After observing the preserved tramcar in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo Metropolis, I remembered that the same type of vehicle is exhibited in Arakawa Ward as well. That's unit 6152 of the tramcar Toei 6000 series.
Unit 6152 was built in 1949 by Nippon Sharyo. Although most of the 6000 series tramcars were scrapped in the early 1970's, unit 6152 had exceptionally survived for 52 years, and was retired from the track in 2001. Why outlived? That was because unit 6152 had been used for special missions such as chartered trains for local festivals.
After its retirement, unit 6152 was transferred to Arakawa Ward, and opened to the public in Arakawa Amusement Park in 2003. It was then renovated due to deterioration, and reopened as a coffee shop named "Cafe 193" in 2022. What's the meaning of "193"? It's a mnemonic of "single-light tramcar" in Japanese. As its name suggests, unit 6152 has a large rounded light on the front. That's lovely, isn't it? Unit 6152 still retains its body color design from the 1950's. It's two-toned of dark green and beige... so beautiful!
I remembered that "Cafe 193" is similar to "Cafe 107", which I posted before in this blog. Cafe 107 is also a coffee shop using a retired electric car of Hakone Tozan Railway in Kanagawa Prefecture. Visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of the good old days while tasting drinks and local foods in the car. A cafe in a converted car... that's a paradise for railfans.
