Okayama
Okayama got its first urban rail line in 1912, when the Okayama Electric Tramway began running. At about 4.7 km with 16 stops, it is often called the smallest tram system in Japan. Over the century since, the city has become the rail hub between western Honshu and Shikoku. The Sanyo Shinkansen reached Okayama in 1972, and the city stayed the line's western terminus until the extension to Hakata in 1975. In 1988 the Great Seto Bridge opened, and the Marine Liner rapid service now reaches Takamatsu on Shikoku in about 55 minutes.
