The Railway Museum

With everything you could ever want to know about train culture in Japan, the Railway Museum offers an immersive, interactive, and educational experience for kids and adults! Steam engines, monorails, bullet trains, commuter trains, sleeper trains, only here can you truly get the full picture of the most advanced rail infrastructure on the planet.

With a big focus on passenger trains, the museum shows every aspect of its development in Japan from over 100 years ago. The main hall lets you take a walk along the tracks of history through full-size old wooden coaches, to the most modern passenger cars, as well as special one-of-a-kind trains. The depth and complexity are immense, but a jaunt through the museum will make you a train expert in no time!

Going deeper into the museum breaks down every unique aspect of trains in Japan, such as the physical parts and technology, station designs, scheduling, tickets, maps, and more. Japanese movies and music related to trains are ready for you to enjoy. There is even a room dedicated to ekiben, the train-themed lunches available at major stations around the country, each with a unique design. Even if you don’t consider yourself a train enthusiast, a trip here is sure to give you a deeper respect for how important passenger trains have been to Japan’s societal development and will make each subsequent ride on a train a more informed adventure.

Trainspotting is a fun activity anywhere around Japan, and the museum here makes great use of its high-traffic location to do so. It’s located right in between the bullet train tracks and local tracks, letting you gaze out from a high viewpoint. You’ll never wait more than a few minutes to see another train speeding by!

All in all, trains are inevitable traveling in Japan, and The Railway Museum is a sure stop for everyone!