Railway Model Festival

Trainspotters, this one’s for you. The Railway Model Festival, held in the 9th-floor event hall at Hankyu Umeda Main Store, is a wide-ranging exhibition showcasing the famous train networks of Kansai. It consists of model trains, Plarail (battery-operated toy train) displays and detailed miniature dioramas. There’s even a simulator offering rail fans a chance to experience what it’s like to drive a train in Japan.

This year brings a double celebration for Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, and the festival is showing that in a big way. First up is the 90th anniversary of the Kobe City Elevated Extension, which connects Oji Koen Station (formerly Nishinada Station) and Kobe-Sannomiya Station (formerly Kobe Station) on the Hankyu Kobe Line. For this occasion, the exhibition will unveil archival materials and feature dioramas depicting everyday scenes around the extension.

Then, to mark 20 years since the establishment of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, both of the group's iconic railways will share the spotlight and appear together in a special miniature display. That’s not all. At the centre of the exhibition venue, you’ll find a large-scale diorama depicting the lush nature and bustling cityscapes of the Kansai region as trains zip through the landscape.

Advance tickets are now on sale until July 28: adult tickets are priced at ¥1,100, while elementary and junior high school student tickets cost ¥500.