Science Centers in Japan - 5 of the Best (2024)

Located in Fukushima prefecture, the Koriyama City Fureai Science Center is a space themed educational center for adults and children. The museum boats the tallest planetarium in the world and plays up to six different screenings a day. There is also a special children’s hour that plays friendly animations for the primary school crowd. The screenings change bimonthly and range from astronomy to the aurora lights. The center is also filled with interactive activities. Their “Space Park” theme is “from earthlings to aliens” and their exhibits let humans experience zero gravity life. Visitors can jump on the moon or experience astronaut training in a spinning chair. The admission is affordable at 400 yen for adults and 300 yen for high school students and younger.

The Yamagata Museum of Science and Industry is a fun, educational way to spend a cold winter day. The exhibits are fun and interactive and let both adults and children play and learn. The museum focuses on engineering and its impact on local industries. The main feature of the museum is the large Foucault pendulum, located in the center of a sprawling tower. Visitors can learn about the rotation of the earth by witnessing the pendulum from four different floors of a spiral staircase. The fourth floor features an interactive play area where primary school aged students can learn about science and engineering through games. Admission is free.

The Miyazaki Science Museum, or Cosmoland, is a museum featuring the wonders of physics and outer space. The museum focuses on the history of humans in space and is narrated by the animatronic Dr. Cosmo. Visitors can marvel at life size replicas of space crafts, including the Apollo 11. The interactive exhibits focus on physics and energy. Both children and adults can play and learn, and there’s even some English translation on the instructions. Round out the experience with a visit to the planetarium, one of the world’s largest at 27 meters. These seasonal shows last for 50 minutes and educate the viewers on the mysteries of the cosmos. Admission to the museum is 540 yen, or 750 yen including the planetarium.

One of Ueno’s many museums is the Museum of Nature and Science, with three floors featuring animals and anthropological history in Japan. The history of these species are covered through evolution, up until human cultivation of plants and animals. The museum also focuses the traditional ways of the indigenous Japanese. The galleries showcase life-like dioramas and preserved skeletons of Japanese wildlife. Most famously, a sperm whale skeleton flies above the exhibitions in the main hall. Beyond animals, the museum also covers the history of science in Japan. A life size model of the Zero Fighter aircraft and a preserved steam locomotive train and some pieces of transportation history. There are also rooms dedicated to the study of outer space and geology. Admission is 620 yen for adults and free for high school students and younger.

Miraikan, in Odaiba, is a large and modern museum featuring six floors of interactive exhibits, a restaurant and a theater. The interactive exhibits take up the first three floors and are popular with children. The exhibits mainly focus on the solar system, future sustainability, the environment and how humans affect it. Both adults and teenagers can learn from the more advanced exhibitions while the children can play in the “curiosity field”, a playground of imagination. Older children will appreciate the science workshop where they can make their own experiments. Be sure to check out the dome theater, where visitors can sit back and watch the stars. Admission is 620 yen for adults and 210 yen for 18 and under.