Category: Railway Events & Museums

Four hours at the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park: the driver’s seat of the 955 Series 300X, and inside a 923 Series Doctor Yellow. Ninety minutes of it queuing.

Two years on, we went back to the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park. Last time we lost two hours in front of the model railway diorama and left without seeing half the museum. This visit we had two things in mind. One was the Doctor Yellow display, the one we described in our earlier article as “starting soon.” The other was open for these two days only. As it turned out, we ended up inside two different trains that day. Railway vehicles on display are usually something you look at from the outside. Days when you can get in are rare.

Arriving at 11:18, and Straight into the Queue for the 300X

It was a special opening of the interior and driver’s cab of the 955 Series Shinkansen test train, the “300X.” Two days only, 20 and 21 September, with roughly 1,000 people admitted each day on a first-come basis. The notice said you could sit in the driver’s seat.

We hesitated for a moment about joining. In the end we queued for about an hour, and it was the right call.

About the 300X: 443 km/h, set in 1996

The 300X was a Shinkansen test train developed by JR Central in pursuit of “the best and most advanced high-speed railway system.” Its formal designation is the 955 Series. The project began in July 1990, and on 26 July 1996 the train recorded 443.0 km/h – at the time the fastest speed ever achieved by an electric multiple unit. A photograph of the speedometer from that day is part of the display inside the museum.

Sitting in the Driver’s Seat, Somewhere Nobody Normally Goes

When our turn came, we boarded. Sitting down, we found a model of the 300X in a case right in front of us – looking at the shape of the very vehicle we were sitting in, from inside it.

And then the cab.

There is an instrument panel, a master controller and a brake handle, and three telephones lined up on the right. Through the windscreen we could see the people still waiting their turn. This is the cab of a test train, so what is laid out in front of the driver is not quite what you would find in a service train. Simply looking at the markings on the speedometer told us what this vehicle had been built to do.

The hour we had spent queuing stopped mattering.

Lunch Meant Another 30 Minutes in Line – Eaten Inside a Display Train

After the 300X came lunch. We bought bento boxes inside the museum.

That meant another thirty minutes of queuing. It was a Sunday, so this was hardly a surprise. We chose the Matsusaka Beef Gyumeshi and the Chiichai Korokoro Omusubi, 2,560 yen for the two of us. The latter is a set of small rice balls in five flavours.

The good thing about the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park is that you can eat what you have bought inside the display trains. Sitting in a Shinkansen seat and opening a station bento. The train is not moving, and yet it feels like travelling. Here too, being allowed inside is what makes the place enjoyable.

Inside the Doctor Yellow – Now a 923 Series

Fed and watered, we finally reached the Doctor Yellow.

The car on display is number 7 of the 923 Series T4 set, open to the public since 14 June 2025. This time we were able to go inside.

Looking up at the yellow nose, the mascots started making a fuss. The same yellow Shinkansen we saw at Shin-Osaka, they insisted. Strictly speaking it is not the same car – what we photographed that day was car 1, and what stands here is car 7. Even so, the yellow that swept past the platform in a few seconds is now standing still in front of us. That day all we could do was chase it. This time we could look for as long as we liked, and step inside as well.

We Spotted Doctor Yellow at a Live Event! Photographing the Legendary Train Near Shin-Osaka

The One on Display Two Years Ago Was the Older 922 Series

When we came here two years ago, the train in this spot was the previous generation, the 922 Series T3 set. After the 923 Series T4 set finished its working life in January 2025, the 922 was moved out on 7 June that year and the 923 took its place. The 922 that left is now on display at Train Park Hakusan in Ishikawa Prefecture. Come back to the same place after two years and the exhibit itself has been replaced. We had not expected that.

The Diorama at Night, and the Work of Maintenance

The Doctor Yellow is a maintenance vehicle: it inspects the track and the electrical equipment. Perhaps because of its arrival, the museum seemed to us to have more on maintenance than it did before.

The large diorama moves through the hours, and eventually night falls. Lights come on beside the darkened track, and looking closely we found a line of maintenance workers at work on the rails. It is a quiet scene, quite unlike the bright running sequences of the daytime. Somebody is out repairing the track during the hours when no trains run. We stood watching that for a while, struck that anyone had thought to model it.

The full-size exhibits were just as good. A pantograph and its contact wire are set close enough to touch. Normally these things are high above you and can only be looked up at; the chance to see one from the side is rare. The whole current is collected through a single point where the contact strip meets the wire. Seen properly, it looks a remarkably slender arrangement.

There was a model of a maintenance vehicle on display too – yellow and blue, carrying the machinery used to tamp and align the track. An unglamorous train, but laid out like this it gives you some sense of what goes on behind the scenes to keep a railway running.

What It Cost, and Where the Four Hours Went

Here is what we spent, and how the time broke down.

Admission: 1,200 yen per adult x 2 = 2,400 yen
Bento: Matsusaka Beef Gyumeshi + Chiichai Korokoro Omusubi = 2,560 yen
Total: 4,960 yen

We were there from 11:18 to 15:30 – four hours and twelve minutes.

To be honest about it, an hour and a half of that was spent queuing. An hour for the 300X, thirty minutes for lunch. Out of four hours, that is more than a third.

It still did not feel like a long visit. If anything, we ran short of time for the exhibits. If you expect to queue for something, the safest plan is to be there when the doors open at 10:00. Our 11:18 arrival was, on reflection, a little late.

In Summary: What We Couldn’t Do Last Time, We Did This Time

Our earlier article carried this heading: the driving simulator, which we never got a turn on. The queue never reached us.

Two years later, it was not a simulator we sat in but a real cab. And not just any cab: the one from a test train that recorded 443 km/h.

The display we described back then as “starting soon” is one we have now properly seen. There is something satisfying about a trip taken to close a loop you opened yourself.

Best of all this time was being allowed inside two trains – the cab of the 300X and the interior of the Doctor Yellow. Neither is somewhere you can normally go. We had thought of exhibited vehicles as things to be viewed from outside; from within, what you take away is a different thing entirely. The SCMAGLEV and Railway Park changes between visits. Sometimes the vehicles themselves are swapped out. It is not a place you can tick off after going once.

We Visited the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park! From Gachapin & Mook to a Giant Turnip

The man who drove the first Shinkansen out of Shin-Osaka on 1 October 1964 is ninety-three, and he was at Tokyo Big Sight on 22 August 2026 to talk about it. This is what he said, and what else I saw at the 25th International Model Railway Convention.

This Year’s Theme: The Shinkansen and the Eve of Its Opening

This was my second time at this convention. In 2024 a typhoon stopped me from going at all. In 2025 I finally made it, and this year makes two. Last year’s theme was freight trains

The convention ran for three days, 21 to 23 August, and I went on the Saturday. The venue was Tokyo Big Sight again, the same as last year. Looking down from above, the layouts fill the floor almost edge to edge, with people flowing between them. I was there from half past eleven until a little after five, five and a half hours in all

A 93-Year-Old on the Day the Shinkansen Began

The speaker was Wataro Oishi. On 1 October 1964, the day the Tokaido Shinkansen opened, he drove the first up train out of Shin-Osaka Station.

I was told he is ninety-three, and I did not believe it. Nothing in his voice or his delivery suggested it. The stories came out as though they had happened the day before.

According to his talk, on that opening day the drivers had been instructed to keep the speed down to 160 km/h, out of consideration for how the operation would be seen internationally. Oishi, though, wanted to reach 200 km/h. So he ran slowly at first, deliberately, and then made up the lost time — and in doing so finally touched 200 km/h, or about 124 mph.

The opening was nine days before the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics. The eyes of the world were on Japan. It is not hard to see why caution was called for.

He did it anyway. Watching him tell that story with the face of a child whose prank has come off was, honestly, the best thing I saw all day.

There was one more thing I have not been able to forget. The Shinkansen project itself had been opposed from many directions. It could not be done; nothing could run that fast. That was the air in which the driving training was carried out.

Sharpening a skill in the face of opposition, reaching the opening day, and then hitting a speed nobody had reached before — I heard the whole of it from the man himself.

There is something good about the view you get from taking on a challenge. Without those 200 km/h on that day, the Shinkansen we know might have taken a different shape.

What I Noticed in My Second Year: How the Booths Present Themselves

When I stood in this hall last year, I was simply overwhelmed. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of railway enthusiast.

In my second year, my eye went somewhere else: to how each booth presents itself.

Some had put out chairs so that visitors could sit down. That is a deliberate choice — it invites people to stop and look properly rather than drift past. Others had set their layouts low, at the eye level of a child.

Every booth is built as a place to show what its people love. It is not simply a matter of laying things out. Who you want to look, and how you want them to look, shows up in the height and the arrangement. Noticing that was what I took away this year.

I do not think I would have seen it without looking at the same hall twice.

Tikoppi and Presley Tried to Jump on the Models Again

Our two mascots came along, as always.

The photograph behind them is a display panel of Doctor Yellow, the yellow inspection train, which was on show at the venue (photograph by Kunihiko Tsuji).

And they were exactly as they always are. The moment they spot a model in motion they try to jump aboard, and stopping them is hard work. A hall with that many running layouts must have been nothing but temptation for those two.

My one regret is that I never got a photograph of that. I had my hands full holding on to them.

In Closing: What Changes Between the First Year and the Second

Last year I came home overwhelmed, thinking only that it was an extraordinary world. This year I could see further in — as far as how the people inside that world choose to show it.

And hearing Mr Oishi speak was something that could only have happened in a year whose theme was the Shinkansen. More than sixty years have passed since the line opened, and the number of people who can still describe that day from memory is small. Being able to hear that voice directly is what made the trip worth it.

I intend to go again next year. In the third year, perhaps something else will come into view.

Last year’s convention, with freight trains as its theme, is written up here → the 2025 convention

If you are interested in riding the Shinkansen yourself, the seat to ask for is here → the E seat on the Tokaido Shinkansen

What You’ll Learn in This Article

• How to get a numbered ticket for the “Pochi” railway model sale
• Details about Kyoto’s famous Kinshi-don and where to find it
• Kyoto’s bread culture and recommended bakeries in the Shijo area
• A model itinerary for an early morning Kyoto adventure

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Saturday Morning — Heading to Shijo Before Dawn!

Up before the shops on a Saturday: a ticket for the Pochi railway model sale on Kyoto’s Shijo-dori, then kinshi-don under a giant omelette at Kyogoku Kaneyo.

The Mascots were fidgeting with excitement — “Are we getting something?” But the shop we were heading to was still firmly closed. While the Mascots looked on in bewilderment, this was all part of a carefully laid plan.

The Shijo Area of Kyoto is easily accessible from Hankyu Kyoto Line’s Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station and JR Kyoto Station, with plenty of sightseeing, dining, and shopping on offer. Early morning on Shijo-dori, with almost no one around, offers a rare and precious glimpse of Kyoto’s quiet, peaceful side.

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Securing a Numbered Entry Ticket Before Opening — That Was the Whole Plan!

The shop opens at 10 AM — but numbered entry tickets are distributed before opening, which is why we set out so early in the morning (laughs).

With our ticket successfully secured, all that was left was to relax in a nearby café until opening time. A morning café in Kyoto is a truly special experience in itself.

Tips for Getting Your Numbered Ticket

• The more popular the event, the earlier you’ll need to arrive
• Check the official SNS accounts in advance for ticket distribution times
• Once you have your ticket, a nearby café is the perfect place to wait

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Time for the “Pochi” Railway Model Sale! Sneaking Off While the Mascots Sleep

When the time came, we made our way to the “Pochi” railway model sale.

But just at that moment, the Mascots surrendered to sleepiness and dozed off inside the bag. “Now’s our chance!” — and so, carefully avoiding waking them, we quietly slipped off to the battleground (laughs).

We successfully secured the trains we had our eyes on — an absolute dream for any railway model enthusiast!

“Pochi” Railway Models is a well-known shop specialising in the buying and selling of second-hand railway models. Their sales events often feature rare and limited-edition vehicles, drawing railway fans from all across Japan.

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Next Stop: Kinshi-don at the Legendary “Kyogoku Kaneyo”

With the model sale thoroughly enjoyed, it was time for a proper meal. Our destination was Kyogoku Kaneyo — a Kyoto institution, unmistakable by its famous signboard.

Here we enjoyed the Kinshi-don — a uniquely Kyoto dish in which a single, generous sheet of fluffy omelette is laid over an unagi (eel) rice bowl, so large it spills over the edge and hides the eel entirely. Paired with a beautifully dashi-flavored chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), the refined, elegant flavors were everything we had hoped for.

Kinshi-don is one of Kyoto’s most beloved local dishes. A bowl of unagi rice topped with egg — at Kyogoku Kaneyo, one large omelette rather than shredded strips — it carries the gentle, sophisticated flavors that define Kyoto cuisine.

Kyogoku Kaneyo has been serving guests for over 100 years and remains a firm favourite with both tourists and locals alike. Lunchtime can get busy, so arriving early is recommended!

One Last Treat Before Heading Back to Osaka

Back at Kyoto Station for a commemorative photo, we prepared for the return journey to Osaka — but not before stopping at one of Kyoto’s famous bakeries for a little something extra.

Kyoto is known as one of Japan’s most competitive cities for bakeries, and the Mascots were absolutely delighted to have secured a shio-pan (salt bread) for the journey home (laughs).

Kyoto’s bread culture ranks among the very best in Japan. The Shijo and Kawaramachi area is home to many popular bakeries, and food-hopping between them is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Make sure to add a bakery stop to your Kyoto itinerary!

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Model Itinerary for an Early Morning Kyoto Adventure

Time	Activity
Early Morning	Head to Shijo-dori to secure a numbered ticket
Morning	Wait at a nearby café until opening time
From 10 AM	Enjoy the “Pochi” railway model sale
Noon	Kinshi-don & chawanmushi lunch at Kyogoku Kaneyo
Afternoon	Commemorative photo at Kyoto Station / bakery stop
Evening	Return to Osaka

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Summary | Early Rising Is the Secret to a Perfect Kyoto Morning!

Spot	Highlights
“Pochi” Railway Model Sale	A must-visit event requiring a numbered ticket — fans travel from across Japan
Kinshi-don (Kyogoku Kaneyo)	Over 100 years of history — unagi rice under one enormous omelette
Kyoto Bakeries	Salt bread is a must — the perfect treat for the journey home

Kyoto rewards early risers — start your day before the crowds and you can pack an enormous amount into a single day. Popular spots and events often require numbered tickets or advance reservations, so always check ahead before you go!

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The same part of Kyoto, around Shijo, looks completely different during Gion Matsuri.

Elsewhere in Kyoto, the Railway Museum at Umekoji is two minutes’ walk from the station

Reaching Sendai at 18:17 on the Tanabata Festival’s final day, after the decorations were said to come down, we found them still up until around 21:00.

What this article covers

• How late the Sendai Tanabata decorations are actually up on the final day (we checked in person)
• Journey time from Tokyo to Sendai on the Hayabusa, with real departure and arrival times
• How the station, our hotel and the festival arcade sit in relation to each other, and how long the walks take
• Sendai food — grilled nodoguro, and a hotel late-night soba (with an allergy warning)

Leaving Tokyo at 16:44, on the Final Afternoon

Our “Tohoku Summer Trip 2025” began in Sendai, the City of Trees.

Sendai is home to the Sendai Tanabata Festival, held every year from 6 to 8 August. The only day we could get there was the last one, Friday 8 August — and everything we could find beforehand said the decorations came down around 6pm.

So why the final day, and why a late-afternoon departure? Because we had spent that morning at Tokyo Big Sight.

We were there for the railway convention we’d been forced to abandon the previous year because of a typhoon — a whole year’s wait, finally repaid. We stayed from 10am until 3pm, tore ourselves away, and hurried to Tokyo Station.

→ Visiting the 2025 Railway Convention | Theme: Freight Trains!

The train we threw ourselves onto was the Hayabusa No. 63, leaving Tokyo at 16:44.

Our journey Hayabusa No. 63, Tokyo 16:44 → Sendai 18:17 (1 hr 33 min, 351.8 km) Seats: Car 8, seats 19D and 19E (reserved)

Which meant that by the time we reached Sendai we were already seventeen minutes past the supposed finish. We spent most of the ride half resigned to missing it, agreeing that we’d run the moment we were off the platform.

The Sendai Tanabata Festival is one of the three great festivals of the Tohoku region, held annually from 6 to 8 August. Enormous handmade streamers fill the shopping arcades, drawing visitors from across the country, and a fireworks display is held on the eve of the festival.

The Festival Had Already Started Inside the Station

Coming through the ticket gates, we rather deflated — in a good way. The station concourse was already full of Tanabata decorations.

Streamers in red, blue and yellow hung from the ceiling, and the Shinkansen gates were framed by festival displays. The atmosphere had reached us before we’d even left the building.

So much for hurrying. We stopped right there.

The Hotel Was Five Minutes from the Station — First, a Wish

Rather than heading straight for the arcades, we checked in first, at the Richmond Hotel Premier Sendai Ekimae, about a five-minute walk from the station. Carrying luggage through crowded arcades seemed like a poor idea.

The hotel had set up a traditional Tanabata display of its own — bamboo hung with tanzaku, the paper strips you write a wish on. It had probably been decades since either of us last wrote one. We kept it simple and wished for a safe journey.

A hotel that makes something of the season adds more to a trip than you’d expect.

Into the Hapina Nakakecho Arcade — Still Plenty to See at Nearly 7pm

We headed for the Hapina Nakakecho shopping arcade. Walking and looking up at the decorations along the way, it took about ten minutes. By the time we arrived it was nearly 7pm.

A full hour past the “around 6pm” we’d been told. And yet — the decorations were still very much there.

Stepping into the arcade, the streamers fill the space above you entirely. Each one is handmade by an individual shop, and the invention on display is remarkable. Our eyes drifted upwards and our walking pace collapsed. There are so many places you want to photograph that making forward progress becomes difficult.

There were plenty of other visitors, too. Well past 7pm, people were still wandering and taking photographs.

It was only when we walked back to the hotel after dinner that the decorations were finally beginning to come down.

How late can you see them on the final day? (measured on 8 August 2025) From what we saw, the decorations were still fully photographable until around 9pm on the last day — considerably later than the “around 6pm” we’d found beforehand. If you’re arriving on the final evening and thinking of giving up, it’s worth going anyway.

We’d thought of ourselves as “just making it.” In truth there was rather more room than that. We hope that’s useful to anyone else currently panicking about the time.

A few practical notes

• The venue is a covered arcade, so rain isn’t a problem
• Each arcade has its own themes and character
• Evenings are busy — if you want a photograph without people in it, you’ll need patience

Finding Dinner Was the Hard Part

With the decorations seen, we went looking for dinner. This turned out to be the real challenge of the evening.

It was the last night of the festival, and every restaurant had a queue. The lines were long enough that we hesitated even at chain restaurants we’d normally walk past. After a hungry circuit of the area, we were drawn in by two characters on a sign — 伊達 (Date), the name of the samurai clan that founded Sendai — and stepped into a place called Kura no Sho (Date no Irori-yaki).

It was the right call. What we found there was grilled nodoguro.

The flesh is rich and falls apart in soft flakes, and the salt was judged perfectly — it dissolves in your mouth. It arrives whole, head to tail, the skin crisped over a charcoal grill. Put your chopsticks in and the flesh simply gives way. We both went quiet for a while.

Nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) is a prized fish caught mainly along the Sea of Japan coast. It’s so rich that it’s sometimes called “the toro of white fish,” and grilling it with nothing but salt really is the best way to eat it.

Back at the Hotel: Kamo Nanban Soba

We were, in theory, completely full. Then we got back to the hotel and found the late-night service running. What we were given was kamo nanban soba — duck and leek soba. Not ramen: proper Japanese soba. We worked through the warm broth as the Sendai night wore on.

The Richmond Hotel Premier Sendai Ekimae also offers free soft-serve ice cream and one free alcoholic drink. Between a late-night noodle bowl and dessert, there’s little need to overdo it out in town.

If you have a buckwheat allergy, please read this. Some Japanese hotel chains offer a free late-night noodle service known as yonaki soba, which despite the name is usually ramen — that is, wheat noodles. What we were served here was genuine soba, made from buckwheat. The names are similar; the ingredients are not. Buckwheat allergy can be severe. If it affects you, please check what’s actually being served before accepting it.

The Next Day: North to Kakunodate on the Komachi

Having had our fill of the Sendai evening, we headed further north the following day, boarding the Akita Shinkansen Komachi for Kakunodate.

→ Tohoku Summer Trip 2025 ② | Akita Shinkansen Komachi & Kakunodate

Summary | Arriving on the Final Evening Still Works

Getting there	Hayabusa No. 63, Tokyo 16:44 → Sendai 18:17 (1 hr 33 min, 351.8 km)
Festival dates	6–8 August, annually
Decorations on the final day	Still photographable until around 9pm (confirmed 8 August 2025)
Where we stayed	Richmond Hotel Premier Sendai Ekimae, about 5 min from the station
Hotel to the arcade	About 10 min on foot to Hapina Nakakecho
What to see	Handmade streamers in the arcades; displays inside Sendai Station
What to eat	Grilled nodoguro (Kura no Sho); kamo nanban soba at the hotel
Hotel extras	Late-night soba, soft-serve ice cream, one free drink
Booking note	Rooms go early during the festival — and restaurants queue on the final night
Next stop	Kakunodate, by Komachi

Arriving on the final evening turned out to be perfectly workable. Finishing work and throwing yourself onto a Shinkansen is a more realistic plan than it sounds.

Redemption at Last — This Year, We Finally Made It!

8 August 2025, Tokyo Big Sight. We finally made it to the railway convention we’d had to abandon the previous year because of a typhoon.

The summer before, we were in Kanazawa. The plan for the following day was to travel to Tokyo for this very event — but it coincided with a typhoon making landfall in the Kanto region. We held an emergency meeting the night before, gave up on Tokyo, and turned back west toward Nagoya via Toyama and Takayama instead.

→ From Nagoya to Kanazawa on the Shirasagi and Tsurugi | Day One, and the Typhoon That Cancelled Tokyo

We carried that disappointment around for a year. And this year’s theme turned out to be freight trains — which settled it. The mascots were more than ready.

What is the Railway Convention? A major event bringing together railway models, goods, and exhibitions — a must-attend gathering for railway enthusiasts from across Japan. Held at Tokyo Big Sight, it’s an event by railway fans, for railway fans, with the focus firmly on display and community rather than sales.

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Getting to Tokyo Big Sight

Access to the venue is straightforward and convenient.

By Train

• Yurikamome Line: 3-minute walk from Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimom Station
• Rinkai Line: 7-minute walk from Kokusai-Tenjijo Station

When Is It Held? The Railway Convention takes place once a year. Keep an eye on the official website and social media for announcements about dates and details.

So Many Types of Railway Fans! Overwhelmed by the Depth of the Hobby

Stepping into the venue, the vast floor of Tokyo Big Sight was packed wall-to-wall with railway-related displays.

What struck us most was the sheer diversity. “Railway fan” turns out to be an umbrella term covering a remarkable range of passions:

• Shinkansen enthusiasts — collecting models and materials on every generation of bullet train
• Steam locomotive devotees — deeply passionate about the mechanics and history of SL trains
• Tram fans — dedicated to the charming tram networks found across Japan
• Freight train followers — exploring the overlooked world of cargo rail
• Station building admirers — visiting and documenting unique station architecture nationwide

Rather than a sales event, the atmosphere was that of an exhibition that goes far beyond the level of a hobby — you could feel the love and dedication radiating from every display. This was a place where the true depth of the railway enthusiast’s world could be felt in person.

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Rediscovering the Appeal of Freight Trains — This Year’s Theme

This year’s theme was “Freight Trains” — a side of railway culture that doesn’t always get the spotlight it deserves. Yet freight trains are the unsung heroes of Japan’s logistics network.

Freight Train Fun Facts

• JR Freight operates cargo services across Japan’s rail network
• Types include container trains, tank wagons, and vehicle transport trains
• Many freight trains run late at night or in the early hours — making them rare and exciting targets for railway photographers

Thanks to this convention, we discovered a whole new dimension to enjoying railways — the world of freight!

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The Exhibit We Loved Most: The Real “Ozashiki Train”!

Among all the displays, the one that captured the Mascots’ hearts completely was this one.

A “tatami room train” — a miniature layout built on a traditional Japanese tatami mat, with freight trains and limited express vehicles running across it.

There’s something wonderfully heartwarming about watching tiny trains glide across a tatami floor. You could almost picture the joy of the person who put it together — every detail spoke of genuine affection for the hobby.

It was a moment that reminded us: there are no rules when it comes to enjoying model trains. Intricate dioramas, humorous displays — the freedom of expression is exactly what makes this world so endlessly fascinating.

“Ozashiki Train” traditionally refers to a tourist train with a Japanese-style tatami interior. But this display offered a wonderfully playful reinterpretation — running models on top of a tatami mat. Pure creative genius!

The Beautiful Diversity of “Loving Something”

The most lasting impression from this year’s convention wasn’t any single exhibit — it was the remarkable diversity of the people who love railways.

People meticulously crafting intricate models. People whose joy comes purely from watching trains run. Photographers. Collectors. Historians. All united by a shared love of railways, yet each finding their own completely unique way to express it.

With freight trains as the theme, we also gained a new appreciation for a corner of railway culture that rarely gets its moment in the sun. Broadening your gaze beyond the trains you ride to include the ones that keep Japan moving — it opens up a whole new world of railway enjoyment.

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Thinking About Starting Model Trains?

After walking through the convention, it’s hard not to feel inspired to try model railways yourself! For beginners, N gauge is the recommended starting point.

Why N Gauge?

• Compact size — doesn’t take up much space
• Wide price range — accessible for beginners
• Huge variety of vehicles available
• Highly expandable — you can grow your layout gradually

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Summary | The Railway Convention Is a Must for Every Railway Fan

Item	Details
Event Name	Railway Convention 2025
Venue	Tokyo Big Sight
This Year’s Theme	Freight Trains
Access	3-min walk from Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimom Station (Yurikamome)
Highlights	Displays that go far beyond hobby level
Top Exhibit	The tatami-mat train layout
Recommended For	Railway fans, model enthusiasts, families

This year’s convention — our long-awaited redemption visit — exceeded every expectation. The depth of passion in the railway community, and the sheer joy of people sharing what they love, made for an unforgettable experience. We can’t wait to see what theme next year’s convention will bring!　the 2026 convention, on the Shinkansen

We spent five solid hours at the venue, from 10am to 3pm. And then we hurried straight to Tokyo Station — because that same evening, we were carrying on north.

We threw ourselves onto the Hayabusa No. 63, departing Tokyo at 16:44, bound for Sendai. It was the final day of the Sendai Tanabata Festival.

→ Tohoku Summer Trip 2025 ① | We Just Made the Sendai Tanabata Festival — Racing North on the Hayabusa

If you’re travelling in from a distance, carrying straight on with a trip after the convention works rather well. Catch an evening Shinkansen, as we did, and you can be a long way from Tokyo by nightfall.

The Thunderbird covers Osaka to Kyoto in 27 minutes, booked 13 minutes ahead for 450 yen. Two visits to the Kyoto Railway Museum, two very different crowds.

What this article covers

• What we actually paid to travel Osaka–Kyoto on a limited express
• Buying a limited express ticket thirteen minutes before departure
• How long to allow at the Kyoto Railway Museum, and when to claim the SL ride ticket
• A weekday between holidays versus the middle of Golden Week — how different the crowds really are

Why Take the Thunderbird from Osaka to Kyoto at All?

Osaka to Kyoto takes about thirty minutes on an ordinary train. We chose the Limited Express Thunderbird anyway.

The mascots insisted on it. Riding a Tsuruga-bound limited express just as far as Kyoto felt slightly absurd — but a good number of overseas visitors were doing exactly the same thing, which told us something about the Thunderbird’s appeal.

First visit — the journey (1 May 2024, Wednesday) Limited Express Thunderbird No. 21 — Osaka 12:12 → Kyoto 12:39 (27 minutes) Seats: Car 9, seats 16C and 16D (ordinary car) WESTER Point Ticketless: ¥450 + 200 points per person This is the limited express charge only — a separate base fare ticket is also required

We Bought the Ticket Thirteen Minutes Before Departure

This is the part worth passing on.

The payment went through at 11:59. The train left at 12:12. Thirteen minutes.

People will tell you to book limited express seats well in advance. For this particular journey, we bought it on a phone after arriving at the station — and with points applied, it came to ¥450 per person.

You can decide on a whim to take the express and still make it. Since realising that, the trip to Kyoto has felt a little more indulgent.

The second visit (below) was much the same: purchased 43 minutes before departure.

A note for visitors from overseas The WESTER Point Ticketless fare we used requires a JR West WESTER account and accumulated points, so it isn’t something most short-term visitors can take advantage of. The transferable point is this: on the Osaka–Kyoto stretch, the Thunderbird does not need booking weeks ahead. Seats were available shortly before departure on both of our visits. If you’re deciding on the day, you have options.

Getting to the Kyoto Railway Museum

It’s about a twenty-minute walk from Kyoto Station — but only two minutes on foot from JR Umekoji-Kyotonishi Station. With luggage, or on a hot day, the second option is far better.

Claim the SL Steam Locomotive Ticket the Moment You Arrive

What got the mascots most excited was the SL Steam Locomotive ride — carriages pulled by a genuine steam engine. It’s a short run, but it holds adults just as firmly.

The ride requires a separate numbered ticket. We claimed ours immediately on entering, which turned out to be the right call.

We have form here. At another railway museum we left it until after looking round the exhibits, and by then the tickets for the equivalent attraction were long gone.

→ We Visited the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park (where we missed the simulator tickets)

At a railway museum, get the numbered ticket first. The exhibits will wait. The tickets won’t.

The Model Railway Diorama Show

An intricately built townscape with trains running through it. The mascots pressed their faces to the glass — “That train’s moving! It looks real!”

There are also driving simulators, though we didn’t try those on this visit. Something for next time.

We Stayed Four Hours, Including Lunch

We ate at the museum restaurant and spent four hours there in total.

The building has three floors, and the highlights are spread widely.

• 1F Promenade and Main Hall — a C62 steam locomotive among others, with some vehicles you can board and sit in the driver’s seat
• 2F Vehicle & System — how railways work and how they developed, with plenty of hands-on displays
• 3F Observation Terrace — views over Kyoto and Umekoji Park, and you can watch real trains running
• The roundhouse — over twenty preserved vehicles arranged around a turntable. This is the showpiece

Two hours for a quick visit; four if you want to take your time. That’s a fair way to plan it.

The Souvenir: Chocolate-Coated Baumkuchen

From the museum shop we picked up a chocolate-coated baumkuchen (¥864 including tax).

The packaging carries a railway design and is almost too nice to open. We opened it, and it was very good. The shop is strong on sweets as well as the usual railway merchandise.

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Then in 2026, We Came Back for the 10th Anniversary

The Kyoto Railway Museum opened on 29 April, and reached its tenth anniversary in 2026.

We returned to mark it on 3 May 2026.

The Museum Was Decked Out for the Anniversary

The entrance carried elaborate anniversary decorations, with more scattered throughout the building. At the photo spots the mascots elbowed each other out of the way to pose.

In front of the steam locomotives and Shinkansen it was the same — “Take a photo with me!” “Me too!” The atmosphere of a place marking ten years is infectious.

We Got the 10th Anniversary Commemorative Ticket

The object of the day was the 10th anniversary commemorative ticket. The mascots were airborne when we managed to get hold of one.

Commemorative tickets are issued in limited numbers. If you want to be certain of one, arriving as the museum opens is the safe approach.

And the Thunderbird Home Again

Second visit — the journey (3 May 2026, Sunday) Limited Express Thunderbird No. 26 — Kyoto 16:10 → Shin-Osaka 16:32 (22 minutes) Seats: Car 5, seats 7A and 7B (ordinary car) WESTER Point Ticketless: ¥450 + 200 points per person Purchased 43 minutes before departure

Faced with that blue streamlined nose again, the mascots were every bit as excited as the first time. They sank into their seats and talked through the day all the way home.

When to Go | What Two Visits Taught Us About Crowds

This is the part we could only write by going twice.

	First visit	Second visit
Date	1 May 2024 (Wednesday)	3 May 2026 (Sunday)
Timing	A working day between holidays	The middle of Golden Week
Crowds	Genuinely quiet	Busy throughout

Golden Week is Japan’s cluster of public holidays running from late April into early May, and it is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. But it isn’t uniform: a few working days fall in the middle of it, and they behave completely differently.

The museum’s own anniversary falls on 29 April, which pulls extra visitors in during exactly this period. Go on one of the working days in the gap, though, and it was remarkably comfortable.

If your dates are flexible, aim for a weekday in the middle of Golden Week rather than the holidays themselves. If you’re going for an anniversary event, accept the crowds and arrive as the doors open.

Kyoto Railway Museum — Basic Information

Address	Kankiji-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
Access	2 min walk from JR Umekoji-Kyotonishi Station / about 20 min from Kyoto Station
Hours	10:00–17:30 (last entry 17:00)
Closed	Wednesdays (the following day if a public holiday), and over New Year
Admission	¥1,500 adults / ¥1,300 university and high school / ¥500 junior high and elementary / ¥200 age 3+
Dates visited	1 May 2024 and 3 May 2026

The museum was open on the Wednesday of our first visit, during the Golden Week period. Check the official site for current opening days before you go. Prices are subject to change.

Summary | Taking the Express on Purpose

Journey	Limited Express Thunderbird (Osaka–Kyoto 27 min / Kyoto–Shin-Osaka 22 min)
Limited express charge	¥450 + 200 points with WESTER Point Ticketless (base fare separate)
Booking	Bought 13 minutes before departure
Time at the museum	Four hours, including lunch
Numbered tickets	Claim the SL ride ticket on arrival
Best timing	A working day in the middle of Golden Week
Souvenir	Chocolate-coated baumkuchen, ¥864

A question to start with: can you tell where this is? Gachapin, Mook and a giant turnip, hidden in the dioramas of the SCMAGLEV and Railway Park in Nagoya.

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.

The 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.

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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 didn’t see it on this visit, but we went back in September 2026 and finally did — stepping inside it, and sitting in the driver’s seat of the 300X, which was open for two days only.

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 (last entry 17:00, closed Tuesdays)
Admission	¥1,200 adults / ¥500 school age / ¥200 preschool children aged 3 and over(Prices as of September 2026)
Date visited	7 October 2023

Prices and opening hours are subject to change — please check the official site before visiting. (Prices as of September 2026)

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.

There is also an account of the day I happened upon a Doctor Yellow boarding event near Shin-Osaka.

We visited the Kyoto Railway Museum twice, and the difference in crowds was striking

We went back two years later: the Doctor Yellow is now a 923 Series, and we sat in the cab of the 300X.