Travelogue: Railways in Japan, Part 2

KATO'S HOBBY CENTER

Kato's Hobby Center in Tokyo is a must see for any model train fan. For those who don't know, Kato is a model railroad company that specializes in N and HO scale trains. They are well known for their highly detailed trains and rolling stock. During college, N gauge was all that I could fit in my small apartment. So I purchased a Kato layout and some engines, including their Union Pacific 844 and Southern Pacific 4449. N gauge trains are small and quiet, which means you can run them on a dining table and not wake the neighbors.

Being in Tokyo means I took trains to my destination. The Ochiai-Minami-Nagasaki Station is about an 8 minute walk to the store, and I used Google Maps to find the place once I exited the station. This is mostly a residential area, so the bright red trolley let me know that I'd reached my destination. The trolley is the Deha No 268, and it ran from 1936 to 1978. Apparently, it influenced the design of high speed trains in ways that aren't obvious to the naked eye.

I've never been to a large train store in the U.S. like Charle Ro Supply Company near Boston. But I've been to plenty of small places that have inventory for several different hobbies. So Kato's Hobby Center—a dedicated train store located in a spacious and sleek two-story building—blew my mind.

Before I describe the store, I want to briefly mention the customers. They were all men, and their ages ranged from Gen Z to Millennial. Also, it wasn't crowded on a Wednesday morning, but there was a steady flow of visitors during the two hours I was there, especially on the first floor. Compare this to the U.S. where Boomers seem to make up the majority model train collectors, and many train stores are going out of business. Some have blamed video games, cell phones, and social media for the fact that the railroading hobby is struggling with younger generations here. But Japan has plenty of electronic distractions, and that hasn't deterred younger hobbyists. Then again, trains are EVERYWHERE in Japan. They're the main mode of transportation. I guess people gravitate to what's familiar.

Back to the store. There is a YouTuber named Choo Choo Travel who does a great walkthough of the place, but I'll also give my take. Entering the first floor, you're greeted by a massive N scale layout that rivals what you might see on social media. It features a city section with elevated tracks, stations with long platforms, detailed buildings, vehicle-filled roads, and even figures. The layout also had a rural part where buildings were replaced by nature, including the famous Sakura trees with their pink cherry blossoms. The huge windmills were a nice touch because you don't see many layouts with them. There was also a charming snow-covered town with surrounded by a white winter landscape.

The shelves had products from various companies I've never heard of, such as Tomix and ACE, although most trains were from Kato. Inventory consisted mostly of Japanese commuter, diesel, and bullet trains. But there were a handful of European and U.S. trains for sale since Kato has divisions in both regions. Unfortunately, Kato does't make a lot of steam engines, which are my favorite. I ended up purchasing the Tomix Nagoya Railroad Series 7000 Panorama 6 Car set, mostly because it was bright red and looked cool.

One train that caught my eye was "Doctor Yellow." It is based on a now retired yellow and blue Shinkansen train that was sometimes used for secret track inspections. It supposedly gave people who saw it good luck. The display said that Kato was releasing a new edition of Doctor Yellow soon, which was a bummer. I plan on getting one eventually.

 The highlight of the store for me was the upstairs where there's another giant N gauge layout. If you buy a train, you get a ticket to run your new purchase on these amazing tracks. The man behind the desk on the second floor told me I had 25 minutes. I made sure to savor every second because this would be the most detailed layout my little train would ever run on.

There were plenty of great spots for pictures. One area had bridges that went over an inlet. I snapped shots of my little red train chugging along here.

There was also a section of the layout where I placed my camera right in front of the street as the train went around the curve. It felt like I was actually shooting a real commuter train going by.

25 minutes passed by in a blink. I reluctantly took my train off the track, thanked the guy at the desk, and headed out as one happy customer. I'm pretty sure Kato's Hobby Center has to be one of the coolest model train stores in the world. I not only purchased a beautiful train but also had a chance to run it on an amazing layout. For any railfan who is Tokyo bound, I highly recommend a visit.