Ise Electric Railway
Encyclopedia
, usually abbreviated as Iseden (伊勢電), was a private railway company that operated mostly in Mie Prefecture
, Japan
, for 25 years from 1911 to 1936, when it was absorbed by Sangū Express Electric Railway
. At its height, Iseden operated three train lines, two of which it planned and built, that serviced the cities of Yokkaichi
, Tsu
, Suzuka
, Matsusaka
, Ujiyamada, and Ōgaki
. Much of the infrastructure of Iseden is now owned by Kintetsu
and remains in use today.
The name "Ise" was chosen for use in the company's name because the area of Japan that Iseden served, northern and central Mie Prefecture, was called Ise Province
during the Edo era before the modern prefecture system
was put into effect.
, the only train lines in all of Mie Prefecture
were the Kansai Main Line
, the Kisei Main Line (though not entirely completed), and the Sangū Line
, all of which were operated by Kokutetsu (now JR Central
). However, travel between the two primary cities in the prefecture, Yokkaichi
and Tsu
, was indirect on these existing lines and so a regional railway company formed with the goal of constructing a line that ran straight between the two cities; this was how Iseden came to be. The company was founded in 1911 under the name of Ise Railway (伊勢鉄道 Ise Tetsudō), however it was changed to Ise Electric Railway in 1926 when the company began electrifying
its lines.
", took the reins as president and used his influence to push some improvements through. By 1930, all lines were electrified, the Main Line was extended from Yokkaichi to in the north and from Tsu to Ise Grand Shrine in Ujiyamada (now Ise
) in the south, dual tracks were added, and Iseden acquired Yōrō Railway and thereby procured its third train line, the Yōrō Line which allowed the company's tracks to stretch northward to Ōgaki
in Gifu Prefecture
. Kumazawa's tactics tended to be heavy-handed but were effective at the time.
to , paralleling the existing Kansai Main Line, in hopes of offering direct service from Nagoya to Ise that would be much faster than its Kokutetsu rival. However, the implementation of this plan was fraught with problems and was the beginning of the end for Iseden. The plan worked out by the company called for buying an existing, out-of-use Kokutetsu bridge crossing the considerably wide rivers and then building a relatively short dual track section the rest of the way to Nagoya Station. This plan initially received approval from the Japanese national government (which owned Kokutetsu), but it was soon learned that Kumazawa and Iseden had bribed the Japanese Minister of Transportation in hopes of having him convince Kokutetsu to sell the old bridge to Iseden for less money. Kumazawa stepped down, labor strife arose, and the company's image was heavily damaged; this made the Nagoya-extension plan impossible at the time and so it was put off. On top of these problems, Iseden had invested too much money during the late 1920s and, due to the worldwide Great Depression
starting in 1929, the company often found itself in financial trouble.
(Sankyū) and the opening in 1930 of the Sankyū Main Line, a rival line that paralleled the southern section of the Iseden Main Line. In fact, the Sankyū line opened within weeks of the completion of the Iseden's Tsu ~ Ujiyamada extension. During the construction of the two lines, the two companies held some meetings with each other and eventually Sankyū put forth a joint-business plan crafted to allow both companies to prosper. Passengers would've been offered a special travel package to ride from Osaka to Ujiyamada on Sankyū, visit Ise Grand Shrine and other spots, then ride from Ujiyamada to Nagoya on Iseden for more sight-seeing, with a similar package for the reverse direction as well. However, since Iseden was unable to extend its Main Line north to Nagoya, this joint plan never came to fruitation and tension arose between the two companies. Misunderstandings that arose from Iseden's Nagoya-style business practices and Sankyū's Osaka-style business practices also added considerably to that tension. The two rival companies fought on during the 1930s, both pouring a lot of money into their lines. Ridership on the Iseden Main Line did increase, but not as much as hoped and not nearly as much as the increase that the Sankyū Main Line saw at that time; this was simply because Sankyū linked with Osaka, a major city, but Iseden only linked with Kuwana and Ōgaki which are much smaller cities. Eventually a merger battle broke out with Sankyū aiming to acquire Iseden in hopes of offering direct service between Osaka and Nagoya. In the end, Iseden, along with its three lines, was absorbed by Sankyū in 1936.
Iseden's original plan to extend its Main Line from Kuwana to Nagoya was carried out and completed in 1938 by another company and that section, along with the rest of Iseden's lines and infrastructure, were ultimately absorbed by Kintetsu
in 1944.
It can be said that the mixture of competition from Sankyū, which provided direct rail service to Ujiyamada from a major metropolitan area, and Iseden's inability to connect its own line with a major metropolitan area of similar size was the main cause of the company's downfall.
to Ujiyamada, Mie (Ise, Mie
). It followed the coastline through Mie Prefecture's primary cities and terminated near the Outer Shrine of Ise Grand Shrine. There were plans to extend the line from Kuwana to Nagoya however this was not implemented until after Iseden was dissolved. The ~ section of this line became part of the Kintetsu Nagoya Line. Of the remaining sections, the Shin-Matsusaka ~ Daijingū-mae section was closed in 1942 because it could not compete with the Sankyū Main Line, and the Edobashi ~ Shin-Matsusaka section was closed in 1961.
.
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, for 25 years from 1911 to 1936, when it was absorbed by Sangū Express Electric Railway
Sangu Express Electric Railway
, usually abbreviated as Sankyū , was a private railway company that operated in Nara Prefecture and Mie Prefecture, Japan for 14 years from 1927 to 1941, when it merged with its parent company, Ōsaka Electric Railroad...
. At its height, Iseden operated three train lines, two of which it planned and built, that serviced the cities of Yokkaichi
Yokkaichi, Mie
is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 314,393. The total area is 205.53 km².The closest major city is Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture....
, Tsu
Tsu, Mie
is the capital of Mie Prefecture, Japan. The city of Tsu is located on Ise Bay, east of the city. Tsu is bounded to the north by Suzuka and Kameyama; to the west by Iga, Nabari, and Nara Prefecture; and to the south by Matsuzaka city.-History:...
, Suzuka
Suzuka, Mie
is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 198,716 and the density of 1,020 people per km². The total area is 194.67 km².Located about 83 km east from Nara, and 52 km southwest from Nagoya.-History:...
, Matsusaka
Matsusaka, Mie
, sometimes called Matsuzaka, is a city located in central Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan. The city is famous for its beef.-Founding:...
, Ujiyamada, and Ōgaki
Ogaki, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was incorporated as a city on April 1, 1918. As of July 2011, the city has an estimated population of 160,999 and a total area of .Ōgaki was the final destination for the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō...
. Much of the infrastructure of Iseden is now owned by Kintetsu
Kintetsu
, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
and remains in use today.
The name "Ise" was chosen for use in the company's name because the area of Japan that Iseden served, northern and central Mie Prefecture, was called Ise Province
Ise Province
or was a province of Japan including most of modern Mie Prefecture. Ise bordered Iga, Kii, Mino, Ōmi, Owari, Shima, and Yamato Provinces.The ancient provincial capital was at Suzuka...
during the Edo era before the modern prefecture system
Prefectures of Japan
The prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...
was put into effect.
History
In the Taishō periodTaisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
, the only train lines in all of Mie Prefecture
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
were the Kansai Main Line
Kansai Main Line
The is a Japanese railway line which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company and the West Japan Railway Company with the boundary between both companies being located at Kameyama Station in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture.The section...
, the Kisei Main Line (though not entirely completed), and the Sangū Line
Sangu Line
The is a railway line run by Central Japan Railway Company , connecting Taki Station with Toba Station in Japan....
, all of which were operated by Kokutetsu (now JR Central
Central Japan Railway Company
The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...
). However, travel between the two primary cities in the prefecture, Yokkaichi
Yokkaichi, Mie
is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 314,393. The total area is 205.53 km².The closest major city is Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture....
and Tsu
Tsu, Mie
is the capital of Mie Prefecture, Japan. The city of Tsu is located on Ise Bay, east of the city. Tsu is bounded to the north by Suzuka and Kameyama; to the west by Iga, Nabari, and Nara Prefecture; and to the south by Matsuzaka city.-History:...
, was indirect on these existing lines and so a regional railway company formed with the goal of constructing a line that ran straight between the two cities; this was how Iseden came to be. The company was founded in 1911 under the name of Ise Railway (伊勢鉄道 Ise Tetsudō), however it was changed to Ise Electric Railway in 1926 when the company began electrifying
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
its lines.
Kumazawa
The first line, known as the Iseden Main Line, ran between stations in central Yokkaichi and Tsu and was built with a single track, no electrification, and many sharp curves to wind through existing settlements; this was due to the line being planned and built by inexperienced railway architects and engineers. The second line, the short Kambe Line, suffered from the same design problems. However, shortly before the company was renamed, a well-known industrialist named Kazuei Kumazawa (熊沢一衛 Kumazawa Kazuei), whose nickname was "The Flying Shōgun of TōkaiTokai region
The is a sub-region of the Chūbu region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name means "East sea" and comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes...
", took the reins as president and used his influence to push some improvements through. By 1930, all lines were electrified, the Main Line was extended from Yokkaichi to in the north and from Tsu to Ise Grand Shrine in Ujiyamada (now Ise
Ise, Mie
, formerly called Ujiyamada , is a city located in eastern Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan.Ise is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shintō Shrine in Japan, and is thus a very popular destination for tourists. The city has a long-standing nickname—Shinto —that roughly means...
) in the south, dual tracks were added, and Iseden acquired Yōrō Railway and thereby procured its third train line, the Yōrō Line which allowed the company's tracks to stretch northward to Ōgaki
Ogaki, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It was incorporated as a city on April 1, 1918. As of July 2011, the city has an estimated population of 160,999 and a total area of .Ōgaki was the final destination for the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō...
in Gifu Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Chūbu region of central Japan. Its capital is the city of Gifu.Located in the center of Japan, it has long played an important part as the crossroads of Japan, connecting the east to the west through such routes as the Nakasendō...
. Kumazawa's tactics tended to be heavy-handed but were effective at the time.
Scandal
From Kuwana, Iseden planned to extend its Main Line across the Kiso Three RiversKiso Three Rivers
The refers to the three major rivers that make up the alluvial plain area of the Nōbi Plain of Japan. The three rivers are the Kiso River, the Ibi River and the Nagara River...
to , paralleling the existing Kansai Main Line, in hopes of offering direct service from Nagoya to Ise that would be much faster than its Kokutetsu rival. However, the implementation of this plan was fraught with problems and was the beginning of the end for Iseden. The plan worked out by the company called for buying an existing, out-of-use Kokutetsu bridge crossing the considerably wide rivers and then building a relatively short dual track section the rest of the way to Nagoya Station. This plan initially received approval from the Japanese national government (which owned Kokutetsu), but it was soon learned that Kumazawa and Iseden had bribed the Japanese Minister of Transportation in hopes of having him convince Kokutetsu to sell the old bridge to Iseden for less money. Kumazawa stepped down, labor strife arose, and the company's image was heavily damaged; this made the Nagoya-extension plan impossible at the time and so it was put off. On top of these problems, Iseden had invested too much money during the late 1920s and, due to the worldwide Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
starting in 1929, the company often found itself in financial trouble.
Competition with Sankyū
The fatal blow, however, came from competition with Sangū Express Electric RailwaySangu Express Electric Railway
, usually abbreviated as Sankyū , was a private railway company that operated in Nara Prefecture and Mie Prefecture, Japan for 14 years from 1927 to 1941, when it merged with its parent company, Ōsaka Electric Railroad...
(Sankyū) and the opening in 1930 of the Sankyū Main Line, a rival line that paralleled the southern section of the Iseden Main Line. In fact, the Sankyū line opened within weeks of the completion of the Iseden's Tsu ~ Ujiyamada extension. During the construction of the two lines, the two companies held some meetings with each other and eventually Sankyū put forth a joint-business plan crafted to allow both companies to prosper. Passengers would've been offered a special travel package to ride from Osaka to Ujiyamada on Sankyū, visit Ise Grand Shrine and other spots, then ride from Ujiyamada to Nagoya on Iseden for more sight-seeing, with a similar package for the reverse direction as well. However, since Iseden was unable to extend its Main Line north to Nagoya, this joint plan never came to fruitation and tension arose between the two companies. Misunderstandings that arose from Iseden's Nagoya-style business practices and Sankyū's Osaka-style business practices also added considerably to that tension. The two rival companies fought on during the 1930s, both pouring a lot of money into their lines. Ridership on the Iseden Main Line did increase, but not as much as hoped and not nearly as much as the increase that the Sankyū Main Line saw at that time; this was simply because Sankyū linked with Osaka, a major city, but Iseden only linked with Kuwana and Ōgaki which are much smaller cities. Eventually a merger battle broke out with Sankyū aiming to acquire Iseden in hopes of offering direct service between Osaka and Nagoya. In the end, Iseden, along with its three lines, was absorbed by Sankyū in 1936.
Iseden's original plan to extend its Main Line from Kuwana to Nagoya was carried out and completed in 1938 by another company and that section, along with the rest of Iseden's lines and infrastructure, were ultimately absorbed by Kintetsu
Kintetsu
, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
in 1944.
It can be said that the mixture of competition from Sankyū, which provided direct rail service to Ujiyamada from a major metropolitan area, and Iseden's inability to connect its own line with a major metropolitan area of similar size was the main cause of the company's downfall.
Timeline
- November 10, 1911 - Ise Railway founded.
- March 1, 1922 - Iseden Main Line (Yokkaichi ~ Tsu) completed, original goal of connecting Mie's two primary cities is achieved.
- December 20, 1925 - Iseden Kambe Line opens.
- September 21, 1926 - Company officially renamed to Ise Electric Railway. ElectrificationRailway electrification systemA railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
of lines begins. - January 30, 1929 - Iseden Main Line extended, Kuwana ~ Yokkaichi section opens.
- October 1, 1929 - Company acquires Yōrō Railway.
- April 1, 1930 - Iseden Main Line extended, Tsu ~ Shin-Matsusaka section opens.
- December 20, 1930 - Iseden Main Line extended, Shin-Matsusaka ~ Daijingū-mae (Ujiyamada) section opens. Sankyū Main Line also opens shortly prior to this.
- May 20, 1936 - Company relinquishes control of Yōrō Line.
- September 15, 1936 - Ise Electric Railway is dissolved. SankyūSangu Express Electric Railway, usually abbreviated as Sankyū , was a private railway company that operated in Nara Prefecture and Mie Prefecture, Japan for 14 years from 1927 to 1941, when it merged with its parent company, Ōsaka Electric Railroad...
absorbs the lines of Iseden. - June 1, 1944 - Iseden's former lines come under the ownership of KintetsuKintetsu, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
.
Main Line
The Iseden Main Line ran from Kuwana, MieKuwana, Mie
is a city located in the northern end of Mie Prefecture, Japan. It is known as a major sightseeing city in the prefecture. Located at the mouth of the three rivers dividing Mie and Aichi prefectures, the city has functioned as a regional center of fishing, industry, business, and culture.As of...
to Ujiyamada, Mie (Ise, Mie
Ise, Mie
, formerly called Ujiyamada , is a city located in eastern Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan.Ise is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shintō Shrine in Japan, and is thus a very popular destination for tourists. The city has a long-standing nickname—Shinto —that roughly means...
). It followed the coastline through Mie Prefecture's primary cities and terminated near the Outer Shrine of Ise Grand Shrine. There were plans to extend the line from Kuwana to Nagoya however this was not implemented until after Iseden was dissolved. The ~ section of this line became part of the Kintetsu Nagoya Line. Of the remaining sections, the Shin-Matsusaka ~ Daijingū-mae section was closed in 1942 because it could not compete with the Sankyū Main Line, and the Edobashi ~ Shin-Matsusaka section was closed in 1961.
- 82.9 km
- Origin: Kuwana StationKuwana Stationis a train station in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, Japan.-Lines:*Central Japan Railway Company **Kansai Main Line*Kintetsu**Nagoya Line*Yōrō Railway**Yōrō LineSangi Railway's Nishi-Kuwana Station is attached to the station.-Layout:...
- Terminus: Daijingū-mae Station
Kambe Line
The Iseden Kambe Line is now part of the Kintetsu Suzuka Line which was extended in 1962.- 4.1 km
- Origin: Ise-Wakamatsu StationIse-Wakamatsu Stationis a Kintetsu train station in the city of Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan.-Lines:*Kintetsu**Nagoya Line**Suzuka Line-Adjacent stations:-External links:...
- Terminus: Ise-Kambe Station (now Suzukashi StationSuzukashi Stationis a Kintetsu train station in the city of Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshū, Japan.-Adjacent stations:-External links:...
).
Yōrō Line
The Iseden Yōrō Line became the Kintetsu Yōrō Line. As of 2007, it is now operated by Yōrō Railway but is still owned by KintetsuKintetsu
, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
.
- 57.5 km
- Origin: Kuwana StationKuwana Stationis a train station in Kuwana, Mie Prefecture, Japan.-Lines:*Central Japan Railway Company **Kansai Main Line*Kintetsu**Nagoya Line*Yōrō Railway**Yōrō LineSangi Railway's Nishi-Kuwana Station is attached to the station.-Layout:...
- Terminus: Ibi Station
Connections
The lines of Ise Electric Railway connected with other railways at the following stations:| Iseden Line | Station | Connecting Line |
|---|---|---|
| Main Line | Kansai Main Line Kansai Main Line The is a Japanese railway line which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company and the West Japan Railway Company with the boundary between both companies being located at Kameyama Station in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture.The section... |
|
| Main Line | Kansai Main Line | |
| Main Line | Sankyū Tsu Line | |
| Main Line | Iseden-Tsu | Kisei Main Line |
| Main Line | Sankyū Main Line | |
| Main Line | Hanaoka | Matsusaka Electric Railway |
| Main Line | Kisei Main Line | |
| Yōrō Line | Tōkaidō Main Line Tokaido Main Line The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities... |