Back at the Miraikan in Odaiba

It's been over five years since since I first posted photos of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Odaiba. The main hall with its giant globe is visually stunning and always fascinating. I'm quite sure that the pictures I've taken don't capture the scale and it's unique qualities.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 21 mm, f5.6, ISO 100, 1/40 sec.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 22 mm, f5.6, ISO 100, 1/50 sec.

Statue of Liberty and Rainbow Bridge from the Odaiba Beach Park (お台場海浜公園)

The following photo was uploaded in 2011 but the Blogger Post to accompany it was never written. Sadly, it has been orphaned in the cloud for almost six-years. Perhaps I was distracted by the Tohoku Earthquake that followed about a week later.

In March 2011 the family visited ventured out on beautiful day for a play and walk around the Odaiba Beach Park (お台場海浜公園). Along the boardwalk there's a great view of the Statue of Liberty and Rainbow Bridge.

Nikon D700 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 22 mm, f5.6, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec.

History Garage

In Odaiba, there is a car museum run by Toyota called the History Garage. I visited recently with my kids, who were not as interested in looking at a bunch of old cars, especially if you couldn't sit in them or ride in them.

One of the more interesting vehicles was the Toyota Sports 800. The prototype for this car, the Toyota Publica Sports is on prominent display at the entrance to the museum (or perhaps it is near the exit, I may have gone the wrong way around). According to Wikipedia, the car's engine output was 21 kW (or 28 hp)! I'm sure this sounded more impressive in 1962 (although a 1962 Corvette was rated between 250 hp (190 kW) and 360 hp (270 kW) from an 327 cu in (5.4 L) small-block V8). At least the car sold for significantly less, about $1,652 USD in 1965 according to the Yotahachi North American Resource Page.

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 16 mm, f5.6, ISO 125, 1/30 sec.

This is the 1965 production version, sometimes affectionately called the Yota-Hachi (ヨタハチ). The kanji on the license plate is a little unusual too. It actually has Tokyo (東京）. I'm not sure if this is how plates were issued back in the 1960's. Current, Tokyo plates are now issued with the local municipality, Adachi (足立), Hachiōji (八王子), Tama (多摩), Nerima (練馬) or Shinagawa (品川).

Nikon D600 with Nikon 16-35mm f/4G ED VR II AF-S IF SWM @ 20 mm, f4.0, ISO 400, 1/6 sec.

Pirates of Odaiba?

About a week before the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the family went out to Odaiba to check out a Shiokaze Park. This park is located next to the Museum of Maritime Science and quite naturally featured a playground in the shape of a ship.

Perhaps even a pirate ship... Argh... There be pirates in these waters.... (BTW - That's my 5-year old daughter in the corner, caught in a pose that has a little resemblance to that recent fad... planking.

There's a fountain with a shallow stream that looks like it would be fun in the hot and sticky summer months.

We were lucky to have fine weather and a view of Mt. Fuji between all of the buildings and a large crane!

Ont the other side of the park there was a sculpture inspired by Georges Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.  I'm not sure who the artist is, but a little online search and it appears that this work is called... Sunday afternoon of the Sea Breeze Park Island. Anyway, at the time I was more interested in the Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge in the background.

Have you seen Asimo?

Last year the family visited National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Odaiba.  Miraikan has been closed since the 11 March 2011 earthquake, but is scheduled to reopen on Saturday, 11 June 11 at 10:00. 

 It's one of the great museums in the Tokyo area and has great hands on technology exhibits.  There are plenty of robots, computers and machines that you can interact with. 

One of the more interesting exhibits was a performance by Honda's fabulous ASIMO robot. It's amazing to think that the technology in this robot is already over 10-years old.