Keage Incline is an incline railway that was constructed to carry boats between Keage Boat Reservoir (uphill) and Nanzenji Boat Reservoir (downhill) without unloading the cargo. The boat was loaded onto a trolley, and carried up and down on the rails. It was the longest in the world at the time of construction.
The distance between the two boat reservoirs was about 582 meters, and the height difference was about 36 meters. Despite the differences, the incline railway carried a boat between the two boat reservoirs in 10 to 15 minutes. The incline railway started operation in 1891, utilizing electric power generated at Keage Power Plant.
Boat transportation in the canal was very busy. There were 220,000 tons of goods transported through the canal in 1925. However, the boat transportation gradually declined with the development of railway and road networks.
The Keage Incline ceased operation in 1948. Today the site is a popular spot for walks and photography.