Blue Ribbon Award (railway)

The Blue Ribbon Award (ブルーリボン賞, Burū Ribon Shō) is an award presented annually in Japan since 1958 by the Japan Railfan Club [ja]. It is awarded for railway vehicles that entered service in the previous year and were voted by members as being the most outstanding design of the year.[1]

Blue Ribbon Award
1988 Blue Ribbon Award plaque inside an Odakyu 10000 series HiSE EMU
Awarded forMost popular and outstanding railway vehicle that entered service in the previous year
DateJune 20, 1958 (1958-06-20)
CountryJapanJapan
Presented byJapan Railfan Club
First awarded1958
Last awarded2024
Currently held byTobu N100 series EMU
Most awardsKintetsu Railway
Websitehttps://www.jrc.gr.jp/e/award/bl
The 1st Prize Odakyu 3000 series SE (left)
The 62nd Prize Odakyu 70000 series GSE
← 66th (2023) · 67th (2024) · 68th (2025) →
2006 Blue Ribbon Award ceremony at Shinjuku Station for the Odakyu 50000 series "VSE" Romancecar EMU, September 2006

Award winners

edit

The list of award winners since 1958 is as follows.[2]

Award Year Train Operator Image
1 1958 3000 series SE EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
2 1959 151 series Kodama EMU JNR  
3 1960 10100 series Vistacar II EMU Kintetsu  
4 1961 KiHa 81 series Hatsukari DMU JNR  
5 1962 7000 series Panorama Car EMU Nagoya Railroad  
6 1963 20100 series Aozora EMU Kintetsu  
7 1964 3100 series NSE EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
8 1965 0 Series Shinkansen JNR  
9 1966 KiHa 8000 series DMU Nagoya Railroad  
10 1967 18200 series EMU Kintetsu  
11 1968 581 series Gekkō EMU JNR  
12 1969 Class EF66 electric locomotive JNR  
13 1970 5000 series Red Arrow EMU Seibu Railway  
14 1971 Not awarded
15 1972 14 series coach JNR  
16 1973 183 series EMU JNR  
17 1974 AE series Skyliner EMU Keisei Electric Railway  
18 1975 Not awarded
19 1976 6300 series EMU Hankyu  
20 1977 6000 series EMU Nagoya Railroad  
21 1978 12400 series Sunny Car EMU Kintetsu  
22 1979 30000 series Vistacar III (now Vista EX) EMU Kintetsu  
23 1980 1000 series EMU Enoshima Electric Railway  
24 1981 7000 series LSE EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
25 1982 1000 series Bernina EMU Hakone Tozan Railway  
26 1983 2000 series EMU Keikyu  
27 1984 14 series [ja] Salon Express Tokyo [ja] train JNR  
28 1985 8800 series Panorama DX EMU Nagoya Railroad  
29 1986 2100 series [ja] Resort 21 EMU Izukyū Corporation  
30 1987 KiHa 83/84 Furano Express DMU JR Hokkaido  
31 1988 10000 series HiSE EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
32 1989 21000 series Urban Liner EMU Kintetsu  
33 1990 651 series Super Hitachi EMU JR East  
34 1991 100 series Spacia EMU Tobu Railway  
35 1992 20000 series RSE EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
36 1993 787 series Tsubame EMU JR Kyushu  
37 1994 Not awarded
38 1995 50000 series Rapi:t EMU Nankai Electric Railway  
39 1996 883 series Sonic EMU JR Kyushu  
40 1997 Not awarded
41 1998 500 Series Shinkansen Nozomi JR West  
42 1999 285 series Sunrise Express EMU JR Central & JR West  
43 2000 E26 series [ja] Cassiopeia sleeping car JR East  
44 2001 885 series Shiroi Kamome EMU JR Kyushu  
45 2002 E257 series Azusa / Kaiji EMU JR East  
46 2003 21020 series Urban Liner Next EMU Kintetsu  
47 2004 5100 type bilevel cab car Marine Liner EMU JR Shikoku  
48 2005 M250 series Super Rail Cargo EMU JR Freight  
49 2006 50000 series VSE EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
50 2007 0600 series "Portram" [ja] Toyama Light Rail  
51 2008 N700 Series Shinkansen JR Central & JR West  
52 2009 60000 series MSE EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
53 2010 E259 series Narita Express EMU JR East  
54 2011 AE series Skyliner EMU Keisei Electric Railway  
55 2012 E5 Series Shinkansen JR East  
56 2013 1000 series EMU Tokyo Metro  
57 2014 50000 series Shimakaze EMU Kintetsu  
58 2015 E7 and W7 Series Shinkansen JR East/JR West  
59 2016 5700 series Jet Silver 5700 EMU Hanshin Electric Railway  
60 2017 BEC819 series DENCHA BEMU JR Kyushu  
61 2018 35 series coach [ja] JR West  
62 2019 70000 series GSE EMU Odakyu Electric Railway  
63 2020 001 series Laview EMU Seibu Railway  
64 2021 80000 series Hinotori EMU Kintetsu  
65 2022 1000-1890 series Le Ciel EMU Keikyu[3]  
66 2023 HC85 series DEMU JR Central[4]  
67 2024 N100 series Spacia X EMU Tobu Railway[5]  

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Blue Ribbon Prize and Laurel Prize". Japan: Japan Railfan Club [ja]. 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 [ja]. 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. ^ 東武鉄道、N100系「スペーシアX」鉄道友の会ブルーリボン賞を受賞 [Tobu Railway's N100 Series "Spacia X" wins Japan Railfan Club's Blue Ribbon Award]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
edit