Love Japanese trains? Then you simply must ride the Shinkansen to The Railway Museum! Located in Omiya, Saitama Prefecture, The Railway Museum is the perfect Tokyo day trip for railfans, big and small, young and old.I recently took a weekend trip to The Railway Museum using the Shinkansen with my mini rail fan little Kaiju, and here’s how we did it! (Update: we’ve already used this ticket twice three five times and it’s certainly worth it! )
Why Use The Shinkansen?
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At first, you might think it’s a bit excessive (and expensive) to use the Shinkansen. After all, the one-way Tokyo-Omiya trip is right under an hour using the Keihin Tohoku Line and just half an hour on the Ueno Tokyo Line.
So, why spend nearly 3,000 yen on a one way ticket to Omiya using the Shinkansen to save just 25 minutes?
Because if you’re a railfan, you certainly can’t miss a ride on the Shinkansen — especially when you can combine your love of Japanese trains, ride the Shinkansen AND and visit the Railway Museum for just ¥3,980! (After the October 2019 sales tax hike, it’s now ¥4,050.)
READ: Toddler Fun At The Railway Museum in Omiya, Saitama
Introducing The Shinkalion X Teppaku Ticket
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The Shinkalion X Teppaku Ticket (シンカリオン x てぱっくきっぷ) is a wonderfully cost-effective way to get your train fix.
Shinkalion, by the way is a Saturday morning cartoon (TBS at 7am) based on a line of transforming Shinkansen toys. It’s also on Amazon Prime and new episodes are up the following Sunday. The official name is Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkarion (新幹線変形ロボ シンカリオン).
The best way I can describe the show is to think of it as Evangelion without all the hard pseudo Christian imagery and the kids all seem to come from loving homes. I’ve learned so much about Shinkansen thanks to the show, it’s like the Shinkansen Wikipedia!
The mission control is The Railway Museum, which was renovated and reopened in early July 2018. So, it makes sense that there’s a special ticket dedicated to/inspired by the show.
The Ticket Includes:
Transportation from your nearest JR station (defined as 東京都区内の各駅) in Tokyo to JR Ueno or JR Tokyo Station
Round trip non-reserved seats on any Shinkansen from Tokyo/Ueno to Omiya (except on the Komachi, Hayabusa, or Kagayaki, which are all reserved seats).
Definitely make room in your schedule to spend time looking at all the different Shinkansen at Tokyo Station.
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READ: How to See Shinkansen at Tokyo Station
Round trip train fare on the New Shuttle connecting Omiya Station to Onari Station (where the Railway Museum is located)
On the way to the New Shuttle you’ll see a tiny gift shop selling train-related stuff.
SKIP IT.
The gift shop (Trainiart) inside The Railway Museum is huge and has almost everything you could ever imagine (ties, stationery, totebags, snacks, toys, books, an entire section full of Shinkalion stuff).
Entrance to the Railway Museum
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FREE swag! A Shinkalion IC card holder and a map of Japan’s railways (kids 3 and over get an original notebook).
From April 1 2019, ticket holders get a postcard along with a Shinkalion IC card holder.
For 3,980 (4,050) yen it’s definitely a bargain!
How To Purchase
The Shinkalion Teppkau ticket is available for purchase only at the blue Reserved Seat Ticket Vending Machines (指定席券売機 | shiteisekikenbaiki) inside JR stations.
The tickets can be used between now and March 31, 2020 on any day except Tuesdays (when the Museum is closed) and the New Year’s holiday period.
First, touch おトクなきっぷ (otoku na kippu | special tickets).
Next, touch おトクなきっぷ again.
Then, touch 次を見る (tsugi wo miru | next page).
Look for シンカリオンxてっぱくきっぷ (Shinkalion Teppkau Kippu).
Select your intended date of use (up until 30 days in advance).
Touch the panel representing your party.
Confirm your details and press 確認 (kakunin | confirm).
Pay!
Wait for all your tickets to come out and be sure to keep them somewhere safe!
The ticket going to the museum is シンカリオンxてっぱくきっぷ (ゆき)
and return ticket is シンカリオンxてっぱくきっぷ (かえり).
The Shinkalion Teppaku ticket is on sale until March 31, 2019, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to ride the Shinkansen to the Railway Museum!
The Shinkalion Teppkau ticket is available until March 31, 2020.
Be sure to check out the official JR home page for details (link in Japanese).
BONUS: Railway Museum Station Lunch Boxes (Ekiben | 駅弁)
