In the twenty-first year of the Meiji Period (1888), a telephone line was set up between Tokyo and Atami, and talking experiments over the line were conducted. Results were positive. Next, a years' trial service of the public telephone was started on Jan. 1 of the following year between Tokyo and Atami. This was also intended to test long distance calls and for familiarizing the public with the telephone. After the trial, the first law concerning the telephone service, "Regulations on Telephone Exchange," was promulgated and full-scale preparation for telephone service was started. It was decided that the exchange should start between Tokyo and Yokohama first and a telephone exchange office was set up in April in Tokyo and in June in Yokohama. On Dec. 16 the exchange service began. Eighteen years after the start of the railroad between Shimbashi and Yokohama, telephone service in Japan was launched. The "Ryounkaku" was built to exhibit modern technology, and people could experience telephone conversation between the first and the twelfth story.

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