Train loving kids suggestions

21 comments

1. The Railway museum in Omiya! 
   Also if you can snag a ticket, I think Thomas the tank engine is running in Shizuoka this summer. 

2. Ebina in Kanagawa has a Romancecar museum right outside the station. Inside the station they have cute train capsule toy machines and a photo opportunity with a cardboard.

3. There’s a train museum in Kasai

4. Another train museum at Miyazakidai station on the Tokyu lines.

5. Back in 80’s my dad used to take me to Tokyo station and buy cheapest Shinkansen ticket and took a round trip between Shinagawa and Tokyo many times until I get bored. A lots of parents do the same thing because train conductor won’t come around and check the ticket before Shin-Yokohama station.

6. Omiya Train Museum is pretty good suggestion, but if you have time/energy/budget, I think the Kyoto Railway Museum is also really great.

   If you do want to go to Omiya Train Museum, aim for a weekday if possible, and go early. Before you arrive, download the Omiya Train Museum Lottery App. When you arrive, it will ask your location, and once you are actually inside the musem you will be allowed to apply for lottery tickets for various events, such as train simulators. Note that different events like train simulators have different age requirements and some are probably not fun unless you / kid speak Japanese. There’s a mini-train you can drive, it’s cute, but you don’t get to pick which train (understandably).

   If you fail to register for lotteries, you still have a few things you can do without registering. There’s 3 simulators on the second floor of the… south side (?) of the building that are line-based and people take turn.

   For younger kids they have a train-toy play area near a cafe that’s kind of fun. They also have a little tiny tiny train that goes in a circle for a few minutes, but there’s a pretty strict one-parent-per-child rule (tbh it’s probably more hassle than it’s worth, but if you didn’t register for the other train thing it’s at least something). I think there’s English audio tour stuff you can do as well.

   Kyoto Railway Museum is right next to a great park, and has slightly more hands-on stuff. I think it’s slightly more educational whereas Omiya felt more historic. Both have pros/cons, but are different enough that you could visit both without feeling it’s a waste.

7. The Metro museum in Tokyo is cheap and quite nice. Also I feel like it’s not too overwhelming for small kids.

8. Although not as large as the one in Omiya, there is a Tobu train museum in Higashi-Mukojima. There is a neat observation area that allows you to see the trains passing through Higashi-Mukojima station from track height.

   I’ve never been there, but there is also a train museum in Kyoto too.

9. Normal trains but just a nice vantage point. The rooftop garden at Kitte Marunouchi gives a nice aerial view of the bullet & normal trains coming in and out of the station.

10. Museums (in descending order of quality/interest/proximity)

    * Tobu Museum (many free simulators and working model trains)
    * Subway/Metro Museum (several old trains that can be boarded)
    * Tokyu Train and Bus Museum (has play areas for the youngest kids)
    * Omiya Railway Museum (nice, but very busy and involves a lot of waiting)
    * Keio Rail Land (perhaps best for the youngest children; in front of the Tama Zoo)
    * Romance Car Museum (Our son and my spouse say it’s boring compared with all of the others.)

    Some viewing places:

    * Asukayama Park (1 Chome-1-3 Oji, Kita City, Tokyo 114-0002): the only place in Japan I know of at which you can view four types of train (Shinkansen; regular passenger train; street car; funicular) simultaneously. The park also has a disused streetcar kids can play in. (Paper and currency museums are nearby also.)
    * Bridge next to Nishi-Nippori Station is a place to see 9 (I think) different train lines at once.
    * The third or fourth floor of the building containing the Co-Op in the east part of Ginza has a veranda just a few meters from the Shinkansen tracks.
    * Miyanozaka Station (in Setagaya, near Gotokuji) has another old light rail car one can enter and play in.
    * Setagaya Park has a miniature train kids can ride on and a couple of (real) disused steam engine cars.
    * Kinuta Park/Okura Park (also Setagaya) has another decommissioned steam engine.
    * Sagami-Ono, Karakida, Wakabadai, and the Honancho station areas all have spots on hills or overpasses from which Odakyu (main line), Odakyu (Tama Line), Keio, and Marunouchi/Ginza Line train yards, respectively, are easily visible.
    * Odawara Station is a good place to see many different trains in one place.
    * The lovely Ome Railway Park, unfortunately, is closed for renovations until some time next year.

    Several private railway lines have periodic open houses at the railway yards, also.

    If you don’t mind being in places you’ll be bugged to spend money, the Popondetta shops (in several locations around Tokyo) are train-interest shops that also have rental train layouts.

11. [Keio Rail land](https://maps.app.goo.gl/jiCiot6qaC4DPU5q6) is fun, though nothing compared to the one in Omiya. My kid also likes the [mini SL ride](https://maps.app.goo.gl/n1r8TuZu8dzjuSi7A) in Setagaya.

12. omg thank you for all the suggestions ❤️ my toddler will be thrilled to go to these places. ❤️

13. Ikuta Ryokuchi has two real trains from the shows era in the park. Kids can get into those trains as they’re play equipment now.

14. Ebina, the Odakyu museum is great, and free or around 100 yen for kids. They have real trains exposed there, you can get inside etc.

    And there is a lot of space for them to run around which is great

15. Setagaya park has a neat little train you can ride for 100en or so. My Son absolutely loves it. There is Also a larger old Steam train you can climb on and check out.

16. Shinagawa station, you can pay the entrance fee and hangout at the end of the Tokyo bound terminal and just watch the Shinkansen come and go ever 3-4 minutes on a Friday night. It’s bonkers if you stop and think of the amount of people and trains flow through. If you do your research and time it right you can also see doctor yellow passing by on rare occasions.

    Also there is yatsutama bashi south of Shinagawa station, stand near that and watch every type of train go by.

17. Look up Dr. Yellow’s schedule and a place where you can view it. I still get goosebumps whenever I see it.

18. I think they have a life sized thomas the train you can ride in kawanehon,shizouka.

19. I’m surprised no one has recommended Ochanomizu as a spot to see the JR and Marunouchi lines intersect as JR splits the Chuo and Express from there.

20. It’s a bit of a way but there’s a steam train that goes from Shimodate (Mito Line, a couple of stops from Oyama which is on the Tohoku Line) via Moka then on to Mashiko, the famous pottery town. The station in Moka is shaped like a steam train.

21. Wondering why noone mentioned the Chiba urban monorail (“look ma, upside-down trains!”).