Thursday 3 May
After a leisurely breakfast we decided that the Kyoto Railway Museum, which has only been open a couple of weeks, would be a good destination. Surprisingly, for railway museum it has it has no station nearby so we took a taxi.
The place was heaving mostly with under 5 year olds and fraught parents. The tickets was dispensed at a railway ticket machine but with attendants in place to help. The museum was a new 3 storey building alongside the first reinforced engine sheds complete with turntable. The steam trains dated from the 19th century to the 1960s and then on up to diesel and a Shinkansen.
There were ticket machines, uniforms, menus, a working level crossing, posters, tickets, the original train control computer- a enthusiasts wonderland.
After a couple of hours and many photo opportunities we paused at the Museum Shop housed in original Nijo Jo station building which had been moved and renovated. Outside the bus to Kyoto station was ready to go. It was a set price of 230 yen with no change given - pay on exit.
We managed to find a Udon restaurant in the station and had noodles in soup for lunch at Joy’s request.
Retail therapy - first Uniqlo and a sock purchase, a quick flit through Muji and off to Daimaru and Tokyo Hand. The purchases include a pair of socks, a frying pan, some stickers and a shopping trolley.
After a leisurely breakfast we decided that the Kyoto Railway Museum, which has only been open a couple of weeks, would be a good destination. Surprisingly, for railway museum it has it has no station nearby so we took a taxi.
The place was heaving mostly with under 5 year olds and fraught parents. The tickets was dispensed at a railway ticket machine but with attendants in place to help. The museum was a new 3 storey building alongside the first reinforced engine sheds complete with turntable. The steam trains dated from the 19th century to the 1960s and then on up to diesel and a Shinkansen.
There were ticket machines, uniforms, menus, a working level crossing, posters, tickets, the original train control computer- a enthusiasts wonderland.
After a couple of hours and many photo opportunities we paused at the Museum Shop housed in original Nijo Jo station building which had been moved and renovated. Outside the bus to Kyoto station was ready to go. It was a set price of 230 yen with no change given - pay on exit.
We managed to find a Udon restaurant in the station and had noodles in soup for lunch at Joy’s request.
Retail therapy - first Uniqlo and a sock purchase, a quick flit through Muji and off to Daimaru and Tokyo Hand. The purchases include a pair of socks, a frying pan, some stickers and a shopping trolley.