The Kyoto Railway Museum and It's Precious Trains

This video, titled "Things to Do: Kyoto Railway Museum [4K]," is an introduction to the Kyoto Railway Museum located in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture in Japan's Kansai region.
It is produced by Discover Kyoto.

You can feel the history and tradition of Japanese railways at the Kyoto Railway Museum.
It houses valuable train cars and is also one of the biggest railway museums in Japan.
With beautiful 4K images, you can watch popular train cars from both the past and present.

Experience the excitement you once felt as a child when you first saw a train, with this video.

Various Experiences at the Kyoto Railway Museum

Source :YouTube screenshot

The main attraction of the museum is that you can experience riding a train car that is led by a real steam locomotive, the SL Steam.
There are limited opportunities to ride a steam locomotive in Japan, so it'll definitely be an experience to remember.
You can see the steam locomotives at the start of the video.

After a day's work, the cinders are removed, and new coals and water are loaded.
This process is referred to as feeding water to the boiler.
Watching the steam locomotive dynamically change direction is a sight to behold.
You can see your favorite cars up close and personal as they're displayed in the vehicle factory.

You can train yourself as a train driver with the driving simulator in the new building which was reopened in 2018 (1:27)

You can try operating a bullet train, too!
In addition, there is a corner where visitors can try out the ATS/ATC experience, a train safety system that uses a camera mounted on a model train, a CTC display, a centralized vehicle management system, and there's also a track cycle experience as well.

The railway diorama quite elaborate; diorama shows are performed by specialized operators with pictures, lights, and announcements.
It is just like you are watching a live feed.
You can actually purchase a train ticket and put it through a transparent automatic ticket gate, and learn about the structure of the gate.

It's a Great Place for Kids!

Source :YouTube screenshot

The museum is well suited for kids as well. They can enjoy a spacious playground and a large W7 series model; they can spend the whole day there without getting bored.

The video shows the kids’ park around 1:52.
It's also unique in that there are a number of facilities where you can actually touch and learn about how railways work, such as, through the reproduction of a station.
You can see reproductions of stations from the start of Showa Era (circa 1926) to the present.
There also are sections where you can learn about the structure of a coupler, signals, blocks, and coordinating points.

The Sky Terrace is on the third floor; you can see trains and bullet trains from the rooftop.
You can take pictures of JR trains with cherry blossoms in the spring that go through Umekoji Park (2:00).

The Facilities and Train Car Displays

Source :YouTube screenshot

There are various facilities at the museum.
The Library, Special Exhibition Room, Life and the Railway, the Promenade, Twilight Plaza, Steam Locomotive No. 2 Service Shed, Roundhouse Platform, The Former Nijo Station House, Job Station, History Station, and Future Station are not to be missed.

Among the fifty-three displayed train cars, there is the SL Steam, Bullet train, Sleeper Express Train, Bonnet-type Express Train (one of the National Railway’s major trains), Heavy Capacity Flatcars, Container Express trains, Diesel locomotives, and Diesel Cars.

Access to the Museum

The Kyoto Railway Museum is easily accessible from Umekoji-Kyotonishi Station which was opened in March 2019.
There is no parking lot available, so you should park your car at nearby metered-parking.

If you ride a bus to the museum, you can buy a one-day ticket with 10% off. You can also get a great deal if you buy a ticket for Kyoto Railway Museum and Kyoto Aquarium as a set.
An advance ticket is very convenient as you can avoid waiting in a line.

Restaurants at the Museum

There is a restaurant in the museum where you can have lunch looking out big windows at bullet trains.

A boxed lunch and kids’ lunch are also available in the dining car of a blue train, which is known as a moving hotel.
Umekoji Park Café in Kyoto Umekoji Park is only a minute away on foot from the museum. It is a very popular place to eat, too.

Recommended Souvenirs

Getting souvenirs is one of the greatest experiences when visiting Japan.
Otabe, which is famous for Nama Yatsuhashi, a Japanese-style confectionery, and Fugetsudo, a long-established confectioner, collaborated with the museum to produce a souvenir whose package features a train. It is a very well-received souvenir.

Visit Kyoto Railway Museum

Photo：Kyoto Railway Museum

The museum collaborated with a popular Japanese toy called Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion in 2019, and a stamp collecting event was also held at the museum.

After watching the video, you must be itching to visit the museum. Be sure to check out the video if you haven't yet. It's full of amazing trains that'll get your heart racing!

◆Kyoto Railway Museum◆
【Address】Kankijicho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, 600-8835
【Access】Approximately 2 minutes on foot from Umekoji-Kyotonishi station
Approximately 20 minutes on foot from JR Kyoto Station
【Entrance fee】Adults: 1,200 yen (~$12 USD)
University and high school students: 1,000 yen
Junior high and grade school students: 500 yen
Children (3 years and older): 200 yen
【Hours】10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
【Closures】Wednesdays except on holidays, year-end and New Year holidays(as of November 2019)
【Parking】None
【Telephone No】+81-570-080-462

【Official Website】Kyoto Railway Museum
http://www.kyotorailwaymuseum.jp/en/

【Tripadvisor】Kyoto Railway Museum https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298564-d10251298-Reviews-Kyoto_Railway_Museum-Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html