Best things to do in Tokyo for train geeks

The second floor of Kiha, the after-work hangout of Tokyo’s toritetsu (train geeks), is decked out like the inside of a Tokyo subway car, down to the most minute detail. The luggage racks, handles, ads, station signs and route maps are all authentic. They combine to recreate an environment so real that your brain might be tricked into thinking the carriage is moving on occasion, especially if you’ve had a few...

Located about 45 minutes away from Tokyo, The Railway Museum offers a day’s worth of railway-themed fun. The museum features 36 real-life train cars – most of which you can walk into and take a seat. The collection spans over 140 years of railway history, starting with trains dating back to the early Meiji years (1868-1912).

Visitors aged six and above, including adults, can go for the more immersive experience by taking on the various train simulators on the museum’s second floor, including the chance to ‘drive’ the famous Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa...

It’s been 50 years since the Tokaido Shinkasen opened in 1964, and 56 since Niagara curry house opened in 1963. In line with the words ‘Tetsudo Mudo no Mise’ (or ‘Shop with a Railway Feeling’) displayed above the entrance, the interior is jam-packed with railway-related memorabilia. By the entrance, you’ll find a meal ticket vending machine offering a number of items including a cho-tokkyu (super express) spicy menu (based on an orthodox Japanese-style curry) complete with optional toppings such as hamburger, katsu (deep fried pork cutlet) and ebi-fry (deep fried prawn). Customers sitting at one of the restaurant’s passenger-car-style seats (from actual trains) will have their order delivered via an entertaining model railway delivery system...

If you plan to add some Japanese exemplars to your model train collection, you'll find them all at this speciality shop in Ginza. Fans from around the world come here for the exclusive, detailed models, and the shop carry all types, including miniature cars.

All you train geeks are sure to sleep well at this one-of-a-kind hostel, directly accessible from JR Bakurocho Station. Named after the defunct Hokutosei sleeper train, which operated between Tokyo and Sapporo for 27 years before being retired in 2015, it boasts an interior that faithfully recreates the train's cabins – think bunk beds, aluminium ladders and dark curtains – made entirely with materials from the Hokutosei carriages. In addition to the usual dorms, they offer 'private rooms' that are about the same size as a regular sleeper train cabin...

Travelling and first-class dining converge at this four-car train moving between Ikebukuro (or Seibu-Shinjuku Station) and Seibu-Chichibu Station out in Saitama prefecture. Feast on a seasonal course menu for brunch or dinner while watching the changing scenery – it's especially picturesque in spring when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, or in autumn when the leaves blush in shades of red and yellow.

The train is painted with illustrations of Chichibu's beautiful nature across the four seasons while the interior features warm wood finishes to create a calm atmosphere. Both the interior and exterior designs were created by Japanese starchitect Kengo Kuma. Your culinary journey, quite literally, takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. For more information click here.

The interactive Tokyo Metro Museum is located directly under the Tozai line’s railway tracks. Here you can learn about the history of Tokyo’s subway system and latest rail technology. As well as the exhibits of actual trains, including a wagon from the Ginza line’s 1,000 series and the Marunouchi line’s historic 300 series, the train simulators provide an immersive experience by transforming you into a train conductor traveling along Tokyo’s railways. Don’t forget to drop in to the museum shop, which boasts an array of subway-themed souvenirs.

Trainspotters will have a blast at this restaurant located right on the train platform of Manseibashi Station that closed in 1943. Platinum Fish is literally a glass house, so you can watch the trains passing by on both sides. Food wise, the menu keeps to the travel theme by featuring produce selected from various areas across the country.

Train geeks of all ages will enjoy this collection of model trains and railways from all over the world, presented in the form of two large-scale dioramas. Around 1,000 pieces from the museum's vast trove, assembled by the late mini-train collector extraordinaire Nobutaro Hara, are on display at any given time. Make sure to also take a look at the exhibits featuring antique paraphernalia from the early days of train travel.

Who needs a bar with a view when you’ve got a bar with a diorama? At Ginza Panorama, you can sip cocktails while gazing at an N scale model train wending its way around a miniature Shibuya, complete with 109 department store. It's the ideal drinking destination for train-spotters of the miniature kind. Take your pick from locomotive-themed cocktails like the 'Romancecar' (named after the Odakyu line service to Hakone) and 'Aogaeru' (in tribute to the green train carriage that sits opposite Hachiko), and then take your own train for a spin on the bar's model track. Tokyo bars don't get much geekier.

The Four Season Hotel's bar Motif faces the train tracks and platforms of Tokyo Station, with huge windows providing excellent views. Grab a seat at one of the tables next to them, pick off the seasonal cocktail menu and plan your next journey while gazing out over the shinkansen trains arriving and departing beneath you.

Parked for good in front of Shibuya's iconic Hachiko statue, this train carriage was in use on the Tokyu Toyoko line between 1954 and 1970, and is affectionately known as the 'Green Frog'. It now houses a tourist information centre with services available in English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. English-speaking staff are on call every day, so don't hesitate to stop by if you have any Shibuya-related questions.