The SC Maglev and Railway Park is a railway museum that opened on March 14, 2011, in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. The museum is managed by JR Tokai, which is also responsible for the operation of the high-speed trains. It is a museum dedicated to the Shinkansen, Superconducting Maglev, and other high-speed trains.
The museum shows visitors the major advancements in high-speed rail in Japan and displays a range of current trains, including experimental shinkansen (bullet trains), historic steam locomotives, and the latest levitating trains.
The exhibition features various high-speed trains, from the most modern to trains from previous generations. The museum displays a collection of 39 retired train carriages, some of which can be seen inside. There is also the rare yellow test model 922 of the Shinkansen, known as “Doctor Yellow”. And the current model 923 of “Doctor Yellow”, which is also not commonly seen, is very popular with visitors to this museum.
Another section of the museum is dedicated to Maglev trains. JR Central plans to build a high-speed Maglev train that will connect Tokyo and Nagoya by 2027, and extend to Osaka in 2045. While other railway museums in Japan place greater emphasis on the past, the SCMaglev is decidedly focused on the future. This is largely a showcase for the Superconducting Maglev.
Also on display is the only steam train currently operating in Japan, as well as other historic trains.
In addition to the train exhibit, there are simulators for driving the Shinkansen and regular train lines, which are very popular with children.
There are also other attractions, such as the railway line diorama, the railway history room, the experimentation and learning room about the dynamic force of trains, etc. And in the restaurants, you can find food shaped like trains.
You can rent an audio guide that will allow you to listen to explanations and commentary on the museum’s main points of interest in Portuguese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
Audio Guide
iPad-like touchscreen devices can be rented for 500 yen. These devices present each exhibit and offer an overview of the Railway Museum, as well as providing easy-to-understand explanations of the rolling stock highlights using audio and images. Audio guides are offered in several languages. These audio guides will allow you to enjoy the museum even more, offering a deeper understanding of the railways.
Languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Opening Hours:
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
- Note: Tuesday is a day off (Yasumi).
Admission Fee:
- Adults (18 years and older): 1,000 yen
- Children (6 to 18 years): 500 yen
- Children (3 to 6 years): 200 yen
- Children (under 3 years): free admission
Simulator Fee:
- Shinkansen Driving Simulator: 500 yen
- Conventional Train Crew Simulator: 500 yen
- Conventional Train Driving Simulator: 100 yen
Parking: Not available
* Note: People usually go by train; the KINJOFUTO station is next to the Railway Museum. For those going by car, there’s a furniture store with ample parking in front, but parking is charged by the hour and is expensive.
End: Aichi, Nagoya, Minami-ku, Kinjofuto 3-2-2