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Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau line1 min read

Suizenji Line

水前寺線

The Suizenji Line (水前寺線, Suizenji-sen) is a roughly 2.4-kilometre tramway route of the Kumamoto City Tram (熊本市電), the street-tramway network operated by the Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau (熊本市交通局) in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyūshū.

Lying entirely within Chūō-ku, it runs from Suidōchō, on the network's trunk line, to Suizenji-kōen, where it meets the Kengun Line. Built to 1,435 mm standard gauge, laid as double track throughout and electrified at 600 V DC with overhead catenary, it has seven stops including its termini and operates under Japan's Tramways Act (軌道法).

KumamotoHigashiKashima2 km
Route of the Suizenji Line · Kumamoto · Boundaries: MLIT / GSI / Japan Post

History

On 1 August 1924 the section between Suidōchō and Suizenji (the present Suizenji-kōen) was opened, bringing into service the Shin'yashiki-machi, Ōe-shako-mae, Miso-tenjin-mae and Suizenji stops, along with the stop now called Shin-Suizenji-eki-mae. The roadway between Suidōchō and Miso-tenjin-mae had been laid out expressly so that the tramway could be built along it.

In February 1935 the Ōe-shako-mae stop was renamed Denki-kyoku-mae ("in front of the electricity bureau"). The following month, on 26 March 1935, the Kuhonji stop was opened along the route.

On 28 December 1943 the Shin'yashiki-machi, Kuhonji and Kokufu stops were all closed, though Kokufu would later reopen. The Denki-kyoku-mae stop was renamed Kōtsū-kyoku-mae on 1 June 1944. On 6 May 1945, as the new Kengun Line opened, the Suizenji stop was relocated.

By 1950 the Yūsei-kyoku-mae stop had opened on the site of the former Shin'yashiki-machi stop. On 1 October 1959 that Yūsei-kyoku-mae stop was renamed Denpō-kyoku-mae, and on 1 April 2002 it was renamed again, to Kuhonji-kōsaten.

On 1 March 2011 the Suizenji-eki-dōri stop was renamed Shin-Suizenji-eki-mae. The stop connects with Shin-Suizenji Station on JR Kyūshū's Hōhi Main Line, which the tramway crosses on a grade separation. The Kumamoto City Tram's A and B route patterns serve the whole line between Suidōchō and Suizenji-kōen, both running through to Kengun-machi.

Stations on this line

7 stations tracked on the map, listed alphabetically. Select any to read its page.

Timeline
  • 19241 August: the Suidōchō–Suizenji (now Suizenji-kōen) section opens; the Shin'yashiki-machi, Ōe-shako-mae, Miso-tenjin-mae and Suizenji (now Suizenji-kōen) stops open with it, as does the stop now called Shin-Suizenji-eki-mae.
  • 1935February: the Ōe-shako-mae stop is renamed Denki-kyoku-mae.
  • 193526 March: the Kuhonji stop opens.
  • 194328 December: the Shin'yashiki-machi, Kuhonji and Kokufu stops are closed (Kokufu later reopened).
  • 19441 June: the Denki-kyoku-mae stop is renamed Kōtsū-kyoku-mae.
  • 19456 May: with the opening of the Kengun Line, the Suizenji stop is relocated.
  • 1950By 1950: the Yūsei-kyoku-mae stop opens on the site of the former Shin'yashiki-machi stop.
  • 19591 October: the Yūsei-kyoku-mae stop is renamed Denpō-kyoku-mae.
  • 20021 April: the Denpō-kyoku-mae stop is renamed Kuhonji-kōsaten.
  • 20111 March: the Suizenji-eki-dōri stop is renamed Shin-Suizenji-eki-mae.

Sources

Last updated 16 October 2026.

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