History
Ekimae Stop, the origin of the Toyohashi Railroad Azumada Main Line (stop number 1), opened on 14 July 1925 along with the railway itself. When first opened the stop sat in front of Yoshida Station (the predecessor of JR Iida Line / Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line trains) with a single island platform, and the line ran via Hirokoji-dōri toward Shinmei. Double-tracking of Ekimae to Shinmei was completed on 20 October 1950, the line shifting from Hirokoji-dōri to the new Eki-Ōdōri. A southern branch operated from 5 October 1952 to 31 March 1973 (suspended from 1969). The stop was moved approximately 150 m east on 19 February 1998 under the Toyohashi Station Comprehensive Development Plan and now stands beneath the pedestrian deck of the station building.
History summarized from Japanese & English Wikipedia · last reviewed 2026-05-25.
Notes
Although tram stops named "-eki-mae" ("in front of -- station") exist all over Japan, this is the only one in the country whose registered name is simply "Ekimae". The stop was selected for the 3rd Chūbu Region Top 100 Stations. Since 8 October 2011, on-tram welcome announcements have been voiced by Toyohashi-born actor Ken Matsudaira.