The economic and societal benefits brought by a new tram system operating in the north of Tokyo have made it a model that other cities in Japan and around the world are studying with an eye on emulating its successes. Some 4.75 million passengers had used the renewable energy-powered tram system in Tochigi Prefecture when it marked its first anniversary on Aug. 25, exceeding the initial estimate by approximately 20 percent, according to the operator Utsunomiya Light Rail Co. The tram project was established by Utsunomiya city and the nearby town of Haga and runs between the east side of JR Uts…