The Railway Museum

(Source : pixta)

The Railway Museum has been created based on three basic concepts that of a railway museum, a historical museum, and an educational museum. As a railway museum, it preserves the legacy and documents relating to the railways in Japan and abroad as well as conducts research. As a historical museum, it tells the industrial history, exhibiting real railway cars. As an educational museum, it enables children to learn about railways through firsthand experiences. It is very attractive not only to look and learn, but also interact and operate the railway cars.

(Source: pixta)

History Zone

History Zone is the main exhibition room in a hall with a 3-story high open ceiling occupying half of the museum space. Here, you will be introduced to the development of railway systems and technology along with the historical background of each period from the beginning of the Meiji era when the railway system was started in Japan till today. On the ground floor, the 36 cars which used to run on railways are lined up. This exhibit of real rail cars is out of this world!

(Source: IZUMOの写真館 (2007-2011))

The Most Popular Exhibit "Operating Mini Car"

The most popular exhibit of all is that of operating a mini railway car. It is a small size car but stops at the four stations which you can operate including braking by yourself. Moreover, the real railway cars are in operation right by the mini one. You can get the feel of being a real train driver! You and your children can get on to enjoy together. (Fee: 200 yen. Reservation Required.)

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Largest-scaled Miniature Railroad in Japan

You can't miss Japan's largest-scaled miniature railroad. The miniature landscape is as big as a 25-meter long swimming pool, and the trains are 1/80-scaled (the bullet trains are 1/87-scaled), and these trains run freely. The trains are programmed to run depending on time of day recreating a life-like movement of trains.