Japan marks its railways' 150th anniversary with series of events

Japan celebrated the 150th anniversary of its railways on Friday with a series of events, observances and merchandising tie-ins in Tokyo and elsewhere.At Shimbashi, one of the terminuses of Japan's first railway line opened in 1872, the E655 Nagomi train used by the emperor and other imperial family members set off from what is now an East Japan Railway Co. station to add color to the commemoration.Also at a ceremony in the station square, which has been home to a classic steam locomotive since the railways' 100th anniversary, visitors shopped at a special market selling railway-themed merc…READ FULL ARTICLE