Yokohama plans to build a gondola system on its waterfront ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ©Getty Images

The Yokohama Municipal Government has backed plans to build seaside gondolas in the city prior to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in nearby Tokyo. 

It's hoped the plans will attract tourists to the city 40 kilometres south of Tokyo during the Olympics and Paralympics in two years time. 

Senyo Kogyo Co., the Osaka-based amusement ride manufacturer that operates the Yokohama Cosmo World theme park, has revealed they plan to build an aerial cable system stretching for around 600 meters, between JR Sakuragicho Station and the Minato Mirai 21 district.

An exact completion date has not been announced, but Senyo Kogyo say the gondolas should give visitors a nice view of the Yokohama waterfront and skyline.

Shogo Takashima, managing director of Senyo Kogyo’s Tokyo branch has claimedthe gondolas will not purely be a means of transportation but will be a means of "tourism promotion". 

The 30,000-seat Yokohama Stadium has been selected the main venue for baseball and softball events at the 2020 Olympic Games. 

In addition, the International Stadium Yokohama is due to host football matches during Tokyo 2020. 

It's hoped a gondola system in Yokohama, similar to the one in London, could attract more tourists to the city during the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games ©Getty Images
It's hoped a gondola system in Yokohama, similar to the one in London, could attract more tourists to the city during the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games ©Getty Images

A similar scheme using gondolas was launched in London before the British capital staged the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Their plan is one of nine proposals for new transport systems that have been put forward by the private sector after the Municipal Government called on firms to submit ideas for a waterfront renovation plan.

The other projects include water buses, open-top buses and an even more extensive aerial cable car network linking JR Yokohama Station and the Yamashita Pier.

Keita Matsui, director of the Municipal Government's Urban Development Bureau claimed the designs, along with ongoing projects like a bicycle-sharing service and the renewal of Shinko Pier, will make traveling around Yokohama more enjoyable.

According to statistics released last month, Yokohama attracted 36.3 million tourists in 2017 and the port city is eager to gain more as Tokyo 2020 approaches.

Gondolas are not unprecedented in the city. 

In 1989, a temporary gondola was operated for the Yokohama Exotic Showcase, an urban exposition held in the Minato Mirai 21 district.