It was Benjamin Franklin who said "tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn", and many museums geared to children in Japan definitely use that hands-on component to ensure that learning takes place. One such museum is Gunma Prefecture's Mukai Chiaki Children's Science Museum, which is dedicated to Japan's first woman in space - who also happened to be born in the local area.
The museum has plenty to keep young, inquisitive minds engaged, including the prefecture's largest planetarium. There are sections dedicated to animals, machines, physics principles and more - and naturally, given the nature of who the museum is named in honor of, there's a wide range of space-themed displays too. One that is immensely popular is the "moonwalker" exhibit, where patrons can experience what the moon's gravity is like. The third floor of the museum even houses a library with an impressive number of titles.
The Mukai Chiaki Children's Science Museum is closed every Monday, so bear that in mind if you're making a special trip.
