National Museum of Nature and Science, Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Photo by 663highland- Wikimedia Commons
Top 10 Amazing Facts about the Tokyo National Museum of Nature and Science
The Tokyo national museum of nature of science which was built in October 1871 is located in the northeast corner of Ueno park Taiko city.
It is one of Japan’s biggest science museums. the museum houses over 25,000 exhibits that range from outer space to the Japanese history, biodiversity, archipelago, and even the world’s latest advances in technology.
Here are 10 amazing facts about the museum
1. There are Several Exhibits
The museum’s floors are organized around a unified theme arranged into several exhibits. They work together to convey a message about the history of the earth to the wonders of the universe.
The exhibits in the japan gallery to educate and inform visitors about Japanese culture together with japans flora and fauna.
The global gallery has exhibitions like astronomy where there is a dome for observation and technology where exhibitions on pre-Meiji science in japan are showcased. There are special exhibitions held per year as well.
2. It has a 360-Degree Theatre
A 360-degree theatre is a spherical 3d movie experience where the viewer is surrounded by a seamless sphere of video and sound.
It was first invented in Japan’s pavilion Nagakute expo in 2005 after which it was transferred to the museum of nature and science.
The panoramic theatre is suspended off the ground and a bridge in the center is where visitors stand to view.
The museum has created several original films which last approximately 6 minutes. the narration is mostly done in Japanese but the three-dimensional theatre is a unique experience not worth missing as it is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
3. The Museum is Divided into Two Different Buildings
The museum of nature and science is divided into two galleries making it easy for visitors to navigate. the first is the global gallery (Chikyukan).
This gallery houses everything from historical evolutionary fossils, science, and technology to astronomy.
Visitors get to glare at life-sized dinosaur skeletons and extinct fossils. in the science exhibition, children get to participate in interactive experiments with light, electricity, and magnets.
The second gallery called the japan gallery(Nihonkan) focuses on the country’s formation, indigenous plants and animals, Japan’s contribution to science and technology, and the island’s early inhabitants.
4. Its Name has been Changed Several Times
The museum was first opened in 1871 with a string of different names over the years. it was first called the ministry of education museum to Tokyo museum to Tokyo science museum.
The museum underwent a reconstruction project after the great Kanto earthquake that was completed in 1931 as the main building of the Tokyo science museum.
The museum’s name was changed to the national science museum of japan, and finally settled to the Tokyo national museum of nature and science as of 2007
5. It was Reconstructed after the Great Kanto Earthquake
The great Kanto earthquake struck on September 1st, 1923 at the time considered the worst natural disaster ever to strike quake Kantō on the main Japanese island of Honshū.
Multiple buildings were affected including the Tokyo science museum now known as the Tokyo national museum of nature and science.
The museum was designed in a neo-renaissance style by engineer Kenzi Akitani of the ministry of education, culture, sports, science, and technology. The building became iconic because it looks like an airplane from above
6. It has one of the Best and Largest Collections of Art and Artifacts in Japan
The museum of nature and science holds one of the largest collections of authentic arts and artifacts in Japan.
The museum exhibits a collection that was established in July 2006 with arts and artifacts that illuminate the natural history and the history of science and technology. the museum is a hub for information and research.
Some exhibits include early telescopes, globes, clocks, and seismographs that are manmade appliances other exhibitions showcase unique and preserved stuffed mammals like the two famous pandas and a fragment of the Nantan meteorite.
7. There is a vast History of the Japanese People
in the japan gallery also known as Nihonkan visitors get to learn about species that have lived and died in the archipelago that are important to the history of the people.
Visitors learn how the modern population of Japan was formed, and the history of the relationship between the Japanese people and nature.
The visitors also learn how human beings should coexist with nature and think about what they can do to protect the environment and create a future of harmony and coexistence in the world.
8. The Museum is an Important Research Institute
The museum not only houses galleries and expeditions it also serves as a research institute.
The Tokyo national museum of nature and science conducts surveys and research on natural history and other natural sciences and their applications, collection, and storage to publicly display them.
The museum aids in the preservation of over four million species. One of the museum research facilities is the Tsukuba botanical garden
9. There is a Unique Outdoor Exhibition
Outside the museum, some models showcase the museum’s diversity.
The Nature and science museum showcased mounted models like the blue whale and train locomotive. The blue whale model was created to replace the humpback whale mode as a life-size image in march 1994.
The d51 steam train is preserved in place for the last participating locomotive at the JNR factory after a fire burned down in the Owaike engine zone.
The train and a rocket launcher that launched Japan’s first satellite “Opossum” is set to showcase the ingenuity and growth of technological advances in Tokyo.
10. It contains Preserved Remains of Hachiko
Hachiko is a famous story of the remarkably loyal dog that waited for the deceased owner to return to a train station for nine years until death.
Hachiko was a real Japanese Akita dog that lived with its owner a professor named Hidesaburo Ueno in Tokyo. The dog would wait daily at the train station for the owner to return even after the owner passed away.
The dog became famous for his devotion and loyalty. When the dog died his remains were stuffed and mounted for viewing at the national nature and science museum.
In conclusion, the museum of nature and science plays an important role in the preservation of Tokyo’s past and culture. the museum educates the visitors about the earth’s history and the universe and how to preserve it
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