Emperor Meiji’s Train Car Open to Public; Entry Allowed for 1st Time in 6 Years

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:00 JST, October 14, 2024

INUYAMA, Aichi — The interiors of passenger train cars used by Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken have been opened to the public for the first time in six years at the Meiji Mura open-air museum in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture.

The Imperial carriage was built for Emperor Meiji in 1910, while Empress Shoken’s carriage was made in 1902.

The carriages can normally only be seen from the outside via an aisle, but during the exhibition, which runs through Oct. 27, visitors can go inside and get a close-up look at the rooms for ladies-in-waiting and chamberlains and the special lounges.

The interiors feature lacquer, mother-of-pearl inlay, Nagoya cloisonne work, Kyoto nishijin brocade and other arts. The doors, including even the hinges, are decorated with chrysanthemum patterns, and the ceiling is adorned with golden patterns.

“These are significant, special carriages that, at the turning of an age, connected technology passed on to the Edo period with the present day,” said a curator in charge of the exhibition.

The carriages are open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. during the exhibition.