明治28（1895）年1月、京都に日本初の電車が走りました。琵琶湖疏水の水力発電で得た電気を動力とし、同年開催の第四回内国勧業博覧会の送客を大きな目的としていました。この京都電気鉄道は、大正7（1918）年に京都市に合併され、その京都市電も昭和53（1978）年に最後の線が廃止になります。 平安神宮南神苑にある電車は開通当初のものです。車体は梅鉢鉄工所（現在の帝国車両）の制作、電動機はアメリカゼネラルエレクト会社の製品。昭和31（1956）年頃、神戸鉄鋼株式会社によって修理が施されています。

The First Train in Japan (in the Garden of Heian Shrine)

Kyoto is the place where the first train in Japan was opened to traffic in January 1895. This train runs on electric energy coming from hydroelectricity in the Lake Biwa canal. The purpose of this train was sending off customers of The Fourth National Industrial Exhibition held in that year. This Kyoto electric railway was merged by Kyoto city in 1918, and the name was changed as Kyoto city Line. But the last line of Kyoto city line stopped in 1978. The train exhibited in Heian -jingu shrine garden is “the first train” in Japan. The body of this train is a product of Co. Umebachi Engineering Work (later it became Co. Empire- Vehicle- industry.) On the other hand, the electric motor is a product of Co. General Electric of America. This train was repaired by Co. Kobe Steel in 1956.