The Odakyu Romancecar Museum

A trip to Odakyu Electric Railway’s Romancecar Museum is the perfect rainy day activity for railway fans or for families with small children. Although the Romancecar Museum isn’t located in Yokohama but in the neighboring city of Ebina, the museum is only half an hour away by train from Yokohama Station, and it is conveniently located directly outside of Ebina Station.

The Romancecar Gallery in Odakyu’s Romancecar Museum

This museum is dedicated to Odakyu’s famous Romancecar trains: the luxury, limited express services that have been transporting happy travelers from Tokyo to tourist resorts like Hakone, Kamkura and Enoshima since the 1950s.

Inside the museum you will find several Romancecar trains on display, some of which you can enter, and a huge diorama of the Odawara Line — the railway line that Romancecar trains follow between Tokyo and Hakone. There’s also a train-driving simulator and lots of other fun activities for small children. Here are some of the highlights.

The first Romancecar train: the #3000 series SE

The Romancecar Gallery

For railway fans, the Romancecar Gallery on the first floor is this museum’s major attraction. Here five trains from the Romancecar series are on permanent display, including the very first Romancecar: the #3000 series Super Express (SE). Introduced in 1957, this train broke the world speed record for a narrow gauge train the same year running at 145 kilometers per hour. That record is believed to have inspired the design of the first Shinkansen.

The #3100 series NSE

Also on display is the #3100 series New Super Express (NSE). In use between 1963 and 1999, this was the first Romancecar to provide a panoramic view at the front of the train by moving the driver’s seat to the upper floor.

The History Theater

Also on the first floor is the History Theater where you can watch a video about the history of Odakyu Electric Railway and the evolution of the Romancecar series of trains. The train that is displayed beside the theater is a Moha 1, the first train to run on the Odawara Line in 1927 when the line was run by Odakyu’s predecessor the Odawara Express Railway Company.

Inside the Moha 1 train

The Diorama Park

On the second floor you can find the Diorama Park. This is a massive diorama that recreates the route of the Odawara Line between Shinjuku and Hakone.

The Diorama Park

Ten different model Romancecar trains and five models of Odakyu’s commuter trains are running along the tracks past models of the cities, mountains and famous attractions that line the route. For 100 yen, you can also drive some of the model trains.

A recreation of Kamakura in the diorama

Nine times a day the Diorama Park also has a regularly scheduled projection mapping show with original music. You can ask the museum staff for details of the show times but there is at least one nine-minute show every hour.

The projection mapping show

The Romancecar Simulator

The rest of the second floor is the “Kids Romancecar Park” with lots of activities for children to enjoy. One of these is the train driving simulator.

The Romancecar Simulator

For 500 yen, you can experience driving a #7000 series Luxury Super Express (LSE) for a full 15 minutes.

The Interactive Art Wall

When the Odawara Line was completed in 1927, it encouraged the growth of new towns and communities along the railway on what was previously farmland. By moving your hands in front of this interactive wall you too can experience the creation of new communities with houses, schools, stores and hotels appearing before you.

Inside the papercraft workshop

The Workshop

The workshop is a place where children can make their own model trains out of paper. Once the model is made you can add it to a paper model town outside the workshop, and it will run along the track! The fee for using the workshop is 500 yen.

The paper model town

In addition to these areas in the Kids Romancecar Park there is also an “athletic” area which is basically a train-shaped climbing frame for small children to play in. This also costs an extra 300 yen per child for 45 minutes of play.

A couple enjoying the Station View Terrace

The Station View Terrace

Up on the museum’s rooftop is a terrace that gives a good view over Odakyu Ebina Station. There is a timetable provided to let you know which trains are scheduled to come and go.

The view over the station

The Museum Shop

Back on the second floor, close by the museum entrance is the museum shop. In addition to Odakyu’s own souvenir products such as models and toys there are some exclusive Romancecar-themed goods that you can only buy here. These include magnets, badges, bags, watches, special edition Hello Kitty toys, and chocolates.

Inside the museum shop

Vina Kitchen Restaurant

The museum restaurant serves simple meals such as pasta, curry, burgers, omelets, and doria-style gratins. This restaurant also has an expansive dessert and drinks menu.

Vina Kitchen Restaurant

How to Get There

From Yokohama Station take the Sotetsu Main Line to Ebina Station. A limited express service will take about 27 minutes to get there. This station is operated by Sotetsu on the first floor and Odakyu on the second floor. To get to the museum, go up to the second floor and head toward the West Exit.

A sign points the way to the museum

You will see signs for the museum as you approach the exit, and as you leave the station you will see the museum entrance on your left.

The museum entrance

If you are coming from a destination other than Yokohama and using the JR Sagami Line, you will arrive at JR Ebina Station, which is in a separate building. From this station take the East Exit on the second floor and turn right after exiting the station. You will see the museum across a covered walkway ahead of you.