If you’re a fan of Thomas & Friends, there is no bigger pilgrimage than the Oigawa Railway in Shizuoka, Japan. However, for non-Japanese speakers, the booking system can be a maze of Kanji.

We’ve broken down exactly how to secure your seats using the Official Urakata Booking Portal.
🚂 Step-by-Step Booking Guide

Step 1: Select Your Experience
On the landing page (https://thomas.daitetsu.jp/schedule/), you’ll see several options. Look for the “Day Out With Thomas” (きかんしゃトーマス号) banner.

Annotation: Look for the Thomas icon and click the blue button (詳細/予約 – Details/Reserve).

Step 2: Check the Calendar

• Circle (○): Available.
• Triangle (△): Limited seats (Book now!).
• Cross (×): Sold out.
  Annotation: Click on your preferred date. If you aren’t staying in Shizuoka overnight, select the afternoon slot (usually around 1:20 PM or 2:00 PM).

Step 3: Login

You may need to login to buy the tickets. Create a new again using your SNS (Japanese term for social network service e.g Facebook, Line, Apple ID etc. )

Step 4: Enter Passenger Info

You will need to enter your name in Katakana (phonetic Japanese).
Tip: Use a free “English to Katakana” converter online. For the phone number, if your international number doesn’t fit, use your hotel’s phone number.

Step 4: Payment
The site accepts major international credit cards. Once confirmed, you will receive a QR code via email. This is your digital ticket—keep it safe!

🗺️ What to Do & See There

• The Thomas Day Out Activity Area: Located at Senzu Station (and partly at Shin-Kanaya), this is the “hub.” You can get up close with Hiro, Percy, and James!
• The Manual Turntable: Don’t miss this! Watching a massive steam-powered Thomas rotate on the manual turntable is a sight to behold.
• Thomas Maintenance Factory: For a small fee at Shin-Kanaya, you can see Thomas being “fed” coal and prepped for his journey.
• Bertie the Bus: Look out the window during your ride! Bertie the Bus often drives along the road parallel to the tracks to “race” the train.
  💡 GameTrader.SG Pro-Tips
  🌟 The “Day Trip” Secret:
  If you are coming from Tokyo or Osaka and not staying overnight in Shizuoka, always book the afternoon timing. >
  The journey from Tokyo takes about 2 to 2.5 hours via Shinkansen and local lines. A morning 10:30 AM departure is very stressful to catch. By booking the 1:20 PM or 2:00 PM slot, you have plenty of time to travel down, explore the Shin-Kanaya gift shops, and grab a Thomas-themed Bento box for lunch before boarding!