Kyoto Railway Museum, Kyoto

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

The Kyoto Railway Museum was reopened in 2016 with the concept of “a railway culture base that walks with the region”. It contributes to regional revitalization while trying to cooperate with the local community, and is loved by many people as a place of relaxation. The museum’s unique theme, “see, touch, experience” has created inspiration and intellectual curiosity for visitors. And it contributes to deepening railway knowledge of many visitors from children to adults. This is a museum where you can learn about the history of railways, the development of technology and culture, and enjoy not only railway fans but also customers who are not familiar with railways.
There are 53 precious rail vehicles with historical value stored and exhibited in the museum. There are also service lines that connect to the routes that are actually operated, so there are not only commercial vehicles but also vehicles that you can’t usually see. It seems that the only effort to change the exhibition vehicle using the service line is the only Kyoto Railway Museum in Japan.
Speaking of the Kyoto Railway Museum, the big fan-shaped train depot is famous. The fan-shaped train depot, designated as an “important cultural property”, “quasi-railway monument”, and “modernized industrial heritage”, was built in 1914 and has 21 service lines. It seems to be the oldest existing reinforced concrete locomotive depot. Twenty typical steam locomotives that have been active from the Meiji period to the early Showa period have been preserved and displayed.

The highlight is Japan’s largest passenger steam locomotive C62. If you look closely, it will be more powerful and overwhelmed. C62 type 2 was running as “SL Steam”. At the SL stop, you can take a round trip to Umekoji Park, located next to the train, which is pulled by a real steam locomotive.
After seeing the outdoor exhibition and entering the facility, the first vehicle you see is the Shinkansen 500 series, moonlight and thunderbirds. These are the vehicles that represent Japan Railway West Japan and are dignified. In this area, you can learn about the “mechanism of the vehicle” which is the main role of the railway. The good point of the Kyoto Railway Museum is that you can actually touch the exhibition vehicles.
Next to “mechanism of the vehicle” is an area called “railway facilities”. This section introduces equipment and systems that are indispensable for railway operations, such as equipment for railways, railroad crossings, signals, facilities such as tunnels and bridges, and systems that prevent collisions.
The sky deck on the 3rd floor of the main building is a recommended spot. As with the fan-shaped train depot, this must not be overlooked. You can see the south and east from the sky deck. From here, it is the best spot to see the Tokaido Main Line and Tokaido Shinkansen.
The Kyoto Railway Museum has many other attractions besides the above. It is recommended to visit after deciding the time allocation in advance.
Many people of all ages are involved in “railway” as part of their lives. In this museum, there are exhibits from various aspects since the railroad appeared in Japan until today. This is exactly the “railroad general museum”.

The luxurious line-up with all 53 trains is magnificent

“Kyoto Railway Museum” is a museum that attracts experienced exhibits that enjoy railways with five senses, “Seeing, touching, experiencing”. In addition to the largest number of vehicle exhibitions in the country, a lot of experience exhibitions related to railway are being developed in the hall, such as driving simulators, issuing tickets, orbit cycling when checking railroad tracks. In addition, there is also an original lunch box provided inside the meal-only vehicle, a restaurant that you can taste the gourmet of railway motifs while watching actual traveling vehicles, and a museum shop utilizing the old Nijo station building.

Kyoto Railway Museum crowds with lots of people every day since renewing in 2016. It is a railroad paradise that is located in the Umekoji area in 20 minutes on foot from JR Kyoto Station, and can be enjoyed by both adults and children. The luxurious line-up with all 53 trains is magnificent enough to excite even adults who are not very interested in railroads.
On the 1st floor of the main building, there are various vehicles from the dawn of the railroad to the present age, exhibits that explain in detail the mechanism and features of the railroad, and exhibits that you can know the history of the railroad. There, you can comprehensively know the charm of the railroad.
There is an “driving simulator” on the 2nd floor of the main building. Simulator, like actual vehicles, you can experience driving operation between 2 stations from departure to stop.
Content is substantial enough that it is insufficient in 2 hours if you look around slowly. It is crowded depending on the day, but it seems that you can observe relatively smoothly in the evening on weekdays, so please visit.

Nation’s largest railway museum

The “Kyoto Tetsudo Hakubutsukan” (Kyoto Railway Museum) opened in 2016, and is one of the nation’s biggest railway museum which storing all 53 carriages. JR West runs this museum which was originally the “Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum“ in the same place, and redecorated it and added various facilities. Not to mention contained things of the “Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum“, as for some contained things of the “Traffic Science Museum” is gathered in this museum.

The 100th anniversary of opening railroad

It was established as the 100th anniversary of opening railroad, many SL is displayed, too. It displays representative 20 of Steam Locomotives which was made from the Meiji period to around 1950, and worked across the country until 1975. Eight cars of those are stored in a state being able to work.

Sector garage

In addition, “a sector garage” built in 1914, the buildings such as “Kyu Nijo Ekisha” (old Nijo station buildings) built in 1904 which removed and rebuilt here, and a document of SL is the highlight, too.

Speaking of the museum which featured the theme of a railroad, the “Omiya Railroad Museum” (Saitama-shi) of JR East and the “Linear, Railroad Museum” (Nagoya-shi) of JR Central are famous, the Kyoto Railroad Museum of JR West added to that.

The structure and the security of the railroad

Not only the carriages display but also the facilities which visitors experience it, and can understand the structure and the security of the railroad, are established, too.

Compelling to look at 53 real carriages

It is compelling to look at 53 real carriages like the steam locomotive of C62 type, which is the Japan’s biggest passenger SL, and “0 series Shinkansen“ (Superexpress 0 series).

Information(Access, Price/Charge, Tel, Address, Official site, etc.)

Name:	Kyoto Railway Museum
Adresse:	Kankijicho Kyoto Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8835 Japan
Access:	JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line “Kyoto-eki Station” (20 minutes walk)
Tel:	(+81) 75-323-7334
Price:	General admission (18 years and older): 1,200 yen University and high school students: 1,000 yen Junior high and elementary school students: 500 yen Children (3 years and older): 200 yen Please refer the official web page.
Official site:	http://www.kyotorailwaymuseum.jp/