Every summer, the Toyohashi Railway takes one of its streetcars, decorates it with lights and all sorts of festive stuff, loads it with draft beer, and sends it rattling down the tram tracks of the city for 90-minute loops. It is called the Toyohashi Beer Tram, and it is exactly what it sounds like.
Most people don't know that Nagoya had a pretty dense system of trams until the subway came along. But Toyohashi still relies on this very human scale of public transport. But the Beer Tram is not just a regular tram ride with someone handing you a beer. It is an event — a specially decorated car, a fixed route, staff serving up the tasty froth of Kirin Ichiban Shibori from a tap, and a bento box of drinking snacks. You board at the Eki-mae tram stop next to Toyohashi Station, ride out to Undokoen-mae for a potty break — then ride back.
That's it!
The whole loop takes about an hour and a half. The scenery of Toyohashi at tram speed, a ramble that gives you enough time to see what it is like while making a few new friends along the way. Everyone tends to be very convivial in the way that only draft beer on a tram wandering around city can.
For those of you who may not know much about Toyohashi, it is about 60 minutes away from Nagoya and offers a welcome change in vibe. It isn't as dense, "stylish" or "metropolitan " — but is Nagoya any of these anyway?
The place has relaxed old regional-city vibe: trams, wide streets, a station-area downtown. It has the slight retro, or late Showa-era shopping streets, and a slower pace that the Mikawa region is known for. That actually is why the Beer Tram is so appealing. This is not the (ahem) “big-city nightlife” of Nagoya.
It is more local, slightly nostalgic, and unpretentious.
The 2026 season runs from June 12 through October 25. That is a longer window than usual, stretching well past the summer heat and into autumn. The tram runs on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and national holidays. It does NOT run on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays unless a holiday falls on one of those days.
The fare is ¥5,300 per person, tax included. There is no child discount, and infants count as a full passenger, so plan accordingly. Each ride holds up to 28 people. If you want the whole car to yourself, full-car bookings are possible for up to 30 — but only if nobody else has already reserved a seat on that service. Groups of 21 or more need to book by phone.
Beer is all-you-can-drink and served in paper cups. There are also limited canned chu-hi and green tea on board. You can bring your own snacks and drinks if you want, and Toyotetsu offers a few advance-order food add-ons — pizza, a Yamasa chikuwa set, and a prosciutto and salami plate. Anything provided on board stays on board; you cannot take leftovers with you.
One thing to know: if fewer than 14 people book a particular ride, Toyotetsu may cancel it. And if that happens, they will contact you in advance in traditional Japanese fashion. Weather and mechanical issues can also affect service, so check the official page before you head out.
Oh - and obviously no drinking for those under 20. No smoking on the tram or at the stops. And no driving there if you plan to drink, obviously.
The Details
Toyohashi Noryo Beer Tram
納涼ビール電車 2026
Dates:
Jun. 12 – Oct. 25, 2026
Service Days:
Sundays
Wednesdays
Fridays
Saturdays
National holidays.
No Service On:
Mondays
Tuesdays
Thursdays
(Except national holidays)
NOTE:
Some additional dates may be unavailable due to events along the tram line.
Meeting Point:
Eki-mae Tram Stop
駅前電停
Beside Toyohashi Station East Exit
Route:
Eki-mae → Undokoen-mae / 運動公園前 — restroom break — Eki-mae
Duration:
About 1 hour 30 minutes round trip
Departure Times:
Sunday daytime: meet 11:40 / depart 11:51
Wednesday & Friday evening: meet 18:10 / depart 18:23
Saturday & holiday evening: meet 18:00 / depart 18:11
Note:
Do not be late for the meeting times!
They mean it! Be there when they say.
Price:
¥5,300 per person, tax included
No child fare
Infants count as one passenger
Capacity:
28 people per service
Full-car bookings may be accepted for up to 30 people if no other passengers have reserved
Groups of 21 or more must book by phone
Included:
All-you-can-drink Kirin Ichiban Shibori draft beer
Otsumami bento
Also Available:
Limited canned chu-hi and green tea
Optional advance-reservation food add-ons, including pizza, Yamasa chikuwa pack, and prosciutto & salami set
You can also bring your own snacks and drinks
Reservations:
Web booking requires advance registration:
https://www.mei-rakuraku.jp/toyotetsukankobus/BTCS/Tour/Detail?course=1352
Tel:
Emoa Travel Center:
0532-54-5691
9:30–17:30, open daily
Toyokawa Travel Center:
0533-86-7285
9:30–17:30
Closed weekends and national holidays
Reservation Windows:
June rides: open now
July rides: from 9:30 on June 12
August rides: from 9:30 on July 10
September rides: from 9:30 on August 14
October rides: from 9:30 on September 11
Access:
From JR or Meitetsu Toyohashi Station: East Exit, about 1 minute on foot
From Shin-Toyohashi Station, Toyohashi Railway Atsumi Line: about 1 minute on foot
Website:
https://www.toyotetsu.com/event/000034.html
MAPS
Eki-mae Tram Stop Map
Undoukoen-mae Tram Stop Map
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