The Railway Museum

Went here on a holiday so it was packed and a lot of kids were going around but the place was so big that it didn't feel crammed. There's a lot of exhibits to experience and the diorama of the train lines was a fun watch. You can go in the trains so definitely go early so you have time to explore all of them.

This is how a transport museum should be. Really easy to move around the exhibits and plenty of them are open. Lots of space to get back for a photo although getting a moment without people isn't easy. There's a large number of static exhibits. A playground for the kids with a miniature train. There are small trains you can drive and four full size cab simulators with actual control desks. Three of these are free. Several of the more popular experiences must be raffled/balloted. There's an app that only works inside the museum for this purpose.

Beautiful museum with a wealth of railway history from the earliest rolling stock, through to beautiful pre-war passenger wagons, the first bullet trains, to the latest Hayabusa shinkansen.

There are also countless spaces for kids (including several miniature rideable trains), a large miniature train diorama, a huge souvenir and merch store, numerous simulators and exhibits on train stations and Japanese railway graphic design.

The two notable minus points on this museum are:

1. There are quite a few experiences that are for "raffle winners" only, from the chance to stand inside the control room of a 1964 shinkansen, to the simulator for a Hayabusa shinkansen, to the miniature rideable trains. This raffle is apparently limited to official app users but it is poorly explained in English. This was a bit of a letdown as we did not hear about this beforehand and raffled experiences were already fully booked in advance.

2. Very few exhibits have any English signage/explanations and 99% of written text explanations are in Japanese. This was a bit unfortunate and the museum could be much more accessible for foreign visitors (and should be given its vast size!) if English text signs were posted too.

Otherwise this museum is a must-see for anyone with even a passing interest in trains.

Note, buying tickets in advance is advised as it is slightly cheaper. Buying online with the option to print is recommended: we were then able to show the confirmation QR code on our cellphones to get in.

Huge Railway Museum in Omiya, just a few minutes of train ride from Tokyo. Definitely a must visit if you're a rail fan like me. Come on weekdays for less crowd, you also get discounts if you purchase the ticket in advance on their website , there are many rolling stock and locomotives on display, train simulator and train driving classes are also available here.

It's an absolute must visit place for train lovers. Not only do they have the finest trains inside, but also there's a great view to the JR and Shinkansen trains. After watching trains for hours, you can knock yourself out and spend that hard earned cash in the gift shop!

“The Railway Museum” is a modern museum dedicated to trains and railways, managed by the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). The museum aims to showcase the rich history, technology, and culture of Japanese railway transportation and highlight the significance of railways in Japanese society.

The museum features a diverse range of exhibitions and interactive activities, including:

1. History Zone: Introducing the development of Japanese railways, from early steam locomotives to the evolution of modern high-speed trains.
2. Technology Zone: Displaying the technical principles and workings of various trains and railway equipment.
3. Train Models: Exhibiting various train models, including historical steam locomotives and modern high-speed trains.
4. Interactive Experiences: Visitors can enjoy driving simulators, learn about signal systems, and experience braking operations.
5. Children’s Play Area: A specially designed playground for kids to learn about railways while having fun.

In addition to the exhibition areas, the museum provides facilities such as a shop, restaurant, and rest areas, ensuring a convenient and comfortable visiting experience for guests.

“The Railway Museum” is a unique destination that attracts tourists and railway enthusiasts alike. By showcasing the traditions and innovations of Japanese railways, it offers insights into the significant contributions of railways to Japan’s modernization process. It is also an excellent place to learn about Japanese culture and technological advancements. If you plan to visit Japan, consider stopping by “The Railway Museum” to experience the charm and history of railways.

Worth the jaunt to outer Tokyo to see some great trains and the history of JR. We love trains so this is definitely something of interest to us, and given it’s such a staple of life here in Japan it makes it all the more unique and must go. The museum itself is HUGE!

If you crazy about train, then this place is best for you. Located in Saitama, still in Tokyo but you need to take train to go here. We love this museum because we can see train history in Japan from past and future development of train / shinkansen. Its has part for toddler to play, younger children to explore and try to ride a mini train, mini train themed cafe. A friendly place to go with kids. And dont forget to buy souvenirs while you’re there.

A huge place with all sorts of trains from history to today. Simulation is fun . They have science corner to have hands on fun activities. A small 3D theatre. The Diorama is also good to watch .
One time visit is worth visiting . The souvenir shop is huge.

An excellent museum, definitely deserving of such a high rating. It is much better than the Kyoto Railway Museum.

The best train museum I’ve ever been to - it was a fun and memorable day.

The main gallery was fascinating, and I enjoyed the simulators and model train presentation areas too. I recommend downloading the app for reserving the simulators ahead of time.

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The Railway Museum Japan is a great place to visit for children of all ages. There are many different exhibits to see, including old and new trains, model railroads, and interactive displays. The museum is also very well-organized and easy to navigate.
However, adults may find the museum to be a bit lacking in content.

Super fun place to go! Just barely missed the turntable demo at 3 but getting to see all the trains was pretty awesome. I especially loved the interactive elements to some of the exhibits like when you can operate the pantograph of a train while standing at its level or work the airbrakes and throttle of an old shinkansen train! The train terrace was also pretty nice since you could see active shinkansen, new shuttle, JR East, and JR freight tracks.

A collection of steam powered locomotives to the futuristic shinkansen rolling stocks with interactive science park, gallery, mini train ride etc, besides the terrace rooftop restaurant that overview the passing trains.

The museum may be a far from downtown Tokyo but it’s well worth it. It’s modern and beautiful. I’m a grown man and I loved it. But it’s all the little boys running around with their train theme clothes or shoes excited what’s around the corner that really tells you how special this place is.

Very much recommended if you have a slight interest in trains. The place is very big and offers all kinds of exhibitions related to trains. Some of them are interactive and there are kids everywhere (specially if you visit on a weekend). I suggest to buy tickets in advance (can be easily bought in 7-Eleven). Also, there’s a museum’s app that allows you to reserve (some are for free) some train-driving simulators.
There are only few signs and readings in English, so unless you master Japanese, you may not be able to understand much of it.

The price is 1330yen for adults. It is worth buying this ticket. There is a kids' play area. Shinkansen (bullet train) can be seen at the rooftop

Absolutely full of incredible exhibits and a wealth of historical knowledge for any train nerd or any person looking for a lovely day at a high quality museum. The entire museum is actually a train yard with a turntable in the middle. It's clean, modern, and there is a free audio tour in English and Japanese. There are also two cafes, one of which overlooks some shinkansen tracks for amazing trainspotting. I have been to several train museums in Japan and this is probably my favorite.

Visited this museum in summer 2016. Had a great time, this is the best railway museum ever. There are some train simulators inside but the queue was long. All collections were nicely maintained.

Best edutainment at Omiya. They bring you the historic of Japan Railway and also first shinkansen ever built - Shinkansen 0. Some more, you may learn few locomotive train and electric train which is built since 1900 until now. There is a section for old and futuristic.

My kids love to being here because he is train enthusiast. He's always watching shinkansen on Youtube and glade can reach here on Feb 2023

Ticket price is 1330yen for adult and 1060 for kids. You can purchase ticket on counter itself.