If You Can Guess This From the Photo, You’re Quite the Expert
A question to start with: can you tell where this is?
Gachapin and Mook are waving. And then, for some reason, an enormous turnip.
“Wait — a turnip?” We genuinely did a double take.
Fairy Tales Hidden All Over the Place
Look closely and there are stories tucked in everywhere.
- Snow White
- Moon viewing
- The Three Little Pigs
- The Crab and the Monkey
There’s something irresistible about this particular sense of humour.
he Answer Is… the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park
This is the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park in Nagoya. We visited on 7 October 2023.
It’s a museum covering the history and future of the Shinkansen and maglev — but everything in those opening photographs comes from the museum’s diorama. More on that below.
The Maglev in the Flesh — “Why Is Its Face So Long?”
True to the name, the unmissable exhibit is the actual superconducting maglev vehicle.
The mascots’ first reaction on seeing it was this:
“Why is its face so long?”
Fair enough — that distinctive streamlined nose really does make an impression the first time. It’s a futuristic shape, quite different from a Shinkansen, and we stood looking at it for some time.
There’s a section explaining how superconducting maglev works, and the answer to “why is the face so long” is in there too. It leaves you rather keen for the day it actually runs.
A Lineup of Historic Shinkansen
The other major draw is the collection of actual Shinkansen vehicles. The 0 Series, 100 Series and 300 Series all gathered in one hall is quite a sight.
The one with real presence for us was the 151 Series limited express. The polished bodywork carries the engineering of its era rather well.
The Driving Simulators — We Didn’t Get to Try Them
The driving simulators are a popular attraction. To be honest about it: we didn’t get to use them.
Some of the simulators run on a numbered-ticket system, and they’re claimed almost as soon as the museum opens. By the time we thought about it, we were far too late.
If you’re going, check the numbered-ticket situation as soon as you’re through the door. Looking at the exhibits first is exactly what we did wrong. Homework for next time.
We Spent Nearly Two Hours in Front of the Diorama
Those opening photographs — Gachapin and Mook, the giant turnip, Snow White — all come from the museum’s diorama, one of the largest railway dioramas in Japan.
It recreates a day in Japan along the Tokaido Shinkansen: city blocks, farmland, hot spring towns in the mountains, all built in fine detail.
The remarkable part is the lighting, which moves through morning, afternoon and night. What’s more, the diorama compresses a full 24 hours into 20 minutes. Lights come on across the town at nightfall, and the Shinkansen runs with its headlights lit. Those twenty minutes are genuinely beautiful.
How far did it draw us in? We watched the 20-minute cycle two and a half times.
But that isn’t the whole of it. We stayed in front of the diorama during the gaps between cycles as well. All told, we spent close to two hours at this one exhibit.
The reason is that you look at different things during the cycle and between cycles. While the lighting is moving, your eye follows the whole scene changing. When it’s still, you can work through the detail properly. It was during those still periods that we spotted the fairy-tale characters.
Gachapin and Mook, the giant turnip, Snow White. Walk past once and you will not find them.
It’s easy to see why so many visitors say they enjoyed it despite not knowing much about railways. Hunting for Snow White with a child would be good fun.
The Doctor Yellow Exhibit Opened in June 2025
This happened after our visit, but the Doctor Yellow exhibit opened on 14 June 2025.
Doctor Yellow — the yellow inspection train said to bring good luck to anyone who spots it — ended scheduled operation in 2024. Having the actual vehicle on permanent display is reason enough to return.
We haven’t seen it yet. Next time we’re in Nagoya, we intend to go back properly — this time with a simulator ticket in hand and enough time set aside.
SCMAGLEV and Railway Park — Basic Information
| Address | 3-2-2 Kinjofuto, Minato-ku, Nagoya, Aichi |
| Access | 2 minutes on foot from Kinjofuto Station on the Aonami Line |
| Opening hours | 10:00–17:30 (closed Tuesdays) |
| Admission | ¥1,000 adults / ¥500 school age / free for preschool children |
| Date visited | 7 October 2023 |
Prices and opening hours are subject to change — please check the official site before visiting.
Summary | Two Hours Disappear at the Diorama Alone
| Highlight | In short |
|---|---|
| Superconducting maglev | That long nose, in person |
| Historic Shinkansen | 0, 100 and 300 Series lined up |
| The diorama | 24 hours in 20 minutes. We watched two and a half cycles and stayed nearly two hours |
| Driving simulators | Numbered tickets — claim one as you arrive |
| Doctor Yellow | On display since 14 June 2025 |
It’s a place that works for families as much as for railway enthusiasts. Give the diorama more time than you think it needs — we ended up spending close to two hours at that one exhibit.