Sangu Express Electric Railway
Encyclopedia
, usually abbreviated as Sankyū (参急), 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 (Daiki). Sankyū built a single train line which serviced the cities of Sakurai
, Nabari
, Matsusaka
, and Ujiyamada, and the company acquired a second major line as well as a small local line from Ise Electric Railway
(Iseden). These lines extended northwards from Matsusaka through cities in Mie Prefecture along the coast of Ise Bay
as far as Kuwana
. The infrastructure of Sankyū is now owned by Kintetsu and remains in use today.
Sankyū's main goal was to build a portion of a railway to Ujiyamada (now Ise
) which is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the holiest Shinto
shrine in Japan and a common pilgrimage
destination. The word "Sangū" is a kanji
abbreviation of a phrase in Japanese
that roughly translates to "a pilgrimage to Ise Grand Shrine". Sankyū's line connected with a line originating in Osaka owned by its parent company, Daiki, and together the two offered direct rail service from Osaka to Ujiyamada on a line that was much more direct than that of its main rival, Kokutetsu. When Sankyū acquired Iseden, it then set its eyes on a direct connection between Osaka and Nagoya.
.
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
and 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....
, 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 14 years from 1927 to 1941, when it merged with its parent company, Ōsaka Electric Railroad (Daiki). Sankyū built a single train line which serviced the cities of Sakurai
Sakurai, Nara
is a city in Nara, Japan.As of 2007, the city had an estimated population of 63,321 with a density of 630.01 persons per km². The total area is 98.92 km².The city was founded on September 1, 1956....
, Nabari
Nabari, Mie
is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 82,739 and the density of 637.63 persons per km². The total area is 129.76 km².The city was founded on March 31, 1954.-Sightseeing Spot:...
, 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:...
, and Ujiyamada, and the company acquired a second major line as well as a small local line from Ise Electric Railway
Ise Electric Railway
, usually abbreviated as Iseden , 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...
(Iseden). These lines extended northwards from Matsusaka through cities in Mie Prefecture along the coast of Ise Bay
Ise Bay
Ise Bay is a bay located at the mouth of the Kiso River between Mie and Aichi Prefectures in Japan. Ise Bay has an average depth of 19.5 metres and a maximum depth of 30 metres toward the centre. The mouth of the bay is 9 kilometres wide and is connected to the smaller Mikawa Bay by two channels:...
as far as Kuwana
Kuwana, 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...
. The infrastructure of Sankyū is now owned by Kintetsu and remains in use today.
Sankyū's main goal was to build a portion of a railway to 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...
) which is home to Ise Grand Shrine, the holiest Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
shrine in Japan and a common pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
destination. The word "Sangū" is a kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
abbreviation of a phrase in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
that roughly translates to "a pilgrimage to Ise Grand Shrine". Sankyū's line connected with a line originating in Osaka owned by its parent company, Daiki, and together the two offered direct rail service from Osaka to Ujiyamada on a line that was much more direct than that of its main rival, Kokutetsu. When Sankyū acquired Iseden, it then set its eyes on a direct connection between Osaka and Nagoya.
Sankyū Main Line
Sankyū only built one train line which served as the second half of a railway linking Osaka and Ise Grand Shrine.- Origin: Sakurai StationSakurai Station (Nara)is a train station in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan.-Lines:*West Japan Railway Company **Sakurai Line *Kintetsu Corporation**Osaka Line...
- Terminus: Ujiyamada StationUjiyamada Stationis a train station on the Kintetsu Yamada Line and Toba Line located in Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan.It was established as the closest station to Ise Grand Shrine and thus played an important role for tourists and pilgrims, especially in the past when trains were the most pervasive form of...
Sankyū Ise Line
Sankyū acquired this line from Iseden and performed a major re-routing on part of the line to connect it with its own tracks at Ise-Nakagawa StationIse-Nakagawa Station
is a Kintetsu train station in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, Japan. It serves as the junction of three major Kintetsu train lines.-Lines:*Kintetsu**Osaka Line**Nagoya Line**Yamada Line-Layout:...
.
- Length: 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: Ujiyamada StationUjiyamada Stationis a train station on the Kintetsu Yamada Line and Toba Line located in Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan.It was established as the closest station to Ise Grand Shrine and thus played an important role for tourists and pilgrims, especially in the past when trains were the most pervasive form of...
Sankyū Kambe Line
Small local line acquired from Iseden- Length: 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:...
)