchi - Oshoji - Shukuin - Terajicho - Goryomae - Higashi-Minato - Ishizu - Funao - Hamadera Ekimae

Related links

*Hankai Uemachi Line the sister line of Hankai Line

External links

* [http://www.hankai.co.jp/top.html Hankai Line official site] in Japanese