The Laurel Prize (ローレル賞, Rōreru Shō) is an award presented annually in Japan since 1961 by the Japan Railfan Club. It is awarded for railway vehicles that entered service in the previous year and voted by the selection committee as having the most outstanding functional and design features.[1]

Laurel Prize
Headmark panel commemorating the 48th Laurel Prize of JR East E721 series train
Awarded forBest railway-vehicle in terms of production intention, technology and design features, which was newly introduced in the previous year
DateFebruary 18, 1961 (1961-02-18)
CountryJapanJapan
Presented byJapan Railfan Club
First awarded1961
Last awarded2024
Currently held by
Most awardsJR East
Websitehttps://www.jrc.gr.jp/e/award/bl
1973 Laurel Prize plaque inside an Odakyu 9000 series EMU train
← 63rd (2023) · 64th (2024) · 65th (2025) →

Award winners

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The list of award winners since 1961 is as follows.[2]

Award Year Train Operator Image
1 1961 2000 series EMU Hankyu Railway  
2300 series EMU  
2 1962 401/421 series EMU JNR  
3 1963 3000 series EMU Keio Corporation  
4 1964 5000 series EMU Keio Corporation  
5 1965 3000 series EMU Sanyo Electric Railway  
6 1966 A830 series tramcar Sapporo Streetcar  
7 1967 0 series OS Car EMU Nagano Electric Railway  
8 1968 Not awarded
9 1969 6000 series EMU Toei  
10 1970 60 series EMU Osaka Municipal Subway  
11 1971 Mo 600 series tramcar Nagoya Railroad  
12 1972 6000 series EMU TRTA (now Tokyo Metro)  
13 1973 9000 series EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
14 1974 2000 series EMU Nishi-Nippon Railroad  
15 1975 24/25 series coach JNR  
EH Class electric locomotive Kurobe Gorge Railway  
16 1976 KiHa 66/67 DMU JNR  
8500 series EMU Tokyu Corporation  
5000 series EMU Fujikyu  
17 1977 1000 series EMU Joshin Electric Railway  
6000 series EMU Sapporo Municipal Subway  
18 1978 7000 series tramcar Toei  
1000 series EMU Kobe Municipal Subway  
19 1979 800 series EMU Keikyu Corporation  
50 series coach JNR  
20 1980 100 series EMU Nagoya Railroad  
7000 series EMU Hokusō Railway  
14760 series EMU Toyama Chihō Railway  
21 1981 117 series EMU JNR  
2000 series tramcar Nagasaki Tramway  
22 1982 1000 series EMU Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau  
23 1983 200 Series Shinkansen JNR  
8200 series Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau  
24 1984 6000 series EMU Keihan Electric Railway  
25 1985 01 series TRTA (now Tokyo Metro)  
HaIMo 180 DMU Tarumi Railway  
26 1986 10000 series EMU Nankai Electric Railway  
100 Series Shinkansen JNR  
27 1987 8000 series EMU Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway  
7000 series EMU Kintetsu  
KiHa 185 series DMU JNR  
28 1988 1000 series EMU Sendai City Transportation Bureau  
29 1989 783 series Hyper Saloon EMU JR Kyushu  
30 1990 221 series EMU JR West  
2000 series "TSE" DMU JR Shikoku  
31 1991 251 series EMU JR East  
70 series EMU Osaka Municipal Subway  
32 1992 253 series Narita Express EMU JR East  
KiHa 200 series DMU JR Kyushu  
33 1993 300 Series Shinkansen JR Central  
Class EF200 electric locomotive JR Freight  
34 1994 Class DF200 "Eco-Power Red Bear" diesel locomotive JR Freight  
35 1995 KiHa 281 series DMU JR Hokkaido   
36 1996 383 series EMU JR Central  
KoKi 71 "Car Rack System" freight wagon JR Freight  
37 1997 731 series EMU JR Hokkaido  
38 1998 9700 series tramcar Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau  
900 series Kirara EMU Eizan Electric Railway  
5800 series EMU Kintetsu  
39 1999 Skyrail 200 series Skyrail Service  
40 2000 5000 series Green Mover tramcar Hiroden  
700 Series Shinkansen JR Central/JR West  
209-950 series (now E231-900 series) EMU JR East  
41 2001 Mo 800 tramcar Nagoya Railroad  
3220 series "Series-21" EMU Kintetsu  
5820 series "Series-21" EMU  
9020 series "Series-21" EMU  
42 2002 KiHa 187 series DMU JR West  
43 2003 9200 series "Momo" tramcar Okayama Electric Tramway  
1000 series "U-tram" tramcar Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau  
44 2004 Not awarded
45 2005 800 Series Shinkansen JR Kyushu  
3000 series tramcar Nagasaki Electric Tramway  
46 2006 2000 series μSky EMU Nagoya Railroad  
100 series Linimo Aichi Rapid Transit  
5100 series Green Mover Max tramcar Hiroshima Electric Railway  
3000 series EMU Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau  
47 2007 E233 series EMU JR East  
3000 series EMU Nishi-Nippon Railroad  
48 2008 E721 series/SAT721 EMU JR East/Sendai Airport Transit  
KiHa E200 DMU JR East  
49 2009 T1000 series tramcar Toyohashi Railroad  
3000 series Comfort Saloon EMU Keihan Electric Railway  
50 2010 22600 series Ace EMU Kintetsu  
51 2011 16000 series EMU Tokyo Metro  
52 2012 Class HD300-900 hybrid locomotive JR Freight  
53 2013 Not awarded
54 2014 E6 Series Shinkansen JR East  
F1000 series "Fukuram" tramcar Fukui Railway  
55 2015 EV-E301 series battery EMU JR East  
3000 series EMU Hakone Tozan Railway  
56 2016 HB-E210 series hybrid DMU JR East  
New 260 series EMU Yokkaichi Asunarou Railway  
57 2017 E235 series EMU JR East  
ET122-1000 "Setsugekka" DMU Echigo Tokimeki Railway  
A3000 series EMU Shizuoka Railway  
58 2018 E353 series EMU JR East  
500 series "Revaty" EMU Tobu Railway  
7500 series "U-Tram III" EMU Kagoshima City Tram  
59 2019 20000 series EMU Sagami Railway  
Eizan Deo-730 railcar Eizan Electric Railway  
60 2020 2700 series DMU JR Shikoku  
61 2021 E261 series EMU JR East  
N700S Series Shinkansen JR Central  
62 2022[3] 17000 series EMU Tokyo Metro  
18000 series EMU  
3000 series "Premium Car" Keihan Electric Railway  
63 2023 20 series EMU Kyoto Municipal Subway[4]  
64 2024 400 series EMU Osaka Metro[5]  
HU300 series tramcar Utsunomiya Light Rail[6]  

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Blue Ribbon Prize and Laurel Prize". Japan: Japan Railfan Club. May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  2. ^ ブルーリボン賞・ローレル賞 [Blue Ribbon Award and Laurel Prize] (in Japanese). Japan: Japan Railfan Club. May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  3. ^ "2022年ブルーリボン賞・ローレル賞決定" [2022 Blue Ribbon Award / Laurel Prize recipients decided]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  4. ^ 2023年ブルーリボン賞・ローレル賞決定 [2023 Blue Ribbon Award and Laurel Prize recipients announced]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  5. ^ 「大阪メトロ」400系ローレル賞、デザイン性や多様な設備など評価 ["Osaka Metro" 400 series receives Laurel Prize for outstanding design and facilities]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  6. ^ 宇都宮ライトレールHU300形がローレル賞、「次世代のLRT」へ指摘も ["Next-generation LRT" Utsunomiya Light Rail HU300 series receives Laurel Prize]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
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