Japan is well known as home to Toyota, Honda, Mazda and other car manufacturers. However, within the country, it seems as though the rail system is what rules the landscape. I don’t believe any country on Earth has a rail system so well developed and operated as that of Japan. In fact, you could live your entire life in Japan, getting anywhere you’d ever want without owning a car. The way to get there is by rail or bus.
There are numerous railway museums in Japan, and if you’re a train buff, then you’ll be in heaven. But the SCMAGLEV Museum is unique among all others in that it focuses on the magnetic levitating train or “MAGLEV”. This is a train that actually floats through the air above the tracks at more than 300 miles per hour! Because it doesn’t physically touch the tracks (except when accelerating from the station or decelerating into a station), the ride is smooth as silk.
The first line is well under construction between Tokyo and Nagoya which once opened in 2027, will cut train time from nearly 90 to under 45 minutes. One reason for creating such a mega project is that with this timing, it will allow people living in Nagoya to actually commute to work in Tokyo. The only other country in the world with this operating technology is China, and with the new MAGLEV rail, Japan’s rail system takes a quantum leap forward.
In addition to the MAGLEV, this museum features current shinkansen (“bullet train”) along with older rolling stock. You’ll also find the largest model train diorama in Japan which is a delight for young and old. There are numerous interactive exhibits explaining how Japan Rail Group keeps the trains running safely and like clockwork. Located just 23 minutes south of Nagoya Station with no transfers, this place is very easy to get to by local train.
And as an added bonus for those with kids, the Lego Land theme park is less than half a mile away, so if you want to let off some energy and spend a few more yen, that’s your place!