The Sapporo tram has been in operation since 1918. The history of the streetcar system is almost the same as the history of the city’s development, as it was originally a horse-drawn railroad before it was electrified that year. In the past, a network of approximately 25 kilometers of lines covered the entire city, but with the opening of the subway system in the 1970s, the availability of buses, and the spread of private cars, the operation was gradually scaled back. Although the city considered completely removing the trams, the remaining lines were extended and looped in 2015. Currently, this streetcar line, the only one in Sapporo, runs along a circle around the center of the city. It may appear to be a retro transportation service, but it is impressive that many citizens as well as tourists use it on a daily basis.
札幌市電は1918年から運行している。それまでの馬車鉄道を電化して市電にしたというから、その歴史はこの都市の発展の歴史とほぼ同じだろう。かつてはのべ約25キロにわたる路線網が市内全域をカバーしていたが、1970年代に地下鉄が開通し、バスの充実と自家用車の普及もあり、段階的に運行規模を縮小。全面的な廃止が検討されたが、2015年、残された路線が延伸されループ化した。現在は唯一の市電の路線として、札幌中心部を環状に運行している。一見、レトロな交通機関だが、観光客だけでなく多くの市民が日常的に利用しているのが印象的だ。
©K. K. Yam