Hakodate Trams

[westfalen]

Our first stopover north of Tokyo in 1990 was Hakodate where we arrived mid-afternoon. Even though it was a rather wet day, a few of the hardier amongst us ventured out a couple of blocks from the hotel to the nearest tram line to explore the city's tram system. We eventually arrived at the tram depot and after watching the trams coming and going for a while, (no one seemed to mind us wandering around), we found a tram out the back fitted out with decorations and a stereo system. Our Japanese speaking leader made some inquiries and found out it was for hire, so we paid 16,000 yen, (mostly mine because I had just cashed a few days worth of travelers cheques), and while they prepared the tram and found a driver we went to a supermarket down the street for supplies. We phoned the others at the hotel and told them to meet us at the tram stop as we had arranged a night out, but didn't tell them what it was, they thought we were just catching the tram to a restaurant or something. They needed more 'supplies' so the driver parked for a while at the end of one of the lines where there was a 7-11 and a liquor store, (he'd obviously done it before), then we cruised around Hakodate's streets until about 10:30 when the driver said he had to drop us off at the hotel and get the tram back as they switched the power off after the last regular service tram gets back to the depot.