Hiroshima City Numaji Transportation Museum

Located in Asa-minami ku, a short walk from the Chorakuji Astram (Monorail) Station is Hiroshima’s City Transportation Museum. The museum offers interesting special events and regular exhibits for car like that on the used car dealership, train, ferry, tram, monorail, and airplane enthusiasts. The area behind the museum provides kids a chance to ride around on some wacky bicycles. The first floor of the building has a library, teaching room for special classes and a craft room where “Science Shows” and other special events are held throughout the year. There is a cafeteria offering normal family restaurant style noodle and rice dishes. There is also a small gift shop and some exhibits of children’s projects on this floor. The highlight for the many kids who visit this museum is the crazy bike area behind the building. If you head to the back of the building, the area outside is where the Omoshiroi-Jitensha or “Crazy bikes” are kept. For a ¥100 per person for each half hour, kids (and their parents) can enjoy riding 2, 3 and even 4 wheeled bicycles around the track. In the center there is a small playground and there is also a fountain and model tram in the same area, but the bikes keep the kids happily entertained for quite some time. You do not have to pay for entry to the museum to use the bicycle area in the back. Entrance to the museum offers many interesting exhibits of old and new transportation in Japan and around the world starting on the 2nd floor. There are simulation games where you can ride a bicycle on a course or drive a monorail similar to the Astram line. Many of the exhibits have English titles under the Japanese. The models of the many different varieties of train, plane, automobile, and ferry are interesting and there are buttons to push and handles to turn to demonstrate how things work or to play short explanation videos. The 3rd and 4th floor feature a giant model of a futuristic city which kids can press buttons and levers around to get things to move and light up. Entry fee: 250 yen for children from elementary up to age 18, entry for children younger than elementary age is free. Adults: 500 yen. Use of the fun cycles are 100 yen per person for 30 minutes. Battery powered cars can be used for 100 yen in a small area. Opening Times: Closed Mondays and the day after National Holidays. Closed August 6th, December 29-January 3rd each year. Open 9:00-17:00 (5pm) Facility: 78 free parking spaces available, baby changing tables in the toilets, no pets or smoking allowed in the building. Some information available in English, but no English speaking full-time staff. Barrier free, wheelchair and stroller access to all areas of the facility (elevators). Address & Telephone: 2-12-2 Chorakuji, Asa-minami-ku Hiroshima 731-0143 Tel (082) 878-3128