The [Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation’s] core motto is “to ask questions rather than provide answers.” This philosophy reflects the ever-evolving nature of science.
Day Two, Tokyo
By Max, Alec, Robert
After some below average sleep (jet lag) we started our second day in Japan! After getting ready we headed off to Shibuya, famous for its busy pedestrian crossing site. On busy days, over 3,000 people cross the street at the same time!
When we arrived at Shibuya, our guide Roberto, our Shibuya architectural expert, greeted us at Hachikō’s statue (Google to read Hachikō’s story). Roberto taught us about why Japan’s architecture is constantly evolving.
As we walked through the busy city and multiple different floors, we saw how Shibuya, and Tokyo’s, architecture is so much different from anywhere else. First, they prioritize the natural environment, making sure there is sun, wind, and rain almost everywhere you walk. Secondly, they make sure that proportions between walkways and buildings aren’t so different in order to make a pedestrian feel like the sky isn’t always gray and cloudy. Finally, because buildings lose value over time in Tokyo instead of increasing in value over time (due to natural disasters mostly, although land increases in value), construction and changes are constantly affecting the infrastructure of Tokyo, which makes it an incredibly fast-evolving city.
Next we went to the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest tower and third-tallest structure in the world! Standing at 2080 feet tall, we got a 360 degree view of the full city of Tokyo.
The Skytree is incredibly thin, as its base is considered very small for its height. A triangular cross section had to be built at ground level, and as the building was built it gradually turned into a circular tower. It also took inspiration from Pagodas, an Asian multi-layered tower associated with Buddhism, namely their shinbashira. The shinbashira is an important pillar located in the direct center of the tower, providing important support to the tower and protection from earthquakes. We had the opportunity to learn this through Roberto, as well as from a small pamphlet that was passed out to us before we arrived at the tower.
After the Skytree, we traveled to the Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, located in Odaiba, Tokyo. The Miraikan focuses on modern science and technology, offering interactive exhibits and demonstrations related to many science topics like environment science, planetary science, space exploration, and medicine.
The museum’s core motto is “to ask questions rather than provide answers.” This philosophy reflects the ever-evolving nature of science. Through exhibits like the Geocosmos providing real time earth data, Asimo the robot inspiring the future of AI and mechatronics, the ISS module explaining challenges with human life in space, and Explore the Frontiers, which delved deep into the latest advancements in technology, we learned a lot about fields of scientific exploration.