The Japan Hall at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo, will reopen its 1st floor south wing on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The section — known as "The Art of Viewing Nature" — has been closed since December of last year for renovation work.
The Japan Hall has displayed numerous specimen materials under the theme "Nature and People of the Japanese Archipelago" across its 1st through 3rd floor exhibition rooms since opening in 2007. The renovated south wing showcases unique tools and instruments that emerged from Japanese people's intellectual curiosity about Japan's four seasons and diverse natural environment, tracing the path that led that curiosity toward the natural sciences.
The renovation adds instruments used in modern meteorological observation and surveying, and reorganizes the exhibit into the following thematic sections:
- The Dawn of Japan's Modern Science and Technology: The Mannen Dokei (Perpetual Clock)
- Knowing the Sky
- Reading Heaven and Earth
- Observing the Land
- Recording the Weather
- Marking Time
- Creating Metal
- Measuring
A centerpiece of the renovated hall is the Mannen Dokei (Perpetual Clock), relocated from the 2nd floor of the Earth Hall to the introductory section of the south wing exhibition. The clock's dials — which are linked to the 24 solar terms, lunar phases, and more — will be made easier to understand through supplementary video content that complements the intricate mechanisms.
The Mannen Dokei is considered the pinnacle of Edo-period Japanese clock-making. Created by Tanaka Hisashige — a craftsman, inventor, and entrepreneur active from the Edo to the Meiji era — it is regarded as the masterpiece of traditional Japanese clockwork, and was designated a National Important Cultural Property in 2006. (On loan from Toshiba Corporation)
This marks approximately 20 years since the south wing last underwent renovation.
About the Japan Hall
The Japan Hall building was completed in 1931 as the main building of the Tokyo Science Museum, the predecessor of the current National Museum of Nature and Science. After restoration and reconstruction work, it reopened as the Japan Hall in 2007 and was designated a National Important Cultural Property the following year in 2008.
Visiting Information
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:30 PM)
- Closed: Mondays; if Monday falls on a public holiday, closed Tuesday instead
- Admission: Adults and university students ¥630 (¥510 for groups of 20 or more); free for high school students and under, and for visitors aged 65 and over
- Note: This exhibition is accessible with regular admission only.
- Official website: https://www.kahaku.go.jp/
