[The Magic of Art 07] Hara Model Railway Museum: Experience the intricate craftsmanship and realistic running sounds

The Hara Model Railway Museum, located in Yokohama, the birthplace of railways, displays what is said to be the world's largest collection of railway models, created and owned by Hara Nobutaro, a railway model maker and collector. This time, we spoke with the staff at the museum, where you can enjoy railway models from all over the world and eras with your eyes and ears, and get the feeling of traveling.

The charm of manufacturing conveyed by Shintaro Hara

Hara is also known as the first passenger to ride Japan's first passenger subway (now the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line). He loved trains from a young age, riding them himself, taking photos, making models, and was also passionate about collecting "first-class tickets." He began studying English in elementary school to learn about trains overseas, and mastered German, French, Spanish, and Italian in junior high and high school. He then mastered Russian before entering university, and went on to study railway technology at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (now Tokyo University of Science).

-It's a beautiful museum.

Of Shintaro's collection of approximately 6,000 items, approximately 1,000 model trains are on display and in operation.
One of the highlights of the museum is the reproduction of railway vehicles from around the world, primarily from Japan, Europe, and America, from the era when railways made remarkable progress, from steam locomotives to electric locomotives. You can enjoy the world's railways without leaving Yokohama. Other highlights include approximately 100,000 stills photographed by Shintaro, a total of approximately 440 hours of movie footage, antique models, numerous first-class train tickets, and actual railway parts.

-I was particularly impressed by the first exhibition room, where Hara's representative works are displayed, and the first model he made as a young boy.

This is an imaginary locomotive called "No. 8000" that he built when he was in sixth grade. The body was made from leftover planks from repairing the roof of a house, and the complex German-style pantograph was handmade from bent wire. This vehicle is also used as the museum's logo, and it is the first locomotive of the Shangri-La Railway, the utopian railway that Shintaro envisioned.

-The bogies and rails are all handmade, and I was surprised that the springs are movable.

Shintaro loved trains and technology, and whenever there was a technological innovation, he would travel anywhere in the world to see it, ride it, and capture it on camera and 16mm film, which were rare at the time. His vast collection of railway, travel, and technology-related materials can also be seen at the museum. Shintaro's train models are widely praised as "tiny miniatures" because they faithfully reproduce actual trains.

A spectacular diorama with a total length of 450 meters

The highlight of the museum is the huge diorama "Ichiban Tetsumo Park" in the center of the building.
An intricate model train races through the world's largest diorama, expressing the worldview of Hara Shintaro, who loved the wide world and travel, making sounds just like the real thing.

- The sounds of trains running echoing throughout the museum are amazing! It's like being in the world of model trains, with real trains running through a real city.

Thank you. Our museum has prepared one of the world's largest indoor dioramas open to the public, featuring a first-gauge (approximately 1/32 scale) model train in action.

Shintaro's model draws electricity from overhead wires and runs on iron rails with iron wheels. One thing we'd like you to pay particular attention to is the sound it makes when it runs. You can hear the clanging of the rails at their joints, just like the real thing. Gears, leaf springs, bearings, rocking pads, brakes... none of these can be seen from the outside, but you can still get a feel for how the model runs thanks to the technology used in real railways.

-You'll be fascinated by the models of the six train lines and the cityscape.

The size of a tennis court, the space is dotted with hidden characters and stories recreated in dioramas. Some of the characters are from famous paintings that you may already know, so try to find them.

Explore Yokohama in 5 minutes in the morning, afternoon, and evening

-The diorama, which lets you enjoy a day in Yokohama, is also unique.

Depending on the time of day, you might enjoy the sounds of ship whistles or the bustle of Chinatown. This HO gauge layout recreates the old and new of Yokohama, including the station building and streetscape from when it first opened.

The Hara Model Railway Museum opened in 2012, 140 years after the first railway in Japan opened between Yokohama and Shimbashi. As a facility befitting the city of Yokohama, we hope to continue to stimulate the intellectual curiosity of our visitors, especially children who will be the future of our city, from a wide range of perspectives, including technology, history, and geography, through railway culture. Our popular "railway model training" program allows you to operate a model train using a real driver's cab. Please come and visit us.

Text by Mai Shimura (editor/writer)

Hara Model Railway Museum

Address: Yokohama Mitsui Building 2F, 1-1-2 Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama
Phone number: 045-640-6699 (10:00-17:00)
Official website: here
*There is a limit to the number of participants for the "Train Training" (first come, first served, same-day registration). Also, the course is not available during events or busy periods. Please check the museum's website for more information.