Laurel Prize

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) →

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]

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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