Society

Japan's oldest monorail line to be suspended after 62-year run

Jan 24 (Kyodo) - The operation of Japan's oldest monorail line will be suspended at a Tokyo zoo in November following a 62-year run as the current vehicles are getting old, the metropolitan government said Wednesday.

The government remained vague about whether the monorail run at Ueno Zoological Gardens would resume after a hiatus starting Nov. 1, citing high operation costs.

The zoo began to use the system, which has a 300-meter track and hanging monorail cars with arms only on one side, in December 1957 as a pilot project in which Tokyo sought an alternative to street cars in the postwar period.

The monorail has two-car runs under the track between the eastern side and western side of the zoo. The 90-second trip costs 150 yen ($1.4) and has drawn more than 1 million passengers a year, according to the metropolitan government.

The zoo will use ground transportation such as electric vehicles for free of charge after it halts the monorail system, the metropolitan government said.

Student's Homemade Bomb Sparks School Lockdown in Sapporo

A suspicious object feared to be explosive was discovered at a high school in Sapporo on the afternoon of November 22nd, causing temporary chaos. The object was found to have been brought to the school by one of its students.

China to resume visa-exemptions for short-term Japanese travelers

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Japan Grapples with Poverty and Rising 'Invisible Homeless'

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Ueno Toshogu Shrine Shines in Gold with Special Lighting

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World's First Fiber Made From Bagworm Silk Revolutionizes Industry

A Japanese pharmaceutical company has announced the successful commercialization of fiber made from silk produced by bagworms.

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