5 stations to visit at The Railway Museum in Saitama (Part 1)
If you think you need to be a densha otaku (train fanatic) to appreciate Japan’s railway system, think again!
Whether you’re making a visit to the next city via the bullet train for the first time or exploring the rural scenery onboard a local sightseeing train, you’re bound to experience the convenience, efficiency, and variety of railway options that Japan’s railway brings. Railway in Japan is so omnipresent that the above are just some of the reasons why this mode of transportation in Japan is so reliable and looked up upon. In fact, there is even a day set aside to commemorate railway alone, as well as over 100 museums dedicated to railway and trains dotted across the country.
Social distancing game on point at the reception counter at the Entrance Hall. (Image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn)
While it might be virtually impossible to visit them all, the one that you cannot miss is The Railway Museum (鉄道博物館) in Omiya, Saitama Prefecture (埼玉県). Opened by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on Railway Day (14 October) in 2007, the museum boasts a newly-renovated Main Building and South Building consisting of five main exhibitions: Rolling Stock, Jobs, Science, History, Future. With five “stations” to stop by and plenty of enter-train-ing activities to take part in such as driving simulations and more, it is no wonder that The Railway Museum is well-loved by people across all ages.
If you’re thinking of stopping by The Railway Museum for the first time, read on to hear about my experience at the five stations (and more) that you’ll encounter in your visit. To avoid boring you readers with my lengthy post, this article will be part of a 2-part series of my visit at The Railway Museum in June 2019. In Part 1 of my article, I will be focusing on the Rolling Stock Station at which most of my time was spent at.
Getting there
Gachapon machines filled with train toys await your arrival at Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan Station. (Image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn)
To get to The Railway Museum from Tokyo, simply hop onto any local JR line (Shōnan-Shinjuku Line, Takasaki Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line, Utsunomiya Line—just to name a few) that’s headed towards Omiya Station (大宮駅). Depending on where you’re coming from in Tokyo, your train ride should be under an hour. At Omiya Station, change for the non-JR New Shuttle line to Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan Station (鉄道博物館駅). From there, the museum is literally a minute’s walk away and you would already find yourself in the museum grounds.
Rolling Stock Station: Take a rail trip down Memory Lane
Behold, the Rolling Stock Station. (Image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn)
Housing 36 railway cars from the glorious past, expect to be swept by a wave of nostalgia at the Rolling Stock Station in the museum’s main building. While you would have already been greeted by a few train models along your way to the museum from the nearby station, none of that could compare to the grandeur of the Rolling Stock Station.
Kumoha 455. (Image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn)
Personally, I’ve never seen such an assembly of locomotives, railcars, passenger carriages, and freight vehicles of this scale in my life. Just entering into these railcars and having a go at the seats that once served millions of passengers in their heydays was in itself an exhilarating experience.
Inside the Series 200 Shinkansen. (Image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn)
Some of the models that you can find in the exhibit area here include the world’s first bullet train Series 0 Shinkansen, the Series 200 Shinkansen, as well as my personal favourite beige-and-red trains from the 455 Series and 485 Series group.
The Rolling Stock Station is split into two levels; while the first floor houses the real trains themselves, the second floor is filled with train models, past and present, depicting the evolution of Japan’s railway. What I also liked about the second floor are the cafeteria and the sitting areas that overlook the first floor of the station—this is where families can take a rest while feasting on not just their snacks or packed bento, but also with their eyes, on the wonderful display of trains around them.
“CHOOOOO~” (Image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn)
At 12pm and 3pm daily, a loud steam whistle will blow at the centre of the Rolling Stock Station’s first floor where a train conductor will take the featured train for a literal spin, giving it a 360º showcase to all gathering visitors. The train that is typically on display here would be the first steam locomotive train operated in Japan (Locomotive No. 1, Class 150), but during my visit, the featured train was the EF55 which first appeared in the 1930s.
During the “performance”, the “train conductor” would give a brief introduction to the history of the trains and even share fascinating anecdotes from when the trains were made. A fun fact I learnt about EF55 trains is that they are streamlined, which meant that it was necessary for the locomotive to use a turntable at its termini so that the train can head to the opposite direction.
(Image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn)
By now, I feel the need to confess that I’d spent almost three hours just wandering around the Rolling Stock Station—and I still have four other stations to cover! With buttons to push, levers to pull, the immersive environment makes it an educational playground for kids and adults alike.
Inside the KUMOHA 40... or was it the KIHA 41300? (Image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn)
As a fan of photography and all things old-school, I couldn’t help but to snap tons of photos of the various trains and carriages. One of my favourite shots that I took during my visit is the interior of the KUMOHA 40, a passenger railcar that was introduced in 1936 to accommodate the growing numbers of passengers commuting in major metropolitan areas during that time. There’s a chance that I’ve got it mixed up with the KIHA 41300, but honestly, I was more fascinated by how well-preserved the interior and seats were and simply couldn’t imagine the history and the people who rode these trains a century ago—who could blame me?
Safety measures in place
While many of us aren’t able to travel to Japan anytime soon due to the global pandemic, the Railway Museum assures the public that its staff are taking preventive measures against the spread of coronavirus during these unprecedented times. In lieu of COVID-19, the following changes are in place:
- Operating hours at The Railway Museum are shortened.
- No same-day on-the-spot ticket sales are allowed. Tickets to the Railway Museum need to be purchased in advance from participating convenience stores (konbini).
- Some train simulators are not in operation.
Nevertheless, I hope that in my first article of my two-part series I’ve managed to convince you that you really don’t have to be a railway otaku to make a visit to this fascinating and educational museum. I’ll be back to share more about the rest of the stations in The Railway Museum, so I’ll see you “rail” soon!
The Railway Museum (鉄道博物館)
Address: 3-47 Ōnari-chō, Ōmiya-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama 330-0852
Nearest station: Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan Station
Opening hours (Museum): 10am–5pm (Closed on Tuesdays and New Year's Holiday)
Opening hours (Shop): 10am–6pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
Admission fee: ¥1,330 (Adults), ¥620 (High school students and below), ¥300 (Children aged 3-6)
Admission fee (Simulations, etc.): Varies
Tel: +81 48-651-0088
Header image credit: JR Times / Sue Lynn
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