Chugga, chugga, choo, choo - a trip to Kyoto

When we first decided to move to Japan, my husband and I spent lots of time talking about all the things we wanted to show and experience with our son.  From celebrating New Year to eating at specific restaurants to riding the train, we had a very long list.  One of the things my husband wanted to do with our son was take him to the Kyoto Railway Museum.  His father had taken him to a similar museum in Osaka (that has since closed) when he was young and he wanted to have that same experience with our son.

When planning our trip to Kyoto, going to this museum was one of the main reasons for us to go. 

It made me laugh that we needed to take bus from the train station to go to the museum.  We could have walked, but we could not take a train.  We headed over in the afternoon (after visiting Miwa and Nara in the morning).  Luckily the guys had enjoyed a quick nap on the train back to Kyoto, recharging their batteries before the big event.

We walked up to the large white building, and immediately noticed three trains behind a metal fence.  My son squealed with joy at the sight of the Shinkansen.  He was going to get to explore trains up close and personal.

The Kyoto Railway Museum has been delighting train enthusiasts, young and old since only 2016.  Once inside the doors, we were able to walk around and touch more than a dozen trains of various times periods and models.  I thought it was so interesting to see.  But, my son thought it was exciting and interesting.  We could only board a couple of the trains, which surprised me.  However, they did let kids (and adults) climb into the drivers seat of the Shinkansen and a couple other trains as well. 

At first, we just went back and forth between all the trains.  Visiting different trains and exploring them in the promenade, roundhouse, and first floor of the museum. 

The train engine for the Imperial Family.

The trains in the roundhouse were decorated for New Years.

We paid a bit more (¥300 each) to enjoy a ride on a steam engine.

Inside the museum, we continued exploring.  There was so much to see and do.  My son loved touching all the hands-on exhibits.  I was so impressed with the variety and depth of information.  One of the most interesting things we saw was the entrance gate machine that we utilize every time we ride the train.  First you had to get a ticket from the ticket machine, just like in the actual train station.  Then, you put your ticket into the machine and watch through Plexiglas as it feeds through the machine.

There were also simulators that only the lucky ones could use.  The experience was offered via lottery.  My husband and son were granted a chance to play with the simulators.  After a short tutorial, they each sat at a console and drove their trains.  My son did it while donning a train conductors uniform, which only made it that much more special for him.

I enjoyed this museum to the best of my abilities.  Afterwards my son asked me if I liked the museum, and I responded "my joy at the museum was watching your joy."  To be totally honest, I couldn't get a lot of walkaways from this museum because there wasn't any translated information.  All of the placards only had English labels, no explanations.  Being that I am in Japan, I don't particularly mind that I am not being catered to.  I am not so self absorbed that I think everything must be made easier for me.  But with the sheer number of foreigners that I saw in this museum, I expected to see more information offered in other languages.  My enjoyment was really limited to what I could decipher.  Since I'm not the real train buff, that was fine with me.  But I know that this museum offers a lot more than I walked away with.

I'm so glad we were able to take our son here.  He loved it.  When we ask him what he liked the most about going to Kyoto - he reports the train museum was his favorite.