It’s easy to miss if you are not looking for it, but if you stand at the right angle, you can see it. The Hiroshima Electric Railway, or Hiroden as it is known, is a crucial part of the city. Every day it transports hundreds of thousands of commuters and tourists to all corners of Hiroshima.
The Hiroden is truly a symbol of the resilience of the people of Hiroshima. Despite the devastating atomic bomb in 1945, which destroyed 108 of its 123 trams, three of the surviving trams continue to run in the city over 75 years later. It is this history that makes the Hiroden such a powerful symbol. It represents the will of the people to rebuild their city and move forward.
Today, the Hiroden is a modern and efficient transportation system. It is the longest and busiest streetcar service in Japan, with a network stretching over 35 km. It operates 271 streetcars, making it the biggest fleet in the whole country. But it’s not just about numbers. The Hiroden is a symbol of the city’s history and its future.