There are a great number of train fanatics in Japan who have a passion for all kinds of things whether it be stations, platforms, rails, signs, sounds, ekiben (regional lunchbox sets sold at stations) or just the trains themselves. As for train-shaped buildings, they are fairly limited in terms of quantity but certainly not appeal.

All three of these unique and impressive train-shaped buildings are located within 80 kilometres of each other. Two of them are in Saitama whilst the third one is just north of that prefecture. The first bullet train-shaped building featured here is one I only found out about last year and will form the majority of this post. My wife and I visited it in late December whilst in the area for a dog walk and to visit the local IKEA store. The other two were visited on separate occasions a few years ago and are basically just bonus extras well worthy of mentioning again.

1. Miyaoka Kindergarten.

Prefecture: Saitama

Nearest station: Shim-Misato, Musashino Line

Address: 3-237 Hikonari, Misato, Saitama 341-0003

Pointing your camera at a kindergarten building is obviously never a wise idea on a regular day when it’s open for business but luckily this one is not somewhere you have to stand at the front gates snapping away whilst many parents and teachers look on very suspiciously.

As someone who has photographed around 50 unique Japanese playground structures, I have occasionally spotted an amazing animal or cartoon designed slide only to then realise that it’s located within a school and is thus out of bounds and not for public consumption. I think it was ok to take some shots of this train-shaped building though as it stands out in the neighbourhood from afar among the rice fields.

The building was constructed in 2018 with complex methods needed for adding the top part using plastering.

2. Fukuoka Chuo Park

Prefecture: Saitama

Nearest station: Kamifukuoka, Tobu-Tojo Line

Address: 2 Kamifukuoka, Fujimino, Saitama-ken 356-0017

This was designed to resemble the 200 series Shinkansen for the Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen high-speed rail lines which was in existence until 2013. It was completed as a public toilet in 1989, and has been reused as a disaster prevention warehouse for ten years now. It is speculated that the regular public toilet was replaced by this ivory and green bullet train design as a memorial to the 200 Series that was first introduced in 1982. More details here.

3. Mōka station

Prefecture: Tochigi

Nearest station: Mōka, Mōka Railway Line

Address: 2474 Daimachi, Moka, Tochigi 321-4306

The Mōka Railway Line in Tochigi Prefecture is over a hundred years old and services 17 stations for the 42 kilometre distance between Shimodate and Motegi. Mōka is the central station of the line so it’s also where the head office and depot are located. It’s a large 4-storey building and a little overwhelming for such a small city in the heart of a strawberry-producing region. The building includes an observation deck on the fourth floor and a local information centre on the ground floor. More details here.

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