The , also known as “Shizutetsu” is a private railway in Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...

 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...

. In addition to its railway business, the Shizuoka Railway Company owns large bus and taxi services, a department store, supermarkets, a construction company and real estate holdings.

History

The first Shizuoka Railway Company was founded in 1906. It was initially built to connect downtown Shizuoka with Shimizu port

Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka

is one of three wards of the city of Shizuoka, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, located in the eastern part of the city.-Geography:Shimizu is located on the coast of Suruga Bay of the Pacific Ocean and covers a wide area from a coastal plain to the hills...

, to facilitate the export of green tea

Green tea

Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...

, the major agricultural product of Shizuoka prefecture at the time. It became the Shizuoka branch of , a privately-held narrow gauge railway operator with operations in many locations around Japan in 1908. The line was electrified in 1919 and became standard gauge in 1920. In 1923, the Shizuoka branch became independent as the . In 1943, the company was nationalized by the central government, and was merged with smaller railroad operations around Shizuoka Prefecture, under the new name of “Shizuoka Railway”. Its first chairman was Keita Gotō

Keita Goto (industrialist)

was a Japanese businessman who built the Tokyu Group into one of the leading corporate groups in Japan.- Education and civil service career :Gotō was born in 1883 as Keita Kobayashi in the village of Aoki in Nagano Prefecture. After graduating from high school in the nearby city of Matsumoto, he...

, founder of the Tokyu Corporation, which emerged as Shizuoka Railway’s primary shareholder after the end of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Most of the rolling stock

Rolling stock

Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...

 used by the Shizuoka Railway is used equipment purchased from the Tokyu Corporation.

Lines

At present, the company operates only one LRT

LRT

LRT may stand for:*IATA airport code for Lorient South Brittany Airport, France*Lewis Roberts-Thomson*Lithuanian National Radio and Television *Light rail, a form of urban rail public transportation...

, the Interurban

Interurban

An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...

 Shizuoka-Shimizu Line

Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Line

is a　LRT railway line in Shizuoka Prefecture, between Shin-Shizuoka in Aoi Ward and Shin-Shimizu in Shimizu Ward, all within the city of Shizuoka. Presently this is the only one railway Shizuoka Railway operates. The line was made to link previous Shimizu City and Shizuoka cities, until the former...

, which runs for 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Shin-Shizuoka Station

Shin-Shizuoka Station

is a terminal train station of the Shizuoka-Shimizu Line in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is located within the Shin-Shizuoka Cenova shopping complex.-History:...

 to Shin-Shimizu Station

Shin-Shimizu Station

is a terminus train station of the Shizuoka-Shimizu Line in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.-Layout:Shin-Shimizu Station has a double bay platform...

 with 13 intermediate stops, and one ropeway

Ropeway

A ropeway is a form of naval lifting device used to transport light stores and equipment across rivers or ravines. It comprises a jackstay, slung between two sheers or gyns, one at either end, from which is suspended a block and tackle, that is free to travel along the rope and hauled back and...

, the Nihondaira Ropeway

Nihondaira Ropeway

The is Japanese aerial lift line in Shizuoka, Shizuoka, operated by Shizuoka Railway . Opened in 1967, the line climbs , a hill with views of the city, Suruga Bay, and Mount Fuji...

. Its extensive highway bus system was spun off to a subsidiary company, Shizutetsu Justline in 2002.

Defunct LRT lines include:, 1922-1962., 1928-1975., 1911-1970., 1902-1962.