Introduction to the Permanent Exhibitions
This is an introduction to the permanent exhibitions of the Global Gallery and Japan Gallery. Descriptions are available in Japanese, English, Mandarin and Korean.
Japan Gallery
- 3F-South (Japan Gallery)
[Nature of the Japanese Archipelago]
The Japanese archipelago has changed almost unimaginably over the geological time scale, with the movement of the Earth's crust. These changes are reflected in the complex geology of the islands and their mountainous terrain. Blessed with four distinct seasons and influenced by seasonal winds and sea currents, the islands' natural environment is complex, giving rise to great biological diversity.>> View information about the exhibits of the South Wing, Japan Gallery, 3F
- 3F-North (Japan Gallery)
[The Environment on the Japanese Archipelago]
The Japanese archipelago features a tangled geological history seen in few other locations worldwide, and has been the scene of an endless cycle of proliferation and extinction. The traces of these creatures etched into rock strata throughout Japan tell a tale of dynamic changes, as Japan broke away from the Eurasian continent to become a chain of islands.>> View information about the exhibits of the North Wing, Japan Gallery, 3F
- 2F-South (Japan Gallery)
[Organisms of the Japanese Archipelago]
During the cycle of ice ages and interglacials that began 1.7 million years ago and continues to the present day, many flora and fauna were introduced to Japan, when lower sea levels created land bridges to the Eurasian continent across what are now straits. When the waters rose during the interglacials, Japan became an island chain and these organisms differentiated from their continental kin, as they adapted to the complex natural environment of the Japanese archipelago.>> View information about the exhibits of the South Wing, Japan Gallery, 2F
- 2F-North (Japan Gallery)
[Japanese People and Nature]
The first people arrived in Japan from the eastern Asian continent about 40,000 years ago, to settle in a land rich with the bounty of forest and sea. Later, many different peoples, each with their own unique cultures, arrived from various parts of Asia and intermingled amid this natural abundance, ultimately forming the populace that inhabits Japan today. These ancestors made clever use of the Japanese archipelago's natural wealth, inventing pottery and improved the cultivation of cereals.>> View information about the exhibits of the North Wing, 2F, Japan Gallery
- 1F-South (Japan Gallery)
[Techniques in Observing Nature]
Over generations, the Japanese people developed creativity and a keen eye for subtle changes, amid the changing of the seasons and the diversity of the natural environment. The literature, works of craft and art, tools and machines developed over the years in Japan testify to the way this environment shaped the emergence of science and technology in this country.>> View information about the exhibits of the South Wing, Japan Gallery, 1F
Global Gallery
- 3F (Global Gallery)
[The Advance of Life Across the Earth: Exploration Space/Forest of Discovery]
>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, 3F
- See the Incredible World of Mammals and Birds -
For evidence of the diversity of the Earth's environment, look no farther than the vast variety of mammals and birds. The stuffed animals in this area are posed in active postures that reflect their dynamic lives.- Forest of Discovery -
This area recreates the ecology of mixed forests. Visitors can look into nests and under fallen leaves, and at the rocks and rock strata of river beds, to view wonders of nature that ordinarily go unnoticed.>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, 3F
- 2F (Global Gallery)
[The Advance of Science and Technology Science in Discovery Plaza]
>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, 2F
- Thoughts and works of the peoples of Japan -
This area introduces the process by which Japan absorbed foreign cultural influences while remaining rooted in its own culture.- Science All Around Us -
Sound, light, mechanical force, motion, electricity, magnetism-in this section, visitors can experience and learn about the physical phenomena constantly occurring in our midst. Try your hand at solving the riddles of science around you.>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, 2F
- 1F (Global Gallery)
[Life and its Diversity]
>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, 1F
- All life is interdependent -
Life on Earth has evolved in an incredible diversity of species. This section shows how species adopt unique forms, habitats and modes of living as they adapt to their particular niches, and how they interact deeply with other living things around them in doing so.>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, 1F
- B1F (Global Gallery)
[The Changing Global Environment and Evolution of Life: Solving the Riddle of the Dinosaurs}
>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, B1F
- Solving the Riddle of the Dinosaurs -
When did the dinosaurs arrive on earth? Do these long-extinct creatures have any modern heirs? Museum researchers explain how fresh research results shed light on these intriguing questions, dramatically changing our image of the dinosaurs.>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, B1F
- B2F (Global Gallery)
[The Changing Global Environment and Evolution of Life: The Wonder of Emergence and Extinction]
>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, B2F
- The Wonder of Emergence and Extinction -
Life on Earth began approximately 4 billion years ago and has evolved continuously, with new forms constantly emerging and disappearing as enormous changes unfolded in the Earth's environment. After the extinction of the dinosaurs began the great age of mammals, out of which the human race emerged and spread out across the face of the Earth. This area tells the saga of this never-ending process.>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, B2F
- B3F (Global Gallery)
[Space, Matter and the Laws of Nature: Activities of the National Museum of Nature and Science]
>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, B3F
- Exploring the Workings of Nature -
Understanding the vastness of space, the matter of which it is composed and the laws of physics that bind them together is the founding mission of scientific endeavor. In this area of the Museum we introduce some of the results of natural inquiry that broadened humanity's perspective and fundamentally changed our understanding of nature.- Collecting Specimens, Conducting Research, and Giving Back to the Community -
In this area we introduce you to the wide range of activities in which the National Museum of Nature and Science engages, as we fulfill our mission to support the foundations of natural science while cultivating greater public appreciation and understanding of scientific endeavor.>> View information about the exhibits of the Global Gallery, B3F
The Flowering of Life, Views of the Earth, Fields of Life and Death (large-scale video presentations, etc.)
The video presentation "The Flowering of Life" and the large-scale video presentation "Views of the Earth", presented on 1F of the Global Gallery, and the large-scale video presentation "Fields of Life and Death", Life, presented on 3F of the Global Gallery, are shown at the following times:
- The Flowering of Life (Global Gallery, 1F)
| Starting times (Feature length: 5 min., 15 sec.) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | 10:40 AM | 11:20 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:40 PM | 1:20 PM |
| 2:00 PM | 2:40 PM | 3:20 PM | 4:00 PM | ||
| *Also shown at the following times on Friday only: | |||||
| 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | |
- Large-scale video presentation (Views of the Earth: Global Gallery, 1F)
| Starting times (Feature length: Approx. 5 min.) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:40 AM | 10:20 AM | 11:00 AM | 11:40 AM | 12:20 PM | |
| 1:00 PM | 1:40 PM | 2:20 PM | 3:00 PM | 3:40 PM | |
| 4:20 PM | |||||
| *Also shown at the following times on Friday only: | |||||
| 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | |
- Large-scale video presentation (Fields of Life and Death: Global Gallery, 3F)
| Starting times (Feature length: Approx. 5 min.) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM | |
| 3:00 PM | 4:00 PM | ||||
| *Also shown at the following times on Friday only: | |||||
| 5:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 7:00 PM | |||
ID card (for viewing on the Museum website)
In the user ID and password entry boxes at right, enter the user ID and password printed on the ID card you brought home with you from your visit to the Museum. Click the login button to view the content from the PDA you used at the Museum.
If you are unable to view the content, click here.
- Images and video viewable in the descriptions of the permanent exhibitions are protected by copyright, and so are restricted from viewing by the general public.
- The descriptions of the permanent exhibitions include Flash content. A Flash player is required. You can download a Flash player from the following sites. Flash player
- To view the video content, RealPlayer must be installed. You can download RealPlayer from the following sites for free. RealPlayer
Guided Tours
- Tours in Japanese begin at 10:30 AM, 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM, every day the Museum is open, as well as at 11:30 AM Tuesdays,Thursdays and Sundays only.
- Tours in English are available once in a month, the third Sunday at 11:00 AM.
- All tours start in front of the Lounge on floor B1F at the Japan Gallery.
- Reservations are not accepted. Please note that in some cases tours may be cancelled according to circumstances.