Miraikan – Nanotechnology Study Tour

On the morning of Day 3, we visited Miraikan, Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. The exhibitions in the museum occupy two floors: 5th and 3rd. The showcases on each floor were divided into sub-areas, such as “Lab”, “Universe”, “Tsunagari”, “Robot” and “Innovation”.

On the 5th floor, there were various exhibitions related to space exploration, elementary particle discovery, sustainable energy, life sciences and geo-data visualization. The “Lab” sub-area features projects such as the Akatsuki Venus Climate Orbiter, the Shinkai 6500 Manned Research Submarine, and the Subaru Telescope at Hawaii. The “Universe” section displays information about the SuperKEKB Particle Accelerator at Tsukaba and the Super-Kamiokande Neutrino Observatory at Mount Ikeno. Near the oval bridge, there is also an exhibit of a module of the international space station, revealing the life of astronauts in space.

Walking down the oval bridge, we can see the Geo-Cosmos, a 3D spherical display rendering geological information around the Earth, such as atmospheric conditions, migration of animals, and population demographics. The Geo-Cosmos is part of Tsunagari, a scientific communication project aimed to deliver geological information effectively to audience through visual displays.

At the “Robot” section on the 3rd floor, there are showcases of humanoid androids, and a live performance by ASIMO, a smart robot capable of handling tasks such as kicking football, dancing, using sign language and singing. The “Innovation” section exhibits trending scientific projects such as quantum computers, conductive polymers, bio-hybrid machines, nano-materials, and fine printing technology.

Overall, I find the Miraikan museum as a good place for the general public to learn more about recent scientific advances and technology at a starting level. To do this, scientific communication is important and the Tsunagari project is a wonderful model of visualizing informative data. Among the various exhibits, I am interested on the projects related to conductive polymers and nanomaterials, as these could be potential fields that I will do research in in the near future.

After our visit to Miraikan, we had lunch at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. I had tsukemen, a ramen dish that I have to dipped my noodles in a separated bowl of soup before eating it. Outside the shopping mall is an amazing statue of Unicorn Gundam.

Next we head on to Ueno and split into two groups to visit two museums: Tokyo National Museum and National Museum of Nature and Science. I followed the group to Tokyo National Museum and over there, I explored the Japanese art gallery.

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The Japanese gallery showcases art pieces from Japan and China, with a temporal evolution of Japanese art from the Jomon Era 12,000 years ago to the late 19th century. These various art pieces include buddhist statues, antique furniture, potteries, paintings, samurai armors, katanas, yukatas.

There were a few pieces that I found to be evoking and admirable, such as the serene buddhist statues, the beautiful design on potteries, and the realistic portrayal of Mount Fuji. As this is my first trip to Japan, the art museum is a good way and opportunity for me to explore about Japanese culture and history.

– Tan Zhao Siu