The Tokyo Metro Museum

Family Fun, Tokyo City, Tokyo Metropolis

Sep 28, 2022

One great thing about living in Tokyo is the trains and subways that crisscross the megalopolis. Most of us use the subway for commuting and getting around almost daily. That said, they can be something we all become familiar with and even ignore, but there is a rich history here. Did you know that the Tokyo Metro’s Ginza Line was the first subway in Asia? You can learn facts like these and more at the Tokyo Metro Museum, dedicated to educating visitors on the history of all 9 of the Tokyo Metro system’s lines.

The Museum is in Edogawa Ward, directly below the tracks of Kasai Station. While this is one of the less well-known areas of Tokyo, there is a fair bit worth exploring here, such as Kasai Rinkai Park, Tokyo Sea Life Park, and neighboring Nishi-Kasai; sometimes referred to as Tokyo’s Little India. So you can visit this fantastic Museum and still pack in some time to view the other sights of this quiet corner of Tokyo.

The Museum is quite a place to visit if you’re a rail enthusiast. There are several restored box cars from multiple points in history from numerous lines. I enjoyed the wooden interior of the car from the Ginza line. The attention to detail is extensive, with historically-outfitted mannequins and even recreated advertisements from the era. There are also really fun subway simulators and hundreds of items on display in the Museum’s seven exhibits. There is even a small movie theater. Perhaps the only downside is that most of the information presented is in Japanese. Still, even then, most of the information is very easy to understand, and the box cars alone are worth the visit to get a feel for what Tokyo was like in the past. There are plenty of places to get great pictures for your social media and even places to eat if you want to bring a bento.

The Tokyo Metro Museum is definitely worth the trip, and visitors will leave with a greater appreciation for the work and history behind their everyday commute.