Introduction of spots where parents and children can enjoy Japanese science and technology

Hi, I’m Saki.

We introduce spots where you can experience Japanese science and technology for parents and children who are interested in STEM education.

If you are an engineer, a scientist dad, or a mom, you can enjoy it with your children, but it is a spot where there is a real thing that dad and mom can enjoy.

Railway Museum

It is a railway museum in Omiya City, Saitama Prefecture, which is operated by JR East (formerly JNR).
There are various locomotives, trains and Shinkansen on display, and you can go inside or get in the driver’s seat.
Usually I don’t see the train from below, so I’m overwhelmed by the size and power.

In addition, there are also many experience-based facilities such as a simulator (which is quite real) that can experience the driver of a steam locomotive, and a small train that can actually drive and drive.
However, since it is very popular, it is essential to be crowded on weekends, so it is recommended to visit on weekdays.
Also, there are also Linear Railway Hall “in Nagoya,
In Kyoto” Kyoto Railway Museum ”
It’s also recommended.

It is recommended to look at “real” Shinkansen after the Railway Museum

After seeing the railway museum, I recommend buying an admission ticket at Omiya Station and admission to the Shinkansen platform.
You can see the real Shinkansen for only 140 yen.
Omiya Station in particular has all Shinkansen trains on JR East such as Tohoku Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen, Akita Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen and Hokuriku Shinkansen, so you can see various vehicles.
In addition, you can keep looking without getting bored, as you will arrive at intervals of 5 to 10 minutes.

How to enter Shinkansen platform at Omiya Station

Purchase an “admission ticket” at a ticket vending machine located outside the ticket gate on a conventional line.
Please note that you can not enter the IC card “Suica”! You must buy a paper admission ticket.
Also, you can not enter the Shinkansen platform directly from outside the ticket gate.
First pass the ticket gate on the conventional line using an admission ticket.
You can then enter the Shinkansen platform by passing the same admission ticket through the Shinkansen ticket gate.
By the way, please note that there is a 2 hour time limit for admission tickets.

Miraikan-The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation –

It is an all genre science museum in Odaiba, Tokyo.
You can cross-view engineering (rockets, satellites, robots, IT), biology (humans, pharmaceuticals), and natural sciences (space, elementary particles, the global environment, etc.).
Above all, the dome theater like planetarium and the demonstration of humanoid robot ‘Honda ASIMO’ are very popular.
My daughter is also curious about robots since She saw the show at ASIMO.
In addition, there is a huge display in the shape of a globe (sphere) called “Geo Cosmos” in a huge blowout as a symbol display.

This “Geo Cosmos” shows the latest appearance of the earth taken from satellites.
There is a space on the ground floor where you can view this “Geo Cosmos” while sleeping, and you will be healed when you look at the moving earth.
By the way, about this first floor, you can see for free without an admission fee (adult: 700 yen)!
In addition, a special exhibition is held for a limited time, apart from the permanent exhibition, and exhibits of various genres are held, so you can enjoy it all year round.

Umihotaru parking area

It is a parking area of the artificial island built at the middle point of Tokyo Wan Aqua-Line that connects Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture and Kisarazu City in Chiba in a straight line.
As it is a parking area on a highway, it is naturally free except for tolls.
This aqua-line is said to be the Apollo project of civil engineering, which is made by bringing together Japanese civil engineering techniques, and there is a theater that introduces the outline.
The theater introduces the path to completion of the aqua-line, including CG and valuable images from that time.
Also, on the first floor, there is a full-scale monument of a shield machine with a 10km tunnel.

By the way, my daughter loves this monument, and whenever she comes to “Umihotaru”, she says “I’m looking at a shield machine ~” and I am talking here.

Until last year, there was a museum called “Umemegane Museum” which had screened a model of a shield machine, parts used for construction, and recorded video under construction, but it has been lost with the renovation.

“Umihotaru” itself is in a 360 degree view of the sea, and it is a place where it feels like an “an island of the deep sea”, and it has a very good view, and a sunny day is along the coast of Tokyo, Kanagawa and Chiba. You can see the scenery and the night view, so why not stop by when you can go through the aqua line?

As it is parking area, access by car is basic, but bus is operated.
Tokyo Bay Aqua Line Express Bus
It is about 1 per hour for holidays, but it departs from Kisarazu Station or Kawasaki Station.

Haneda Airport

You can see the plane with the night view of Tokyo at the back.
The rooftop observatory at Terminal 1 is a runway in front of you, so you can see the aircraft taking off and landing closely.

Although the observation deck of the International Terminal (Third Terminal) is a little away from the runway, it can overlook the entire Haneda area, so you can see the planes taking off and landing from various angles.
There are also flight simulators at international terminals, so you can feel like you’re a pilot.
There are 3 flight simulators with different degrees of difficulty, and you can enjoy various situations.