This train line is the sole survivor of Tokyo's once-extensive Tokyo Toden streetcar system.
A few weeks ago a friend and I took a little tour along this line (one-day pass ¥600). Today the line is used primarily by Tokyo's elderly residents and stops along the streetcars route reflects that.
Sugamo, known as the Harajuku for old people, gave us a chance to explore the older side of Tokyo. Along Sugamo's main street were shop after shop selling only the most fashionable granny wear and delicious snacks. Nearly everyone on the street was at least in the 50's and everyone seemed to know everyone else.
It is no secret that Japans birthrate is falling. Outside of places like Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro a stroll down a side-street will show you just how many elderly people there are in Japan. Even in Oji you can notice it when a group of people gather while waiting for the light to change.
Having a large elderly population is not a bad thing. Some of the funniest conversations I have had with my newly acquired Japanese, have been with people in their 60's and 70's. Japanese However I often wonder what Japan will look like in another 20 even 10 years.
However the Japanese have already set their course and rather than wonder about the who and the how, I take a moment to wander through these aging streets before they disappear.
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