Yamanashi Prefectural Maglev Exhibition Center

If you are interested in trains you can easily spend 2-3 hours here. They do an excellent job of catering to foreign visitors with many of the displays, pamphlets and cinema experience subtitles offered in Japanese and English. To see the test runs, check the website calendar to see which days the tests will be run. Staff do not know when exactly the train will pass by. They run multiple tests per day and you can see on the screens/ hear in the (Japanese only) announcements when the train is about to pass by. Over the course of our 3 hour morning visit we saw the train go by about 8-10 times. There is a space on the second floor (both in the main building and the souvenir shop) with vending machines where you can sit and eat.

Good place where you can learn about the concept on magnetic levitation train and can experience actual test. It is also possible to enjoy mini lavi. Highly recommended for both children and adults who have interest on new technologies.
However the access for the location from highway was little bit confusing. The roads are very small.

Alrighty - Full English guide for it:

Worth a visit! But only on test days, otherwise the train is not running between the stations. You will find the test days on the website. On the day I was there, itkept running between the stations every 5-10minutes, you will be able to photograph it from both directions very frequently.

You will NOT be able to ride the train, this is not happening here and only possible as japanese citizen plus months or years of waiting in advance (and I think it is a lottery).

A bit annoying to get to, either you get off at Kasei station when coming from Mt Fuji, or Tanokura station when coming from Tokyo. From both it is around 20min walking, while from Kasei station with additional steep walk! Rely on Google Maps, that works fine - although there are no signs pointing the way. Couldnt find any bus connection directly to the centre. You could also walk from the JR station from Otsuki, but this will take 1hr, however you would be able to reach the centre with the JR Pass, as the stations beyond Otsuki are not operated by JR and therefore you need to pay (and it’s comparatively expensive). Bring a Suica or Pasmo Card, as the ticket machine at Tanokura is not working!

If you have a car - easy going, free parking lot.

The Maglev exhibition centre is between the two ends, so you will be able to experience the roughly 500km/h outside on a terrace or inside from the observatory for 420 yen. There is also a free observatory about 50m further.

The exhibition is well made, and there will be a big explanation about the used tecnique, however most will be in japanese. Nice little shop, total of 3 floors, free coin locker available (100yen deposit).

Overall 5 stars (on test days), minus half for accessibility by public transport.

Superb experience of watching highest speed maglev trains running at a speed of 525 kmph on Yamanashi test track.
Took the experience of maglev technology. It was really amazing.
The atmosphere at Otsuki was too much chilling @-4deg. We traveled Japanese buses and trains to come back to Hotel at Tokyo Kanda.
The afternoon we managed with cakes, breads and chocolate 😊

It's a great place to witness the past and the future, as well as the ongoing developments of the Japanese superconducting maglev. The small museum houses an original maglev cab and the magnets themselves too. Most of the information is written in Japanese only, the occasional demo about how superconductivity works is also conducted in Japanese only. There is a viewing platform so one can watch the maglev test-runs on selected days. There is also a small park across the tracks where one can get an even better view on this section of the future Chuo shinkansen.

Waiting for 2027 January to ride the maglev !
Very nice location.
Great place.
Concepts are explained very nicely.
There is a theatre, miniature maglev which you can ride.
We enjoyed a lot.

Good place to watch live train tests

A wonderful place to visit! If you are fortunate enough, the trains may be tested on the day you visit! This center is to promote and educate about the Maglev Train that will be used in the Chuo Linear Line.

Inside the center, there is a mock version of the train/train car that you can enter. There is also a timeline of the maglev train system and its testing, along with some small-scale models of the previous and current maglev trains. There are videos about the train, its history, and the technology used.

On the next floor, there are interactive activities and a small maglev train ride to show how the technology works.

On the third floor, there is a diorama of a part of Yamanashi Prefecture. There is also a theatre with a 10-15 minute video on the Maglev train and its likely effect on Japan.

I am excited to see where this technology will be used, and to know that many people are coming to this place to learn more about the train.

Unfortunately, foreign tourists are unable to apply for a test ride. But the rest of the exhibition centre is still great, with some of the best foreign language support in Japan. During test run days, the linear runs past about every 5 minutes. The diorama is really good and displays a lot of attractions around Yamanashi in an interesting way. The staffs are knowledgeable and welcoming as well. Definitely recommend for train lovers and families.

The technology is amazing, great place to visit if you're really into trains
🔥🔥🔥🔥

Terrific. Hard to reach. But worth it. The maglev train passes every 10 mins at up to 500 kph.

Had a trip to this city for peaches picking..and had no idea that it was the place where the Maglev Train was being tested. Something to look forward to in 2022..another one of Japan's soon to be famous public transportation.

An opportunity to watch a nation working on its future. Bizarrely fast train passes every 10 minutes, and fun science experiments and model trains to boot.

Fun for a few hours tour. Experience maglev train passing at 500kmph, can be seen from 2nd and 3rd floor.

Goood place for kids loves trains 🚂

すごい！リニアモーターはすごく早いです！いい見学をもらえました。If you're into trains or new technology you should give this place a visit. Only about 1.5 hours from Shinjuku station. You can watch the train go past at 500km/h a heap of times and also get some really cool demonstrations as well. Scenery in the area is beautiful as well. If you have time on the way back jump off the bus early and walk. Awesome!

Informative, smaller as compared to rail museums in other parts of japan. Main attraction is to see the maglev zoom by in test runs every 10 minutes.
Can experience a very short ride in a 1 seater maglev inside the building.

Great museum for people of all ages. Has fun demonstrations and explanations of the technology and the train zooms by at 500km/h every 30 minutes or so.

Nice place to learn about Magalev. Not difficult to get to (if one arrives on time at Otsuki station) against what it looked like initially. Helpful staff, good view area to see the trial runs which happens very frequently.

I liked the demo. Train was impressive.