Where are you going, when you visit the famous tourist place, Minatomirai? You may enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Yokohama Port, high-rise buildings or go shopping in the wide variety of shops in the big shopping malls. They are the recommended ways of spending your time in the Minatomirai area. But if you are with kids? Your kids might be bored just seeing the scenery or shopping with you. So I will tell you about a hidden spot that kids will love…and YOU, too!
I am a Yokohama and Minatomirai lover but this was my first visit to the Mitsubishi Minatomirai Industrial Museum after more than uncountable visits here. But this museum is the one I thought I would like to come back and visit again! It’s that good! It is managed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and located in the Mitsubishi Juko Yokohama Bldg, just next to Landmark Tower, about a 3-minute walk from Minatomirai Station on the MInatomirai Line and an 8-minute walk from Sakuragicho Station on the JR Negishi Line or Yokohama Municipal Subway Line.
This museum consists of two floors and it is not so huge but moderate to browse. As I printed out a discount coupon over the Internet, I paid only 200 yen for one adult admission and my son.
Elementary school age children enter for free, though I am sure it’s worth more than you pay!
This museum features 6 different zones divided by themes. 1. Environment/Energy, 2. Technology Quest, 3. Aerospace, 4. Ocean, 5. Daily Life Discovery, 6. Transportation.
It’s good to start from one of these zones but I recommend that you first of all go directly to the 2nd floor to make reservations for some experiments such as designing ships or planes on computers, building a steam locomotive or concept cars atop a big computer screen table and operating a helicopter. Because they are very exciting and popular attractions, they are soon booked and it will be too late when you want to try. So go up and reserve a spot. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to try all of them but I did try designing a submarine on 3D CAD. On each computer, 6 participants compete to see who can make the best submarine (designing and assembling) and if you complete your own submarine, you then compete by operating it to go to a designated destination. The ranking is shown on the big screen in front of you. My son and I were third in six! I promise you will be more excited than your kids. I was anyway!
Then, we browsed around the museum; there were bus conducting and flight operating simulators too. But besides them, there are a lot of touching and experiencing corners. It’s not just for fun but good for education and knowledge of cutting technology. I strongly regret that I didn’t have enough time to see and experience all of them. But because it is in a convenient location and with a very cheap admission fee, you can easily come here again anytime you visit Minatomirai and experience the ones you missed your first visit.
