On November 22, 2023, Miraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, introduced four new permanent exhibitions with the themes of Robots, Aging, and the Global Environment. Visitors can experience current and future social issues, access the latest scientific knowledge, and share their views with other visitors at the end of each exhibition.

The “Hello! Robots” exhibition sheds light on the status of ongoing robot developments through an exhibition of the latest robotics research, and contact with robots including “Keparan,” Miraikan’s original partner robot. At the “Nanairo Quest—The Stories of the Future of Living with Robots” exhibition, visitors will encounter and learn about the symbiosis between people and robots by exploring Nanairo City, a futuristic city where humans and robots live side-by-side. In the “Park of Aging” exhibition, visitors experience simulations of the aging phenomena of the eyes, ears, brain, and musculoskeletal systems through six interactive exhibitions, allowing you to find out how to deal with aging that comes to us all.

In the “Planetary Crisis—To Continue Living on This Earth” exhibition, there is a large video theater; visitors can experience life in the Republic of Fiji where people have been facing the severe results of climate change. Another zone shows the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions of each country. Here, viewers can reconsider their daily lives. The exhibition is made of domestic wood for a structure that can be easily rearranged and reused after the exhibition. In addition, we have created table legs and guide boards from wood scraps generated during the production process; therefore, the exhibition is designed to minimize environmental impact.

It is challenging to think of social issues as “your own issues.” Miraikan hopes to provide visitors opportunities to consider what we can do through each exhibition experience. Join us and visit the updated Miraikan.