National Museum of Nature and Science: A Lesson in Natural History

Keep an eye out for a large blue whale sculpture and you would have found the National Museum of Nature and Science. Located at Ueno Park, the museum exploring everything from dinosaurs to the latest technological advances in the world.

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The museum consists of two buildings, one for each of the two permanent galleries—The Japan Gallery and The Global Gallery. Spread between them is a collection of artefacts so extensive, you will probably need hours to tour the museum in its entirety.

The Japan Gallery (Nihonkan)

The Japan Gallery is focused on the Japanese Islands, from the history and nature of the islands to the people as well as the flora and fauna of the islands.

The three-story gallery provides an insight to the living creatures found on the Japanese Islands, the different groups of people who made the Japanese Islands their home, and their inventions.

Photo credits National Museum of Nature and Science

Residing on the third floor of the gallery, the reconstructed skeleton of a Futabasaurus, a Plesiosaur, is the highlight of the gallery.

Photo credits National Museum of Nature and Science

The Global Gallery (Chikyukan)

Spanning over six floors, the exhibits of the The Global Gallery is related to life on Earth as well as the technological advancements.

Photo credits uenobunka

Photo credits uenobunka

The gallery boasts an impressive collection of dinosaur fossils and showcases a rich collection of the diverse life forms found on our blue planet.

Photo credits National Museum of Nature and Science

Photo credits hisour

In addition to presenting the evolution of life, the gallery also exhibits Japanese inventions starting from the Edo period.

Photo credits National Museum of Nature and Science

Also located within The Global Gallery is ComPaSS, an exhibition room/play area for little ones to explore. While ComPaSS does not require an admission fee, you are required to get a separate admission ticket which is available at the gallery’s Information Desk.

Photo credits National Museum of Nature and Science

Outdoor Exhibits

There are also a few outdoor exhibits that might pique your interest such as the life-size statue of the Blue Whale, the largest animal alive on the planet today. Sitting quietly behind The Global Gallery is the actual Lamdba Rocket Launcher that catapulted Japan’s first artificial satellite into the space.

Photo credits Japan Visitor

You’ll also find a Steam Locomotive that was in service until the early 1970s as well as a large steel globe in the grounds of the museum.

Theatre 36◯

Within The Japan Gallery is Theatre 360, which is as the name states, a 360-degree movie theatre. Viewers stand on a bridge in the centre of a dome as a 10-minute long movie plays on all sides of the sphere. While the movies are mostly in Japanese, it might be worth a go for the novel experience.

National Museum of Nature and Science - https://www.kahaku.go.jp/english/index.php

Location
7-20 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8718

Operating Hours
Tue - Thu: 9 am – 5 pm
Fri – Sat: 9 am – 8 pm

Museum is closed on every Monday unless it’s a national holiday, then the museum will be closed on the following day

Admission
Adult: 620 yen
High-school students & younger: Free

From 1 Oct 2019
Adult: 630 yen
High-school students & younger: Free