The Railway Museum in Saitama
Last updated: August 26, 2026
The Railway Museum in Omiya, Saitama is JR East's flagship — 42 real vehicles, from early steam locomotives to first-generation Shinkansen, arranged across five themed stations telling the story of rolling stock, science, jobs, the future and history. Nearly everything is hands-on: drive a mini train, take the controls in a simulator, watch Japan's largest railway diorama run, then head to the rooftop observatories to see real Shinkansen sweep past. Opened in 2007 and expanded with a whole south building in 2018, it's an easy half-day north of Tokyo for railway fans and families alike.
Itinerary
- Stop at: The Railway Museum (Omiya)
Frequently Asked Questions
Five themed stations — Rolling Stock, Science, Job, Future and History — built around 42 real vehicles, including some displayed outdoors. Beyond the trains themselves there are driving simulators, a mini driving train, Japan's largest railway diorama, the Railway Cultural Gallery, and rooftop observatories where Shinkansen and local lines run past in real life.
Ride any JR line to Omiya Station — about 25 to 30 minutes from Tokyo or Ueno — then take the New Shuttle one stop to Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan Station, named after the museum at its doorstep.
Very — it's one of the Kanto region's favourite family days out. Kids drive the mini trains, climb through a railway-themed playground built to make learning physical, and stand close enough to full-size locomotives to feel their scale, while the simulators give older children a real driver's-seat challenge.