Japan’s HO Gauge Heaven: Tsuruga Diorama & Shinkansen Sushi Train!

Japan’s HO Gauge Heaven: Tsuruga Diorama & Shinkansen Sushi Train!

Thank you very much for always riding with Choo-Choo Travel. I heard there was a huge diorama at “Tsuruga,” so I went to see it. Moving on from Kyoto. These platform doors are quite the sight. Taking the conventional line to save on travel costs. I wonder if the Shinkansen connects here too…? Got passed by a limited express train along the way. Everything feels exciting on a route I don’t usually take. Is that the limited express that passed us earlier? Can see the Shinkansen elevated tracks. We’ve arrived. It boasts being a dinosaur town. In the park……… Tokaido Shinkansen…?? It seems to be inside this red brick warehouse. This is it!! We’re in Tsuruga City, Fukui Prefecture. Outside.. Some older trains are on display. Looks like an “Express” train. A “KiHa 28” manufactured in 1968. It’s been repainted and is well preserved. Stairs…I wonder if you can go inside sometimes? Now, let’s go see the diorama we came for. Looks like admission is $2.65. Wow! It’s huge!!! It seems to recreate old Tsuruga town. It’s quite large! Let’s take a good look. A small bus is running. It’s slowly moving along at one of Japan’s largest sizes. Festivals are also being held. Lighting transforms it into a nighttime cityscape. Is it morning now? Or night? Freight trains also pass through. HO gauge is quite a sight to see! It stopped up ahead. You can even see inside the tunnel. The steam locomotive has appeared! The running stock seems to be gradually changing too. This leisurely pace is beautiful. The signals were synchronized too. A single-carriage vehicle also arrived. Looks like it’s heading back in reverse. Steam locomotive and freight train passing each other. You can tell how important this town was by this freight train. Let’s sign up for the driving experience. Let’s explore the underground until it’s time. You have to take off your shoes to enter. It’s quite cramped, but you can see the vehicles running underground. Construction seems to be progressing. Looks like they’ve turned on the interior lights too. You can tell it’s moving very slowly. The view from the mountain top is exceptional! You can see the train passing through. Is this the loop line seen from above? There’s also a ranch. Well, it’s time for the loop line driving experience! They’ll teach us how to operate it. It seems to be only three minutes. You can see it clearly from up on the mountain. It feels incredibly far away from the driver’s cab. Oh, I stopped at a weird spot. It’s tricky because there’s a slight time lag. You should definitely try driving it yourself. The driving ended in the blink of an eye. They were also showing the full-view footage. I wish they’d let my camera car run too. Smooth footage! It seems you can dive to the seabed too. This one feels even narrower. It surfaced from the sea. Nothing but ocean. Whoa, a ship came! It’s moving very slowly, so I’ll skip a bit. Wow! Pretty cool, huh! This was a sight to see! Somehow nostalgic sounds. Old toys are also on display. Seems like a very old one. Looks like it’s nearly 70 years old. Old toys have a nice character to them. It looks like you can get a sticker if you post on SNS… The gift shop was well-stocked too. They seem to sell beer too… Let’s have a drink. Better drink outside, though. lol Mmm, it’s delicious. I’m getting hungry… Let’s go into that place next to the diorama that looks like it has tasty fish. Freshly caught, isn’t it! I went with the seafood rice bowl. It’s delicious, as expected! I can’t stop eating. Finished it in no time. Let’s take a peek at the Railway Museum right next door. Looks like it’s using the Tsuruga Port Station building. A massive electric locomotive. It looks like it could move. An SL trick art piece. True to its name as a museum, it has various exhibits. Please visit and enjoy it in person. It houses valuable historical materials. There are model displays too. Let’s take the bus to the station. It was the Galaxy Express 999 bus. Railway monuments are placed throughout the city. This town seems to be the birthplace of AC electrification. Alright, let’s head for Kanazawa on the Shinkansen. Boarding the W7 Shinkansen. Right then… Kanazawa is just a blink away. We’ve arrived! What is this??? Looks like it’s for kids, but… It’s empty, so let’s give it a try. Yeah, it’s very authentic. This is the driver’s cab of a scrapped train car. The view in front of me looks like this… But the feel is really nice!! I wish I had one at home. I’d like to make the lights turn on too. I’m so happy you went out of your way to make this! There’s even a model shop in town. For some reason, an E5 Shinkansen is running. Do the kids in Kanazawa have a thing for the E7 Shinkansen? Running it on a rental layout sounds fun too! This time I came to the market. Why, you ask?? There’s an interesting conveyor belt sushi place. Let’s brew some tea and wait. Here it comes—!!! The bullet train delivers it super fast! Foreign visitors are thrilled! Of course, the taste is also superb. Please come visit sometime. How the heck is it running without tracks?!?! Well, it’s delicious, so who cares! lol You should definitely visit! See you later!

We are heading to Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, a city newly energized by the Shinkansen extension! This is a special trip packed with giant dioramas, retro railway heritage, and mouth-watering local cuisine.

The main attraction is the Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouse, which boasts one of Japan’s largest HO Gauge Railway Dioramas! The huge diorama recreates the old Tsuruga cityscape, featuring amazing lighting changes (day to night), SLs (steam locomotives), and freight trains running through. We even try the unique Driving Experience and the Underground/Underwater Exploration viewpoints!

Then, we ride the extended Shinkansen to Kanazawa to check out the famous Shinkansen Conveyor Belt Sushi at Omicho Market!

Please hop aboard and enjoy the full journey with us!

Thank you for always riding with Choo-Choo Travel!

【Video Highlights and Timeline 👀】
0:00 Opening & Traveling from Kyoto to Tsuruga by Local Train
1:43 Arriving at Tsuruga Station, the “Dinosaur City”
2:23 Infiltrating Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouse & Current Location
3:00 Preserved Kiha 28 train car outside the warehouse
4:36 Full Tour of Japan’s Largest HO Gauge Diorama!
9:45 Underground Diorama Exploration! Viewing trains from the floor level
11:43 Challenging the Loop Line Driving Experience! (3 Minutes)
13:12 Front View Onboard Footage
17:04 Local Craft Beer & Heading for Seafood Gourmet
19:16 Visiting the Tsuruga Railway Museum (Former Tsuruga Port Station)
22:10 Riding the Hokuriku Shinkansen (W7 Series) to Kanazawa!
24:44 Model Train Viewing at Popondetta Kanazawa Forus
25:41 To Omicho Market! Famous Shinkansen Conveyor Belt Sushi

【Detailed Location Information】
1. Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouse Diorama Museum
Home to one of Japan’s largest HO Gauge Dioramas, with driving experiences available.
Address: 4-1 Kanegasaki-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui 914-0062, Japan
Hours: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM (Hours may vary by season)
Holidays: Open Year-Round (Subject to temporary closure)
Admission Fee: Adult approx. $2.70 (Details/discounts on the official website)
Website: https://tsuga-akanenga-soko.jp/

2. Tsuruga Railway Museum
A valuable railway archives housed in the former Tsuruga Port Station building.
Address: 1-26 Kanegasaki-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui 914-0062, Japan
Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Holidays: Wednesdays
Admission Fee: Free
Website: https://www.city.tsuruga.lg.jp/smph/about_city/cityhall-facility/shiyakusho_shisetsu/gaibushisetsu/tetsudoushiryoukan.html

3. Fresh Seafood Restaurant: Ikesu no Koura
A fresh seafood restaurant located next to the Tsuruga Red Brick Warehouse.
Address: 1-1 Kanegasaki-cho, Tsuruga City, Fukui 914-0062, Japan
Hours: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Hours may vary)
Holidays: [Check website for details]
Website: https://ikesunokoura.com/

4. Popondetta Kanazawa Forus Store
A model train shop with a rental layout located inside a large commercial facility.
Address: Kanazawa Forus 5F, 3-1 Horikawashinmachi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa 920-0849, Japan
Hours: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Follows facility hours)
Holidays: Follows facility holidays
Website: https://www.popondetta.com/

5. Morimori Sushi Omicho Market Store
Popular conveyor belt sushi where food is delivered by Shinkansen train models.
Address: Omicho Market Building 1F, 88 Aokusa-machi, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa 920-0907, Japan
Hours: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Weekends/Holidays: 9:30 AM start)
Holidays: [Subject to market holidays]
Website: https://morimorisushi.co.jp/

【Related Product】
⭐︎ KATO N Gauge Kiha 28 6115 Model Diesel Car
(Amazon Link: Available from the URL below at approximately 20% off! As of Oct 17: Price may fluctuate)
▶︎ https://amzn.to/4okTaDR

[Choo-Choo Travel Supporter Amazon Wishlist]
▶︎ https://www.amazon.jp/hz/wishlist/ls/3S6H50BGSFLQ7?ref_=wl_share

【Related Videos】
【10 Car Spaces!】Kyoto’s Largest HO Gauge Railway Model Layout 【Arashiyama】Riding the Torokko Train Too【Diorama Kyoto Japan】
▶︎ https://youtu.be/N4DrcbCM7PI

New Opening! 【Free Shinkansen Museum】A Complete Look at Train Park Hakusan!
▶︎ https://youtu.be/q9hJIc3vhg8

From the SL Steam Train to the Shinkansen! We Went to the Kyoto Railway Museum
▶︎ https://youtu.be/oevCBpe3UA8

【Related Keywords & Hashtags】
#Tsuruga #TsurugaRedBrickWarehouse #RailwayDiorama #HOGauge #ModelTrain #TrainDriving #HokurikuShinkansen #W7Series #Kanazawa #ShinkansenSushi #MorimoriSushi #OmichoMarket #TrainTravel #SL #Kiha28 #SeafoodBowl #ChooChooTravel #JapanTravel #AnimeDiorama #MiniatureWunderland