The Railway Museum, Omiya
The Railway Museum in Omiya is a fantastic day trip for families from Tokyo. Even if you are not a huge rail fan, I can guarantee you will love this museum and all its hands-on experiences.
To get into the ultimate rail spirit, take a short bullet train from Tokyo Station to Omiya in Saitama Prefecture.
Plan to spend the whole day or at least a few hours at this museum. This is a great indoor adventure to enjoy during Tokyo’s brutal summer heat, or the freezing winter months.
The Railway Museum is kid-friendly, interactive and educational.
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This hands-on museum located in Omiya, Saitama Prefecture is sprawling and kid-friendly.
The museum was created in 2007 by JR East and it showcases a wonderful display of rail history from steam and diesel locomotives to the latest bullet trains.
Tip: Download the Railway Museum app
You need to download the Railway Museum app to reserve specific experiences and enter lotteries for activities at the museum
If you are interested in driving the mini trains on the track, or experiencing the Shinkansen train simulator, for example, you must enter the lottery on the app. The app also provides information in 10 different languages.
I suggest entering the lottery for the Mini Train Driving experience as soon as you enter the museum on the app, so you can secure a timeslot before they are all gone.
Check out all the experiences ahead of time and make a list of your priorities, then you will be ready when you enter.
Displays at the Omiya Railway Museum
The Railway Museum in Omiya has multiple displays over four levels, including one of the biggest railway dioramas in Japan. Walk through, and even under various freight and passenger trains from Japan’s beginning of rail history in 1872 until now.
Rolling Stock Station
The main floor of the building, called the Rolling Stock Station offers interactive exhibits of 36 different trains. Most of these you can walk through and experience up close.
On this floor, you can also experience the train turntable in action. When you hear the (extremely loud) whistle blow, watch the steam engine turn in a circle while staff wave and give a commentary (in Japanese).
Expect to see Imperial carriages; the world’s very first high-speed train, the Series 0; and even the newest Shinkansen, the Series E5 and the 500 Series.
Science Station
The Science Station is particularly interesting for those with a keen interest in the engineering aspects of trains.
This area is also great for kids to have a play and better understand the complex mechanics of railway systems in a fun and engaging way.
History Station
The History Station provides a comprehensive timeline of Japan’s burgeoning rail industry with interesting artefacts. It showcases the shift from humble beginnings to the incredibly complex rail system of today.
The History Station gives special attention to Japan’s rail engineering feats in regards to the country’s difficult landscapes of mountains and waterways.
Future Station
The Future Station on the second floor of the museum, is a hands-on interactive experience.
Firstly, sit in a futuristic pod and create your own avatar. You can take this avatar to different machines and use it to play games and learn. You can even design your own train station!
Train model diorama
This impressive diorama is one of the biggest in all of Japan. The total track length is 1,200 metres.
Check the schedule to watch the diorama in action with a 10-minute commentary by the model train conductor.
There is even a screen at the back of the diorama to show close-up vision of certain aspects of the model.
Hands-on activities at Omiya Railway Museum
There are so many experiences at this museum, you can choose something that suits you and your children’s age.
The most popular experiences are the Mini Train Driving experience and the D51 and E5 simulators. You will need to enter a lottery for these on the Railway Museum app. These two experiences incur a small extra fee.
The regular train simulators, Series 205, E235, 211, and E233 are first-come first-served and included in the entry fee. We found there wasn’t a big line for these on a weekday.
These simulators give a realistic understanding of driving a train and they are a lot of fun.
Other experiences include the train driver simulator classroom and the conductor simulator. Please note, these experiences are very detailed and ensure you learn all the details of these tricky jobs, so maybe they are not best suited to very small children.
You can also sign up to try a JR ticket office experience, or a vending machine experience, the options are endless!
Research your preferred experiences ahead of time, so you are prepared to enter the lottery apps when you arrive.
Play time at Omiya Railway Museum
The Teppaku outdoor playground at the Omiya Railway Museum is very cute and of course it is rail-themed!
Small children can enjoy the Shinkansen train springy ride-ons and the bullet train slide.
For an interactive experience, children (and adults) can ride the mini Shinkansen around the playground for a small extra fee. The train on the day is either the E5 or E6 Shinkansen.
There is also a very cute indoor playground for small children which includes a soft, shoes-off area. This is perfect for toddlers.
You will also find a colourful train to play in, as well as a bento shop where kids can make ekiben (station bento boxes) with pretend food and serve to their guests!
This indoor playground is located right next to the Kids Cafe.
Eating at Omiya Railway Museum
There are a few different eating options at the Omiya Railway Museum, all mostly casual and kid-friendly.
Kids cafe
The Kids Cafe is located on the ground floor next to the Mini Train Driving experience. This cafe offers casual food such as hamburgers and fries and Shinkansen-shaped water bottles.
A kids cheeseburger set with fries, a drink and train stickers is around 730 yen.
This cafe is located right next to the kids’ indoor playground.
Nippon Shokudo – railway car dining
If you are looking for a more sophisticated meal echoing the luxury train travel of the past, try the restaurant Nippon Shokudo.
The restaurant was named after the original Nippon Shokudo, established in 1938 as Japan National Railways dining car.
The restaurant serves up the same nostalgic meals the Nippon Shokudo served such as Hayashi rice, beef stew, beef curry and omelet with demi-glaze. They also serve children’s meals. During special events, this restaurant serves different themed meals.
The View restaurant
If you want to watch trains fly by as you eat, try the View restaurant on the top floor of the museum. They serve casual meals such as ramen, cutlet bowl, fried chicken and special kids’ plates.
Ekiben shop
This bento shop serves up delicious take-away, boxed meals for you to enjoy in some of the dining trains available on site.
Choose your favourite train as your ekiben box and enjoy a lunch to complement your experience!
Railway Museum gift shop – Trainiart
If you are a train enthusiast, the shop, Trainiart is for you!
Here you can buy train-themed everything, from snacks to models to chopsticks, posters, apparel and more.
This shop is a train lover’s dream!
How to get to the Omiya Railway Museum
Omiya is easy access from Tokyo as it is a stop on almost all the Shinkansen lines that go north.
Choose your favourite bullet train from the Komachi (red), Hayabusa (green) and the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansens (white and blue) and book a Shinkansen ticket to Omiya.
Bullet trains to Omiya depart approximately every four minutes and it will take around 24 minutes to arrive in Omiya from Tokyo Station. You can also depart from Ueno or Shinagawa.
Shinkansen tickets will cost around 1,670 yen each way.
Don’t forget to buy the cutest train shaped ekiben (station bento) for your trip! But eat it fast as the journey is only 24 minutes.
Once you arrive at Omiya, take the New Shuttle to the Railway Museum next to Tetsudo Hakubutsukan Station. It will take approximately 3 minutes and will cost around 190 yen. You can also use your IC card.
How to buy your Omiya Railway Museum ticket
Buy your Omiya Railway Museum ticket online ahead of time to receive a 100 yen discount.
You can also buy your ticket upon arrival at the machines at the entry. These aren’t too busy on a weekday but a weekend is much busier.
Ticket cost: Adult 1,600 yen; student 600 yen; child (under 3) 300 yen
What else to do in the area
Omiya Bonsai Village
This beautiful and peaceful bonsai village with many bonsai nurseries and and a bonsai museum is worth visiting.
This village was formed in 1925 after the Great Kanto Earthquake had rocked Tokyo. Nurseries looked for a new location with clean water and sprawling space to set up their businesses again. Omiya became the prefect spot to cultivate this ancient art form.
How to get there: Take the train two stops from Omiya Station to Omiya Koen Station, then walk north to the Bonsai village and Bonsai Museum.
Please note the nurseries and bonsai museum are closed on Thursdays.
Hikawa Shrine
The name Omiya actually means ‘great shrine’ and gets its name from this famous shrine, the Hikawa Shrine.
This shrine is beloved as it was the shrine favoured by Emperor Meiji. It is said the shrine has a 2,400 year old history!
The shrine is located in lush gardens with other outer buildings, vermillion Tori gates and a bridge over a pond.
Omiya Park
This expansive and beautiful park is the perfect quick escape from busy Tokyo.
Omiya Park has a plum forest, zoo with bird sanctuary, lake, the Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore and many playgrounds for children to enjoy.
The park is located directly next to Hikawa Shrine, so enjoy both these attractions together.
Eat Omiya’s famous dish – Omiya Napolitan
With Omiya’s rich rail history, came the dish Omiya Napolitan. The dish is a ketchup-based pasta dish featuring fresh local vegetables and it became a favourite of rail workers visiting Omiya.
The birthplace of the dish came from the restaurant Hakushakutei. This restaurant is located just a 3 minute walk east from Omiya Station and it’s open 24 hours!
Snap up some second-hand bargains at Bookoff Super Bazaar
Bookoff Super Bazaar is a large chain of second-hand shopping stores with an amazing array of items at great prices.
You can indulge in Japanese handicrafts such as Kokeshi dolls or vintage kimono or even buy a second hand Chanel hand-bag.
Visit the sprawling Bookoff Super Bazaar Omiya Stellar Town Store and find yourself an incredible bargain.
How to get there: Take the New Shuttle 17 minutes from Omiya Station to Kanonomiya Station, then take a taxi or walk 12 minutes to the store.
Where to stay near Omiya Railway Museum
Omiya is the perfect getaway from bustling Tokyo and deserves an overnight stay to take in all its sights and attractions. It’s also a great first stop along a Shinkansen journey north or west.
Candeo Hotel
The Candeo Hotel located right at Omiya Station is a great option with large rooms, filling breakfast and spa with a view.
Rooms with sofa beds for kids are available and many restaurants, shops and attractions are within walking distance.
Palace Hotel
The Palace Hotel in Omiya is another great hotel option very close to Omiya Station and the Sonic City Hall.
This hotel has five restaurants, incredible buffet breakfast and suites.
Round up of the Omiya Railway Museum
The Omiya Railway Museum is a great day trip or even an overnight adventure from busy Tokyo.
Enjoy the museum on a weekday for lesser crowds and the option to enjoy many hands-on activities.
Ensure you download the museum’s app to enter the lottery for the popular activities such as the Mini Driving Train and simulator exercises.
These museum is fun for adults, families and even very small children are well catered for here.
