If your child loves trains!

My son and husband love railways. They know almost every train in Japan by color, shape, and type.

We live in Tokyo. On weekends, we often visit railway museums in Tokyo. We have been to almost every railway museum in Tokyo. Besides Tokyo, we've also been to the railway museum in neighboring Saitama. Next to the railway museum in Kyoto, the one in Saitama is the second largest in Japan.

In Japan, this museum is simply called "The Railway Museum".

It isn't all that far from Tokyo. In fact, it's only about 40 minutes by train from Tokyo station. For those in love with railways, the trip to the museum is exciting.

You get to ride two types of trains from Tokyo Station. From Tokyo station to Omiya, you take the Kagohara bound JR Ueno-Tokyo Line and switch to the Saitama New Urban Transit New Shuttle at Omiya (Saitama) station, which you ride to the Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan station.

This museum is not simply a regular museum designed for adults to have fun. You can learn about the history of Japanese railways, and view historic and modern trains, so there are many areas that are fun for children, too. Inside the museum, children can sit in the driver's seat and experience the same feel as actually driving. There are also staff that will teach you how to drive. There is a model railway that looks just like the real thing, too.

You can have lunch at the restaurant inside the museum. The restaurant offers a menu that children will definitely love. The meals come served on a plate that has the shape of a bullet train, and even bottled water is sold in the shape of a train. Children will definitely enjoy this. If you bring a lunch, you can eat in the "Lunch Train", a train car located outside. It feels just like you're taking a trip on a train.

If your children get bored inside, you can go outside to the Teppaku playground. Of course, there are many pieces of playground equipment in the shape of trains here.

You can also ride a mini-train that looks just like a real train running on rails. There are even signals and stations that you stop at. You need to buy a ticket for ¥200 each time you ride.

(Teppaku Playground and Lunch Train)

Before heading home, you can stop at the store inside the museum and buy various train related items as souvenirs. If you come to Japan with a child that loves trains, do not forget to visit the Railway Museum in Saitama. Your children will definitely enjoy it for many hours.

Name of place : Tetsudo Hakubutsukan (Railway Museum)

Address : 3-47, Onari-cho, Omiya-ku, Saitama-city, Saitama

Phone : 048-651-0088

Hours : 10:00-18:00 (last admission 17:30)

Holiday : Every Tuesday and the New Year's holidays (Dec. 29 - Jan. 1)

Ticket : Adult 1,000 yen

Elementary, Junior High and High School Students 500 yen

Young children (Preeschool children 3 years old and up) 200 yen

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