The Railway Museum is among those places that have been around for a long time. It was established in the late nineteenth century as the Japanese recognized the possibilities that traveling by train could bring them. The aim then was not only to demonstrate the mode of transportation was safe, but also to prove the ability of the railroad to be an instrument of communication and commerce as well. Today the Museum is one of the places in town that showcase some of the rich history of Japan and it attracts thousands of people who come here to learn more about this interesting past.
The railway museum was designed to honor the memories of the rail engineers and the people who helped build the country’s first transcontinental railroad. In particular, the Shinkansen Nozomi Express Train Museum in Gion Kobu continues to impress with its impressive display of the original platform. The Museum features two main sections: the “Kanbun” section which showcases the rail engineer training center, and the “Hatsumoto” section which houses the original Japanese Rolling Stock Cars. There are also sections devoted to the history of the trains, the technology used by the engineers, the colours that were used on the trains, and the stories told by enthusiasts. All these areas offer interesting facts about the trains and their use in the Japanese society in the past, as well as a glimpse of the challenges that the Japanese railway engineers faced. These sections are beautifully designed and include photographs and other items that help visitors get an in-depth idea of how these important events took place.
One of the most popular sections in the railway museum is the Nozomi Nozo School, which demonstrates the significance of the Nozomi Railway to the local economy. The school was originally built with twenty one cars, but later were replaced with ten gauge cars in 1931. The twenty one cars had been manufactured by the Meiji Shrine company, and many of the cars are believed to have been used to carry supplies and perform other important jobs during the Shinto period. The Nozomi Nozo School has been successfully operating for over three hundred years, carrying out a continuous service until the end of this century. Another section of the railway history allows visitors to view the prototype of the first “Shakan” trains, as they are called, which were introduced into the Nozomi Nozo Railway in 1917.
The Meiji shrine is another important element of the railway museum app. It was located to the south of Tokyo and south of the capital of Heisei, and linked directly to the railway line known as the Heisei Line. The route of the line went from Tokyo to the southern most parts of Japan, and links the various regions of Showa, Okayama and Ogasawara. Some of the stations in the line were transferred to other networks including the Hankyu Railway in Japan, the Chunhachi Railway in Korea and the Chuo Line in Taiwan. One section of the museum displays the original wooden Nozomi wooden Shiki that was used to transport passengers from the Meiji shrine to the capital of Tokyo. The carriages were actually drawn by oxen.
The Museum also displays a wide selection of Japanese locomotives. They range in sizes and detail, and even include prototype steam locomotives that were built prior to World War II. One particular section displays a restored steam locomotive called the Ogasawara. This train was featured in a number of movies and books, and it was even used in one episode of “The Perfect Model Train” as well as the Japanese television series, “The Legend of the Six Flags”. Other locomotives showcased in the museum’s section include the Seikan Tunnel, Hitachi Electric Railway, and the Okayama Railway. All of these trains have helped shape Japan’s rail industry to the way it is today.
The most important feature of the museum however is the huge collection of photographs and actual machinery that accompanied the trains. The South Bldg is an open air depot where passenger and freight traffic comes into close proximity to the trains. Many passenger trains were built here and some of them are still running around Japan. The depot was originally constructed in the 1920s, and even has a statue commemorating its centennial year in 2021.
