Ōyama Cable Car, Funicular railway in Isehara, Japan.
The Ōyama Cable Car is a funicular on Mount Ōyama in Isehara, Kanagawa, operated by Ōyama Kankō Dentetsu. Its 0.8 km line links Ōyama Cable Station at 400 m to Afurijinja Station at 678 m, with Ōyamadera Station at 512 m in between. The 2015 cars, designed by Kenmei Okabe's architecture network, are brilliant green with gold or silver fronts and large curved glass.
The line opened on 1 August 1931 as the Ōyama Cable Railway, running 0.7 km from Oiwake to Shimosha. A planned extension to the summit was cancelled in 1937. The line was closed in 1944 as a non-essential wartime route and reopened on 11 July 1965 under Ōyama Kankō Dentetsu, the last Japanese cable car to be restored after wartime closure.
The line serves pilgrims heading to Ōyama Afuri Shrine, whose lower shrine sits by Afurijinja Station at 678 m; the mountain drew worshippers through Edo-period Ōyama-kō confraternities. The intermediate stop, Ōyamadera Station, is named for the temple nearby. The 2008 renaming of all three stations after these religious sites tied the railway's identity to the pilgrimage route.
The cable car runs during daylight hours with gaps between departures, so arriving early is wise, especially on weekends. The ride up takes about six minutes, and from the top you can walk to the temples and continue exploring the mountain.
The 2015 cars were designed by Kenmei Okabe's architecture network, which also styled Odakyu's Romancecar VSE and MSE and the Hakone Tozan Railway's Allegra. Car 1 carries gold accents, car 2 silver, on a brilliant green body. A lithium-ion battery powers interior lighting and announcements, allowing overhead wires to be removed outside stations.
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