English

Human Beings in Coexistence with Nature

The exhibit encourages us to think about what we can do to protect our home planet, with the goal ofworking towards a future based on the harmonious balance of the Earth’s ecosystem.

Global Gallery The History of Life on Earth
The Global Gallery features an exhibit on the coevolution of the Earth and its inhabitants,
along with a history of the development of intelligent thought in humans.

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Navigators on History of Earth

Investigation Technology for the EarthBased on the epic themes "History of the Universe", "History of Life",and "History of Humankind", travel back in time and experience 13.8
billion years of history through specimens, documents, and videos. It isthe centerpiece that links the exhibition halls of the Global Gallery.

There are many interactive displays making it possible to instinctively
experience the physics related to light and magnetism, which are thefoundation of observation technology.And geomagnetism and magnetic
fields are explained through familiar phenomena such as compass.

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Exploration area for families with children
It is necessary to purchase tickets and book dates and times inadvance on an external website.
This exhibition room is designed for children and their parents orguardians. It encourages parent-child communication throughplay, aiming to foster the abilities of feeling and thinking.

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Biodiversity

Progress in Science and Technology

Animals of the Earth

The evolution of life on Earth has produced some 10 million different
species. Although all the species share the basic characteristics ofliving organisms, each species has adapted in form and lifestyle to its
own particular environmental circumstances. No species lives inisolation; our lives are intricately interwoven.

This exhibit showcases some Japanese inventions from the Edo period
onwards. Japanese culture maintains its unique identity and its close
communion with nature, while at the same time having interaction withforeign cultures.

The diversity of mammal and bird life on Earth is proof of the bountiful
nature of the Earth’s ecosystem. The specimens presented here still
convey something of the strength and endurance of these species.

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– From the Earth’s Origin

Evolution of Life

Evolution of Life through Human Existence

Today, reptiles and birds are quite different animals. Studying dinosaurs
however bridges the gap bet ween the t wo. There are countless
mysteries including the origin of dinosaurs, their increase in size,diversification, and their extinction. How much can we learn from thesilent testimonies of fossils?

Since their beginnings some four billion years ago, life forms have become
The vast universe, the mystery of life along with its components, andincreasingly diverse due to the ongoing process of environmental
the laws that govern these … Our understanding of these things is theadaptation. Human beings, part of the mammal group have acquired highly
foundation of all scientific recognition. Discoveries that have widened
developed adaptive capabilities, thanks to superior dexterity and powers of
our view and changed our understanding of nature along with thereasoning. This adaptive capacity has enabled humans to extend their reach to people who contributed to these are introduced.
all corners of the Earth. In this exhibit, you can trace the evolutionary path andlearn how plants and animals have adapted to the changing environment.

-Exploring the Mysteries of Dinosaur Evolution-

Exploring the Structure of Nature

Japan Gallery

The Environment on the Japanese Islands

Exhibited here in this Japan Gallery are the nature and history of the Japanese Islands, the evolution of its endemic organisms,
the process by which the modern Japanese population was formed, and the history of our contact with nature.

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Techniques in Observing Nature

Organisms of the Japanese Islands

The people of the Japanese Islands have been sensitive in observing the richness
and diversity of nature around them since the beginning of their history. Our daily life
in harmony with nature has also enabled us to acquire uniqueness in manufacturing andindustry. Tools, instruments, crafted objects and literature handed down from their own
time to the present, demonstrate our activities in the fields of science and technology.

Through the repetition of glacial and interglacial cycles dating back about 1.7 million years, theFrom a geochronological viewpoint, the Japanese Islands underwent rapid
variety of these living organisms migrated from the continent to the Japanese Islands by crossing thefluctuations due to crustal movements, and these led to the formation of complex
strait, which had turned into land during the glacial stage. During the interglacial stage, when they weregeological structures and a rich mountainous topography. The Japanese Islands havecut off from the continent by the ocean, these living organisms achieved their unique differentiation as
four distinct seasons and are strongly affected by monsoon and ocean currents. The
they adapted to the transformation of the natural environment of the Japanese Islands, with its varied climate complex topography and climate of the natural environment has given rise to diverseand complex topography.
forms of life.

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Various short-term exhibits or events will be held here every season.

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Nature of the Japanese Islands

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History of the Japanese Islands

Around 40,000 years ago, our ancestors encountered a land rich in forests and oceans at theeastern edge of Asia, and they began to settle in the Japanese Islands. Thereafter, various
other groups of people brought their distinctive cultures to the islands. These peoples came
together while still maintaining particular aspects of their culture. Our ancestors skillfullyinteracted with the natural environment of the Japanese Islands through the invention of pottery,the cultivation of plants and other techniques.

On the Japanese Islands, with their complex and unique geological history,
numerous species have repeatedly appeared, flourished, and become
extinct. The evidence of these past lives entombed in layers of rock tells of
this dynamic and changing history, from the time the Japanese land mass first
split away from the continental margin to when it formed an archipelago.

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CentralHall

THEATER36 ○Foucault Pendulum

Japan Gallery building

A visual facility that projects a 36-degree view of images and videos, providing aone-of-a-kind experience of weightlessness and impact. Enjoy the original
programs we have in store for you.

In 1851 the French physicist Foucalt used this type of pendulum toprove the rotation of the earth.

The construction of the building, which has a unique Neo-Renaissancestyle architected by the Ministry of Education then, was completed in
September 1931. It has the shape of an airplane that was a symbol ofthe state-of-the-art technology in the early Showa Era when thisbuilding was constructed.

Some visitors may experience disorientation or discomfort due to the floating
sensations or sense of speed created by the unique format of the show. Particularcare should be taken with small children, visitors who are not feeling well,
expectant mothers, senior citizens, and those who have a heart condition.
Intoxicated persons, unaccompanied preschool children, and groups of preschool
children are not permitted to enter.