Sanyo Railway
Encyclopedia
The was established in 1887 and served as a major railroad company during the Meiji period
in Japan
. The railroad was headquartered in Kobe
, and Nakamigawa Hikojirō served as head of the railroad.
. The railroad was later extended to Shimonoseki. The Sanyō Main Line connected with the Tōkaidō Main Line
in Kobe, and the Kyūshū Railway
at Moji
. The railway gained a reputation for being one of the most progressive and innovative in Japan in its day, introducing the first sleeping cars, dining cars, and electric lighting on its trains. In 1904, the 330 mile trip from Kobe to Shimonoseki took 11 hours. An express train from Kobe to Hiroshima took 8 hours, travelling 189 miles.
service, from Shimonoseki to Busan
in Korea
. Sanyō Railway also operated a ferry
from Miyajimaguchi Station
, which opened on September 25, 1897, to Itsukushima
(Miyajima).
, becoming the San'yō Main Line
.
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
in 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...
. The railroad was headquartered in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, and Nakamigawa Hikojirō served as head of the railroad.
Rail lines
The first rail line opened in 1888. By 1894, the Sanyō Railway had been extended west, along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, from Kobe to HiroshimaHiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
. The railroad was later extended to Shimonoseki. The Sanyō Main Line connected with the 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...
in Kobe, and the Kyūshū Railway
Kyushu Railway
was a company that built and operated railways in Kyushu, one of four main islands of Japan. Most of its lines came under the control of Japanese Government Railways following nationalization in 1907, and many are now operated by Kyushu Railway Company.-Outline:...
at Moji
Moji-ku, Kitakyushu
is a ward of Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the former city of Moji which was one of five cities merged to create Kitakyūshū in 1963. It faces the city of Shimonoseki across the Kanmon Straits between Honshū and Kyūshū....
. The railway gained a reputation for being one of the most progressive and innovative in Japan in its day, introducing the first sleeping cars, dining cars, and electric lighting on its trains. In 1904, the 330 mile trip from Kobe to Shimonoseki took 11 hours. An express train from Kobe to Hiroshima took 8 hours, travelling 189 miles.
Steamship
Sanyō also operated steamshipSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
service, from Shimonoseki to Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Sanyō Railway also operated a ferry
JR Miyajima Ferry
is the ferry route between Miyajimaguchi, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima and Miyajima .JR Miyajima Ferries are operated by , a wholly owned subsidiary of West Japan Railway Company ....
from Miyajimaguchi Station
Miyajimaguchi Station
Miyajimaguchi Station is a JR station on JR Sanyō Main Line in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima.From the pier near the station there are ferry services for Miyajima by JR Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen.-Platforms:-JR:█ Sanyō Main Line...
, which opened on September 25, 1897, to Itsukushima
Itsukushima
is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. It is popularly known as , the Shrine Island. The island is one of . Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture...
(Miyajima).
Nationalization
The railroad was nationalized in 1906, under the Railway Nationalization ActRailway Nationalization Act
The brought many of Japan's private railway lines under national control. The Diet of Japan promulgated the Act on March 31, 1906. The Act was repealed by Article 110 of the Japan National Railway Reform Act of 1988, which formed the modern Japan Railways Group....
, becoming the San'yō Main Line
San'yō Main Line
The is the JR main railway line in western Japan, connecting Kobe Station and Moji Station, largely running parallel the coast of the Inland Sea, in other words the southern edge of western Honshu. The Sanyō Shinkansen line runs largely parallel to its route since 1972...
.