Opened in 2016 as the Kyoto Railway Museum, and with a budget of some 7 billion yen, the West Japan Railway Company transformed the former Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum into a brand new and modern facility.
Located in Shimogyo-ku in central Kyoto, the museum features five exhibition zones and an impressive collection of trains and other railway-related displays.
The three-storey main hall houses an incredible display of trains and carriages. You can enter many of them and view them from several angles—including from underneath. The highlight is a JR500 bullet train.
A historical roundhouse, designated as an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government, is another must-see at the museum. This historic shed houses a collection of steam locomotives. Here, visitors can watch skilled tradesmen restore and perform maintenance on some of these fascinating vehicles.
There are over 50 pieces of rolling stock on display, most of them beautifully restored. The collection includes steam locomotives dating back to 1880, as well as diesel and electric locomotives. Among the collection are several Shinkansen bullet trains, including some of the very first examples from 1964.
The museum is also home to the former Nijo Station, which was relocated to the site. This beautiful building now houses a gift shop packed with everything a train enthusiast could wish for.
One of the world’s largest working model train dioramas is another must-see at the museum. There’s also the opportunity to try your hand at driving a train in one of the realistic simulator exhibits. But for the proper rail experience, a visit isn’t complete without taking the one-kilometre ride on a real steam locomotive around the museum grounds.
The museum is usually open six days a week and typically closed on Wednesdays. The Kyoto Railway Museum is around a 15-minute walk west from Kyoto Station and is located close to the Kyoto Aquarium. Several buses also leave the station and stop at a museum bus stop.
Official Website:
https://www.kyotorailwaymuseum.jp/en/
