The Railway Museum

An absolute must-visit for train enthusiasts and families! The Railway Museum in Saitama (Omiya) is absolutely fantastic and well worth a visit! It features an impressive collection of historic trains, ranging from early steam locomotives to the iconic Shinkansen bullet trains. The exhibits are impeccably maintained and beautifully displayed. I was particularly impressed by the interactive features: the train driving simulators are super fun and give a realistic insight into a driver’s experience. The massive railway diorama is another highlight, showing the incredible precision of Japan's rail system in miniature form. The museum is spotlessly clean, extremely well-organized, and fun for all ages—both adults and children alike. The on-site eateries even sell fun train-themed bento boxes, which is a wonderful touch! If you love technology, history, or trains (or just want to enjoy a great day out), do not miss this museum when you are in Japan. Highly recommended! 5/5 stars!

An amazing museum, which will absolutely delight train enthusiasts and make rail fans of regular visitors too. It is very easy to visit the museum, any train going north to Omiya on the Joetsu, Ueno-Tokyo, Utsunomiya, Takasai or Shonan-Shinjuku lines will take you there. From Omiya, just take the New Shuttle one stop to the Railway Museum. The museum is absolutely enormous, with tons of trains, information plaques, exhibits and things to experience like simulators, enormous model train displays, multiple places to eat and drink and more. It's genuinely amazing how big the museum is, and the care that has gone into making this a comprehensive museum. The information is really fantastic and eye-opening, the trains are lovingly preserved and the experiences are fantastic. I got to drive a miniature E235 like on the Yamanote Line! Some tips for prospective visitors: 1. All of the in-museum experiences, like miniature train driving, simulator experiences, etc, require entering a lottery using the Railway Museum app. The app does not work until you are physically inside the museum. You get three attempts per attraction for the timeslot you want. I would recommend getting to the museum as early as you can for the best chance of getting the timeslot you want, and to secure a place in an experience. 2. Bring some cash. The experiences cost a little bit of money on top of the ticket, but it's not a lot. Maybe 300 to 400 yen. Bring some cash to make things easier. 3. The locomotive in the central hall is turned twice a day. If you want to see it, try to ensure you are in the hall when it happens so keep that in mind when booking experiences. 4. There are coin lockers outside the museum for storing your bags and larger personal items. You can use cash, or your IC travel card. 5. Eating and drinking is only allowed in designated areas. Don't eat and walk around dropping crumbs. Besides, there's a bunch of trains you can eat your lunch inside of outside! 6. This is absolutely a full day experience. There is so much to see and do here that you'd barely see it all in half a day. Take the time to slow down and make this a full day out.

The museum is located north of Downtown Tokyo. Takes about 1.5 hours of internal city train rides to get there. Educational and absorbing. If you like trains - it is worth a visit.

Railway Museum, Tokyo 🇯🇵🚄 A fascinating place to explore the rich history and evolution of Japan’s railway system. The historical references, vintage locomotives and beautifully displayed train models are truly impressive. The exhibits showcase Japan’s remarkable journey from traditional railways to modern high-speed bullet trains. A must-visit destination for railway enthusiasts, history lovers and anyone curious about Japan’s technological progress!

It was awesome, As a Japanese train enthusiast this is heaven on earth for me. There were numerous full size electric and steam locomotives and lots of passenger cars. There are lot of historical videos and pictures of trains from the past. Interactive and hands on attractions were numerous some for adults and some for kids. Bring your most comfortable sneakers for this museum. I like the outdoor seating/exhibit area which is conveniently adjacent to several railway track for filming oppertunites. I think you can eat out there but I'm not 100% sure so check.