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The Ueno Zoo Monorail is closing permanently in December

Japan’s oldest monorail will cease operation next month and be demolished in 2024

Kaila Imada
Written by
Kaila Imada
Associate Editor, Time Out Tokyo
Ueno Zoo Monorail
Photo: ACworks/Photo AC
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Ueno Park is home to many museums, temples and attractions including Ueno Zoo, but did you know it also used to run its very own monorail? Huffing along exclusively around the zoo, the Ueno Zoo Monorail started operations in 1957 and ran until 2019, when it was mothballed due to deterioration. At that time, it was Japan’s oldest running monorail. 

As the monorail has been out of service for a few years now, it appeared to be only a matter of time before it would be dismantled. And as reported by NHK News, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has now announced that the Ueno Zoo Monorail is officially slated to close on December 27 and will be demolished sometime after January next year. 

While it’s sad to bid farewell to this old-time tram, there seem to be plans to add some new form of transportation in its place around spring 2026. With the removal of the Ueno Zoo Monorail, the only single-rail train remaining in the city is now the Tokyo Monorail, which connects Hamamatsucho Station with Haneda Airport.

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