National Museum of Emerging Science, Tokyo

The Miraikan, or the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, is a museum in Tokyo's Odaiba District, established by Japan's Science and Technology Agency in 2001. This museum, housed in a specially designed building, showcases a variety of scientific innovations and developments.

One of the main features of the Miraikan is its display of seismic activity across Japan. Using data from numerous seismometers, the exhibit vividly illustrates the country's frequent, minor tremors and more significant earthquakes. Additionally, visitors have access to an online database to explore recent seismic events.

Another notable exhibit is a rock core sample from the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, which evidences a massive meteorite impact linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs. The museum also boasts popular attractions like Asimo, Honda's humanoid robot, and a scale model of a maglev train. The permanent exhibition includes the Geo-Cosmos, Geo-Palette, and Geo-Scope.

The Miraikan regularly hosts special exhibitions, ranging from three to six each year, where science intersects with art. These exhibitions cover diverse topics such as sanitation and environmental sustainability, the construction of Tokyo Sky Tree, and the interaction between robots and humans. A 2012 special exhibition focused on the Tohoku earthquake and its consequences. The museum also features multilingual staff who demonstrate Japan's advanced scientific achievements. Astronaut Mamoru Mohri heads the Miraikan.