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Various trains are displayed at the Kyoto Railway Museum (Kyoto City).
Photo: kyoto railway museum

MIYAMURA Kazuo is professor emeritus at Tokyo University of Science and also has an in-depth knowledge of Japan’s railways. In this month’s issue, he shares his insights on railway museums and theme parks in Japan.

Japan’s railways have a history of over 150 years. In this issue, we introduce various railway museums and theme parks across the country where you can learn about this history.

Railway-related Museums

JR East, which operates routes primarily in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tohoku region, has opened The Railway Museum in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture. The museum introduces the history of domestic railways and the latest railway technologies. At the heart of the museum is a turntable¹, a rotating platform used to change the direction of locomotives. Demonstrations of train rotation take place several times a day. Around it, numerous nostalgic express trains and other vehicles are on display. In addition to a massive railway diorama, the museum offers hands-on experiences such as a miniature train you can drive and a train simulator, ensuring a full day of enjoyment.

JR West, which operates a network of routes centered around the Keihanshin² area, has opened the Kyoto Railway Museum in Kyoto City. This museum features 54 actual trains and railway dioramas, with a focus on the Umekoji fan-shaped (roundhouse) steam locomotive shed³, which is Japan’s oldest reinforced concrete locomotive shed. Similar to The Railway Museum in Saitama, it offers an opportunity to learn about the history of Japan’s railways.

At the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park operated by JR Central in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, visitors can learn about the advancement of high-speed railway technology through exhibits featuring the Tokaido Shinkansen, conventional railway lines, and the superconducting maglev.

Usuitouge Railway Heritage Park

Located about a two-hour trip from Tokyo by Shinkansen followed by a local train, Usuitouge Railway Heritage Park is situated at JR Shin-etsu Line’s Yokokawa Station in Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture. This expansive facility was built on the grounds of the former railway line and rail yards, after the local line from Yokokawa Station to Karuizawa Station (in neighboring Nagano Prefecture) was discontinued. The site features a museum showcasing the history of the Usui Pass (Usuitouge) and an outdoor exhibition of 30 railway cars, creating a park-like atmosphere for families. Visitors can also experience operating an electric locomotive (advance reservation required) or ride a trolley train along the steep inclines of the former Shin-etsu Line on weekends and public holidays from March to November.

Tokyo Station

Tokyo Station⁴, Japan’s largest terminal station, has a multi-layered structure with platforms ranging from the basement 5th floor to the 3rd floor above ground, making it the largest terminal station in terms of the number of platforms. Its design features not only significant vertical differences but also a wide horizontal spread, with corridors and stairways crisscrossing the station like an ant colony, creating a maze-like layout. From its countless platforms, Shinkansen and long-distance express trains depart and arrive non-stop. The station also boasts commercial facilities, numerous souvenir shops, and ekiben⁵ boxed lunch stalls, offering a variety of gourmet and shopping experiences, making it feel almost like a theme park.

* The status of exhibits at each museum is as of the end of March 2024.

MIYAMURA Kazuo
Professor emeritus at Tokyo University of Science. Holding a Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Tokyo, he has appeared on NHK’s Radio Midnight News with Tecchan-sensei no tabi no susume (“Dr. Tecchan’s Travel Recommendations”) and is known as a train enthusiast. His major publications include ‘Noritetsu’ kyoju no tokoton tetsudo tabi (“Professor Noritetsu’s Complete Railway Journey”) (Ushio Publishing Co., Ltd., 2021) and Zero kara manabu genso no sekai (“Learning the World of the Elements from Scratch”) (Zero kara manabu series, Kodansha Scientific Books, 2006).
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• 1. A device used to reverse the direction of a steam locomotive by rotating it to change its direction of travel.
• 2. A collective term for Kyoto City, Osaka City, and Kobe City in Hyogo Prefecture.
• 3. A type of locomotive shed built in a fan shape around a turntable. This design was commonly used for steam locomotives but has gradually disappeared due to the increase in electric and diesel locomotives, which do not require a reversal of direction.
• 4. See Tokyo Station, one of Japan’s largest European-style architecture in the modern era, celebrated its 110th anniversary in the February 2024 issue of HIGHLIGHTING Japan.
• 5. Bento (boxed meals) sold at stations and on trains.

By MIYAMURA Kazuo
Photo: Usuitouge Railway Heritage Park; kyoto railway museum; SCMAGLEV and Railway Park

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