The winner of the 2002 Blue Ribbon Award, an E257 series EMU at Hachioji on a Shinjuku-bound "Azusa" service
(Photo courtesy of A. Absolom)
The Blue Ribbon and Laurel Awards are awarded annually by the Japan
Railfan Club to new trains with outstanding design or that have
particularly caught the imagination of rail enthusiasts during the
previous year. The Blue Ribbon Award came about following the
appearance of the Odakyu Railway 3000 series SE express EMU in 1957,
which set new standards in train design and styling. Members of the
Japan Railfan Club felt that some kind of award was needed to recognize
innovative train designs such as this, and in 1958, the Odakyu 3000
series became the first Blue Ribbon Award winner. Each year, members of
the Japan Railfan Club voted for the top train design of those trains
launched during the previous year.
The Blue Ribbon Award naturally tended to be awarded to the more
glamorous express train types, and so lowly commuter trains were
inevitably left out even if they incorporated new design features. The
Laurel Award was therefore added from 1961 onwards to recognize
outstanding commuter train designs. The first winner of this award was
the Hankyu Railway 2000 series EMU.
By the 1970s, however, commuter express trains began to appear on some
lines, blurring the distinction between express and commuter trains.
From 1974 onwards, the Laurel Award was presented to trains considered
by members to incorporate outstanding design or technological features.
In some years, two or even three trains have shared the Laurel Award.
Official award presentation ceremonies are held at stations served by the award-winning trains.
| Year | Blue Ribbon Award | Laurel Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tobu Railway series N100 (Spacia X) | Utsunomiya Light Rail HU300 Ōsaka Metro Series 400 |
| 2023 | JR Tōkai HC85 series DEMU | Kyōto Municipal Subway 20 series EMU |
| 2022 | Keikyū 1000-1890 series Le Ciel EMU | Tōkyō Metro 17000 series EMU Tōkyō Metro 18000 series EMU Keihan 3000 series "Premium Car" |
| 2021 | Kintetsu type 80000 EMU | JR-East type E261 EMU JR-Tōkai type N700S Shinkansen EMU |
| 2020 | Seibu Railway Company type 001 EMU | Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) type 2700 DMU |
| 2019 | Odakyu Electric Railway Company type 70000 EMU | Sagami Railway Company type 20000 EMU Eizan Electric Railway type deo-730 electric car "Hiei" |
| 2018 | JR West 35 series coach | JR East E353 series EMU Tōbu 500 series "Revaty" EMU Kagoshima City Tramways 7500 series "U-Tram III" EMU |
| 2017 |
JR Kyūshū BEC819 EMU |
JR East E235 EMU Echigo TOKImeki Railway Company type ET122 series 1000 DMU Shizutetsu Shizuoka type A3000 EMU |
| 2016 |
Hanshin 5700 series EMU |
HB-E210 series hybrid DMU JR East New 260 series EMU Yokkaichi Asunarou Railway |
| 2015 |
JR East/JR WestE7 series/W7 series Shinkansen EMU |
EV-E301 series battery EMU JR East 3000 series EMU Hakone Tozan Railway |
| 2014 |
Kintetsu 50000 series EMU |
E6 Series Shinkansen JR East F1000 series "Fukuram" tramcar Fukui Railway |
| 2013 |
Tokyo Metro 1000 series EMU |
(No award) |
| 2012 |
JR East E5 Series Shinkansen EMU |
Class HD300-900 hybrid locomotive JR Freight |
| 2011 |
Keisei AE series Skyliner EMU |
16000 series EMU Tokyo Metro |
| 2010 |
JR East E259 series Narita Express EMU |
22600 series Ace EMU Kintetsu |
| 2009 |
Odakyu 60000 series MSE EMU |
T1000 series tramcar Toyohashi Railroad 3000 series Comfort Saloon EMU |
| 2008 |
JR Tokai & JR West N700 Series Shinkansen |
E721 series/SAT721 EMU JR East/Sendai Airport Transit KiHa E200 DMU JR East Keihan Electric Railway |
| 2007 |
Toyama Light Rail 0600 series "Portram" |
E233 series EMU JR East 3000 series EMU Nishi-Nippon Railroad |
| 2006 |
Odakyu 50000 series VSE EMU |
2000 series μSky EMU Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) 100 series Linimo Aichi Rapid Transit 5100 series Green Mover Max tramcar Hiroshima Electric Railway 3000 series EMU Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau |
| 2005 |
JR Freight M250 series Super Rail Cargo EMU |
800 Series Shinkansen JR Kyushu 3000 series tramcar Nagasaki Electric Tramway |
| 2004 |
JR Shikoku 5100 type bilevel cab car Marine Liner EMU |
(No award) |
| 2003 |
Kintetsu 21020 series Urban Liner Next EMU |
9200 series "Momo" tramcar Okayama Electric Tramway 1000 series "U-tram" tramcar Kagoshima City Transportation Bureau |
| 2002 | JR East E257 series EMU | JR West 187 series DMU |
| 2001 | JR Kyushu 885 series "Shiroi Kamome" EMU | Meitetsu Mo 800 class tram Kintetsu 3220/5820/9020 series "Series 21" EMU |
| 2000 | JR East E26 series "Cassiopeia" sleeper train | Hiroshima Dentetsu 5000 class "Green Mover" tram JR Central/West 700 series shinkansen JR East 209-950 series (E231) EMU |
| 1999 | JR West/Central 285 series "Sunrise Express" EMU | Skyrail Service 200 class monorail |
| 1998 | JR West 500 series "Nozomi" shinkansen | Kumamoto Municipal Transportation Bureau 9700 class tram Eizan 900 series "Kirara" EMU Kintetsu 5800 series "L/C Car" EMU |
| 1997 | (No winner) | JR Hokkaido 731 series EMU |
| 1996 | JR Kyushu 883 series "Sonic"EMU | JR Freight KoKi71 "Car Rack System" JR Central 383 series EMU |
| 1995 | Nankai 50000 series "Rapi:t" EMU | JR Hokkaido 281 series "Super Hokuto" DMU |
| 1994 | (No winner) | JR Freight DF200 class diesel locomotive |
| 1993 | JR Kyushu 787 series "Tsubame"EMU | JR Central 300 series "Nozomi" shinkansen JR Freight EF200 class electric locomotive |
| 1992 | Odakyu 20000 series "Asagiri" EMU | JR East 253 series "Narita Express" EMU JR Kyushu KiHa 200 DMU |
| 1991 | Tobu 100 series "Spacia" EMU | JR East 251 series "Super View Odoriko" EMU Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau 70 series EMU |
| 1990 | JR East 651 series "Super Hitachi" EMU | JR West 221 series EMU JR Shikoku TSE2000 series DMU |
| 1989 | Kintetsu 21000 series "Urban Liner" EMU | JR Kyushu 783 series "Hyper Saloon" EMU |
| 1988 | Odakyu 10000 series "HiSE" EMU | Sendai City Transportation Bureau 1000 series EMU |
| 1987 | JR Hokkaido KiHa 83/85 " Furano Express" DMU | Kita-Osaka Kyuko 8000 series EMU Kintetsu 7000 series EMU JR Shikoku KiHa 185 DMU |
| 1986 | Izu Kyuko 2100 series "Resort 21" EMU | Nankai 10000 series EMU JNR 100 series shinkansen |
| 1985 | Meitetsu Mo 8800 class "Panorama DX" EMU | TRTA 01 series EMU Tarumi 180 class diesel railbus |
| 1984 | JNR 14-700 series "Salon Express Tokyo" coaches | Keihan 6000 series EMU |
| 1983 | Keikyu 2000 series EMU | JNR 200 series shinkansen Kumamoto Municipal Transportation Bureau 8200 class tram |
| 1982 | Hakone Tozan 1000 class EMU | Fukuoka Municipal Transportation Bureau 1000 series EMU |
| 1981 | Odakyu 7000 series "LSE" EMU | JNR 117 series EMU Nagasaki Tramway 2000 class tram |
| 1980 | Enoshima/Kamakura (Enoden) 1000 class EMU | Meitetsu 100 series EMU Hokuso Kaihatsu 7000 series EMU Toyama Chiho 14760 series EMU |
| 1979 | Kintetsu 30000 series "Vista Car III" EMU | Keikyu 800 series EMU JNR 50 series coaches |
| 1978 | Kintetsu 12400 series EMU | TOEI New 7000 class tram Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau 1000 series EMU |
| 1977 | Meitetsu 6000 series EMU | Joshin 1000 series EMU Sapporo City Transport Bureau 6000 series EMU |
| 1976 | Hankyu 6300 series EMU | JNR KiHa 66/67 DMU Tokyu 8500 series EMU Fuji Kyuko 5000 class EMU |
| 1975 | (No winner) | JNR 24/25 series coaches Kurobe Valley EH class electric locomotive |
| 1974 | Keisei AE series "Skyliner" EMU | Nishi Nippon 2000 series EMU |
| 1973 | JNR 183 series EMU | Odakyu 9000 series EMU |
| 1972 | JNR 14 series coaches | TRTA 6000 series EMU |
| 1971 | (No winner) | Meitetsu Mo 699 class tram |
| 1970 | Seibu 5000 series "Red Arrow" EMU | Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau 60 series EMU |
| 1969 | JNR EF66 class electric locomotive | TOEI 6000 series EMU |
| 1968 | JNR 581 series "Gekko" EMU | (No winner) |
| 1967 | Kintetsu 18200 series EMU | Nagano Railway 0 series "OS Car" EMU |
| 1966 | Meitetsu 8000 series DMU | Sapporo City Transport Bureau A830 class tram |
| 1965 | JNR 0 series shinkansen | Sanyo Dentetsu 3000 EMU |
| 1964 | Odakyu 3100 series "NSE" EMU | Keio 5000 series |
| 1963 | Kintetsu 20100 series "Aozora" EMU | Keio 3000 series EMU |
| 1962 | Meitetsu 7000 series "Panorama Car" EMU | JNR 401/421 series EMU |
| 1961 | JNR KiHa 81 "Hatsukari" DMU | Keihan 2000/2300 series EMU |
| 1960 | Kintetsu 10100 series "Vista Car" EMU | |
| 1959 | JNR 151 series "Kodama" EMU | |
| 1958 | Odakyu 3000 series "SE" EMU |
Last Update: 1st June 2024