Shikoku Railway Cultural Center, Railway museum in Saijo, Japan
The Shikoku Railway Cultural Center is a railway museum in Saijo housed in two connected buildings displaying several full-size trains. The collection features early high-speed trains and older diesel locomotives that illustrate Japan's railway technology development across different eras.
The museum opened in 2007 as the first railway museum in the Shikoku region, marking an important milestone for the preservation of local railway history. This founding established a dedicated space to document the region's role in Japan's broader railway development.
The museum honors the role of railways in connecting Japan and shaping modern society through exhibits that show how trains transformed the nation. Visitors experience not just old vehicles, but learn how railways became woven into daily life across the country.
Plan to spend at least 2 to 3 hours to explore the exhibitions in both buildings thoroughly and view the trains at a comfortable pace. Arriving early in the day is helpful since the spaces can become crowded during midday hours.
Visitors can step into real train cockpits and walk through passenger cars, experiencing firsthand what traveling by rail felt like in different periods. A large-scale miniature diorama displays the railway routes that connected all four prefectures of Shikoku.
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