Month: September 2025

National Museum of Nature and Science

[Over 200,000 visitors!] Night Museum events will be held on Friday, September 19th and Friday, September 26th at the special exhibition "Ice Age: The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago"

The special exhibition "Ice Age: The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago" currently being held at the National Museum of Nature and Science has attracted over 200,000 visitors. Additionally, a "Night at the Museum" event will be held on Friday, September 19th and Friday, September 26th.

The special exhibition "Ice Age: The World as Seen by Humankind 40,000 Years Ago," currently being held at the National Museum of Nature and Science (Ueno, Tokyo), has surpassed 200,000 visitors. To commemorate this milestone, a ceremony was held on Thursday, September 11th to celebrate the milestone. Kenichi Shinoda, Director of the National Museum of Nature and Science, who served as the overall supervisor of the exhibition, presented the Ohara family, who attended the ceremony, with original merchandise exclusive to this exhibition and an exhibition catalog.
Ohara, who had followed the Ice Age exhibition on social media, commented, "I was looking forward to seeing the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, the ancestors of mankind." In response, Director Shinoda encouraged the two visitors, saying, "I hope you will enjoy the exhibition while thinking about the fact that these people once lived."
The "Night at the Museum" event will be held on Friday, September 19th and Friday, September 26th. During the Night at the Museum, visitors will navigate the dark exhibition hall using flashlights and lanterns to illuminate their feet. The event will also include an explanation and talk session by the special exhibition curator.

[Ice Age Exhibition Night at the Museum Overview]
Event name: Special Exhibition "Ice Age Exhibition – The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago" Night Museum
Dates: Friday, September 19th and Friday, September 26th, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (last entrance at 7:30 PM)

Speakers:
Wataru Morita (Researcher, Human History Research Group, Department of Life History Research, National Museum of Nature and Science)
Jun Yabe (Head of the Evolutionary Paleontology Research Group, Department of Life History Research, National Museum of Nature and Science)
Yoshinori Murai (Senior Researcher, Biodiversity Analysis and Conservation Group, Department of Plant Research, National Museum of Nature and Science)

Commentary and talk session:
September 19th (Friday) Wataru Morita, Yoshinori Murai
September 26th (Friday) Wataru Morita, Jun Yabe
Capacity: 250 people per day

Night at the Museum Ticket Information [Only a few tickets left!]
Sales period:
September 19th (Friday) Night at the Museum Ticket: Until September 19th (Friday), 2025, 4:30 PM *First come, first served, while supplies last
September 26th (Friday) Night at the Museum Ticket: Until September 26th (Friday), 2025, 4:30 PM *First come, first served, while supplies last
Sales method: Available on the official ticket site and TBS ticket site
Admission fee: Adults and university students: 2,300 yen, elementary, middle and high school students: 600 yen
*Advance tickets, same-day tickets, free admission tickets, etc. cannot be used.
*Please be sure to check the notes on the ticket purchase page.

▼Ticket purchase page
Official online ticket : https://www.e-tix.jp/hyogakiten/
TBS Tickets https://tickets.tbs.co.jp/hyogakiten/

[Midomos Greeting Event, Midori City, Gunma Prefecture]

Midomos, the official mascot character of Midori City, Gunma Prefecture,
He will be visiting the Ice Age Exhibition on Saturday, September 13, 2025. "Midomos" is a character created in the image of a mammoth, and is named after the Iwajuku ruins in the city.

[Event Overview]
Date and time: Saturday, September 13, 2025
①10:00-10:30 ②11:30-12:00 ③14:30-15:00
Location: National Museum of Nature and Science, Global Gallery, Special Exhibition Hall, Connecting Corridor
・To participate in the greeting event, you will need a ticket for the special exhibition "Ice Age: The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago."

■ Ice Age Exhibition Overview
Exhibition name: Special Exhibition "Ice Age Exhibition – The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago"
Date: July 12, 2025 (Sat) – October 13, 2025 (Monday/holiday)
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:30)
Nighttime opening hours: October 10th (Friday) to 13th (Monday, national holiday) closes at 7:00 PM (admission until 6:30 PM)
Closed: September 16th (Tue), 22nd (Mon), 29th (Mon)
*Exhibition dates, opening hours, and closing days are subject to change.

Exhibition composition:
Chapter 1: Animals of Ice Age Europe
During the Ice Age, northern Europe was covered by ice sheets, and dry grasslands spread across the central part of the country, dominated by large animals known as the "Ice Age Megafauna."
What kind of creatures were these giant animals that lived in such harsh environments? Which of them became extinct and which survived to the present day?

Chapter 2: Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons
Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons (Homo sapiens) lived during the Ice Age.
This is the first time that an actual skull has landed in Japan. Neanderthals had a sturdy build and strong muscles, while Cro-Magnons had a relatively slender build and long limbs. Both lived in the same era, but by 40,000 years ago, Neanderthals had disappeared.
What on earth was the difference between the two fates?

Chapter 3: The Japanese Archipelago in the Ice Age
The Japanese archipelago stretches from north to south and is home to a diverse range of environments.
It is believed that humans arrived in Japan by the time of the last ice age, approximately 38,000 years ago. What were the animals that lived at that time, including Japan's three most extinct animals (the Naumann's elephant, the Yabe giant deer, and the Japanese long-eared tiger), and what was life like for humans on the Japanese archipelago during the ice age?

[Overall Supervision]
Kenichi Shinoda: Director of the National Museum of Nature and Science
[Supervision]
Wataru Morita: Researcher, Human History Research Group, Department of Life History Research, National Museum of Nature and Science
Jun Yabe: Head of the Evolutionary Paleontology Research Group, Department of Life History Research, National Museum of Nature and Science
Yoshinori Murai: Senior Researcher, Biodiversity Analysis and Conservation Group, Department of Plant Research, National Museum of Nature and Science
Kazutaka Morisaki: Associate Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo
Yuichiro Nishioka: Associate Professor, Museum of Earth and Environmental History, Fujinokuni

Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science (Ueno Park, Tokyo)
7-20 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8718

access:
■ 5 minutes walk from JR Ueno Station (Park Exit)
■ 10 minutes walk from Ueno Station (Exit 7) on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line or Hibiya Line
■ 10 minutes walk from Keisei Ueno Station (main exit) on the Keisei Line
*There is no parking or bicycle parking on the premises.

Organizers: National Museum of Nature and Science, TBS, TBS Gloudia, Tokyo Shimbun
Sponsors: TOPPAN, Bic Camera
Sponsored by: BS-TBS, TBS Radio

Official website: https://hyogakiten.jp/
Official X: https://x.com/hyogakiten

■Special tickets (limited quantity)
Sales period: Until 16:30 on Monday, October 13th (national holiday)
*Only official online tickets are available
・Same-day ticket with BE@RBRICK: 5,200 yen (tax included)

■ Same-day tickets
Sales period: Electronic tickets are available until 16:30 on Monday, October 13th (national holiday)
*Other ticket agencies will be open until 3:00 PM on Monday, October 13th (national holiday).
・General admission, university students: 2,300 yen (tax included)
・Elementary, junior high and high school students: 600 yen (tax included)
*Free for preschool children.
* Free admission for those with a disability certificate and one caregiver.
*If you have a student ID or other certificate, please present it upon entry.

Ticket sales locations: National Museum of Nature and Science (except closed days), official website (online tickets), TBS Ticket, Asoview, Seven Ticket, e+, Lawson Ticket, Ticket Pia, CN Play Guide, Rakuten Ticket, Ikoyo

[TBS Gloudia] Press Release

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Tokyo Bunka Kaikan

General supervision by Katsuhiko Hibino, President of Tokyo University of the Arts
Deaf and hearing artists interact with each other, and this process is the basis for
An original story is created and performed.

We are pleased to announce that ticket applications for the stage production "Don't be silent, move, breathe," in which deaf and hearing people encounter each other, will begin at 10:00 on Monday, September 1st .
"Don't be silent, move, breathe" is being created in collaboration with deaf and hearing people since 2023 as part of the cultural program for the IAAF World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Tokyo this autumn.
This production features two towns: "Mist Town," where sign language is the language of the town, and "One Hundred Layers," where Japanese is the language of the town. The residents of the two towns do not understand each other's languages. Just like the characters, the audience can enjoy the process from their seats as they start out in a state of "not understanding" and gradually begin to communicate as they try to get to know each other.

Performance details

【title】
TOKYO FORWARD 2025 Cultural Program
"Don't be silent, move, breathe" is a stage production where deaf and hearing people meet.

[Performance Date and Time]
Saturday, November 29, 2025, 15:00 Doors open 14:00 (Pre-talk from 14:45)

【venue】
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Large Hall (5-45 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo)

[Cast]

Abe Aiko, Iizuka Daishu, Ikeda Momoka, Ishida Michiko, Itabashi Renpei, Ueda Ai, Utoda Chiharu, Ohashi Yuta, Okumura Yasuto, Ono Kanon, Onosato Mitsuko, Kikuchi Ken, Kurashima Satoshi, Kondo Tatsuya, Sato Moe, Sano Kazumi, Takayanagi Ayumi, Tsunoda Risa, Narutsuka Motoka, Hayashi Daigo, Honma Chiemi, Mitsuhashi Raku, Murata Yuko, Moe Fumi, Yaotani Rie, Nicholas Yuyama, Yoshida Miyuki, Leo, Nishiwaki Masago.

【staff】
General Supervision: Hibino Katsuhiko Composition and Direction: Makihara Eri Direction: Shimaji Yasutake Dramaturg: Shizukukyo, Nagashima Kaku
Staging Director: Yo Nakamura Music Creation Staff: Masago Nishiwaki
Music Supervision: Fuyuko Fukunaka Set Design: Ai Harada Lighting: Ayumi Kido Music: Ryuichi Ono, Tan Igawa Sound: Raku Nakahara Stage Visuals: Satoshi Kuriyama Costumes: Kumiko Takeda Hair & Makeup: Ruu Assistant Directors: Hidetada Tashiro, Miki Nakamura, Tomoka Yamada Stage Director: Hidemine Yamaguchi

【story】
In a town surrounded by fog, a ceremony to celebrate the founding of the nation is taking place, when a man wanders into the town.
He had come through the fog from another town.
This "Mist Town" is a floating, moving town. In a world without the concept of sound, language is physical.
It has developed its own unique culture, and everything is designed to be convenient for the town's residents.
Over the years, they periodically approach the "other town," but are obscured by fog and remain unaware of each other.
A man who has wandered in is captivated by the ceremony, which is accompanied by music.
He eventually becomes friends with the three residents and begins living in the town.
Two years later, the man invites the three to "another town."
The city's name is "Hyakusō." It is a megalopolis with high-rise buildings and a highly centralized urban area. It has a developed culture of sound and its language is also phonetic.
On the other hand, noise problems have become serious due to overpopulation, and there is a demand for extreme silence.
The man returns after two years and shows the three around the town.
Through their encounters with various residents of the Hundred Floors, the four eventually end up participating in a concert…

Official website: https://duk-tokyoforward2025.jp/
Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@duk-tokyoforward2025/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duk_tokyoforward2025/

[Organizer]
Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, Arts Council Tokyo, Tokyo University of the Arts

Ticket application

【ticket】
All seats reserved, free (advance registration required, first come first served)
After your application is received, we will contact you by email or postcard with your seat number at least one week before the performance.

[How to apply]
Please apply from 10:00 on Monday, September 1st using one of the following methods.
①Application form https://pro.form-mailer.jp/fms/6b38097f334471
②Return postcard application deadline: October 31st (Friday) postmark valid
Please fill in your address, name, contact information (e.g., phone number), and desired viewing support (deaf theater area, subtitles, hearing loop, audio guide), and send it to the address below.
Send to: Sumitomo Fudosan Azabu-Juban Building 4F, 1-4-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073
Lights Apartment Co., Ltd. "Don't be silent, move, breathe" performance office
If you would like to attend the performance as a group (10 or more people), please contact the performance office.
*Due to popular demand, tickets are sold out.
They are considering increasing the number of seats and will announce on their official website by early October when applications will resume, so please wait for the announcement.

*Preschool children are not allowed to enter.
*The front seats on the first floor are a viewing area for deaf people where the sign language on stage can be easily seen.
* Loud sounds will be heard in some scenes. Earplugs will be provided at the venue if you wish.
Please check the official website for details .

[Viewing support]
● Subtitles (Spoken dialogue is displayed as subtitles. Sign language dialogue is not supported.)
For this performance, subtitle support will be available using the free app "HELLO! Theater."
For more information, please visit the following URL: https://www.hellotheater.info/
Hearing group (reservations required, first come first served, limited seating area)
● Audio guide (reservation required, first come first served, limited availability)
Visual information such as the state of the stage and the movements of the performers will be conveyed through audio.
● Free area
There are free areas within the auditorium where you can sit if you want to move seats temporarily or if it is difficult to return to your seat during the performance.
● Lobby rest area
If you need a break during the show, you can take one in the lobby.
Childcare service (reservations required, fees apply, limited availability)
Event Childcare/Mothers: (0120-788-222) Deadline: 5:00 PM, Friday, November 21st.
*If you are coming with a wheelchair, assistance dog, or require other assistance, please contact the event office in advance.

[Venue map and access]
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (5-45 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
Approximately 1 minute walk from the Park Gate of JR Ueno Station
Approximately 5 minutes' walk from Exit 7 of Tokyo Metro Ueno Station
Approximately 7 minutes walk from the main ticket gate of Keisei Ueno Station
*Tokyo Bunka Kaikan does not have a dedicated parking lot for customers. Please use a nearby paid parking lot.

[Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture] Press release

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Ueno Toshogu Shrine

Dahlias with a variety of flower shapes blooming under the shade of a Japanese umbrella.

Ueno Toshogu Shrine (located in Ueno Park, Taito Ward, Tokyo), which was built as a shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokugawa Yoshimune, and Tokugawa Yoshinobu, will be holding the “Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden Special Festival: Autumn Dahlia Garden” from Saturday, September 20th to Monday, November 3rd, 2025, where over 200 dahlias of 100 varieties will decorate the garden in autumn. The best viewing time is expected to be around mid-October, when the heat subsides.
This event, which began in 2016, will be held for the 10th time this year.

During the event, daily flowering information will be posted on Instagram.
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utbotanen_official/

■More than 200 dahlias of 100 species with a wide variety of flower colors and appearances Dahlias are bulbous plants of the Asteraceae family native to Mexico. They were introduced to Japan during the Edo period and are given the Japanese name “Tenjikubotan” (Indian peony) because they resemble peonies.
Please take your time to enjoy the vibrantly blooming dahlia flowers, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

・A rare variety with a whimsical mix of deep red, peach, and white flowers

– A variety that sparked the popularity of dahlias with its deep red color tinged with black.

– A variety in which smaller petals overlap inside the evenly arranged petals.

■Authentic Edo architecture and peonies, including the “Five-story Pagoda of the Former Kan’ei-ji Temple” Within the garden, you can enjoy dahlias blooming under Japanese umbrellas, surrounded by an Edo-style atmosphere, combined with the five-story pagoda of the Former Kan’ei-ji Temple and the stone lanterns lining the approach to Toshogu Shrine.

■There are plenty of other photo spots!
Along with flowers such as dahlias, we also offer seasonal displays, mixed plantings, bonsai, and more.

■Flowers that bloom along with the dahlias <br />In addition to dahlias, seasonal flowers such as burnet, Japanese laurel, and cosmos bloom in the garden, and there are many other things to see.

Ueno Toshogu Shrine Peony Garden Special Festival: Dahlias in the Autumn Garden Event Details Period: Saturday, September 20, 2025 to Monday, November 3, 2025 (national holiday) *Open daily during the period Opening hours: 9:30am – 4:30pm (last entry)
Admission fee: Adults (junior high school students and above) 800 yen, admission ticket for the event period 2,000 yen, free for elementary school students and younger Organizer: Ueno Tourism Federation General Incorporated Association Supporter: Taito Ward Address: 9-88 Ueno Park, Taito Ward, Tokyo 110-0007
TEL: 03-3822-3575 (Peony Garden)
Access: 5-minute walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station, 5-minute walk from the Ikenohata Exit of Keisei Electric Railway Keisei Ueno Station, 10-minute walk from Exit 2 of Tokyo Metro Nezu Station

____________________________________________________________________

■Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden <br />The Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden was opened in April 1980 to commemorate friendship between Japan and China, on the grounds of Ueno Toshogu Shrine, which enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu as its deity. Currently, 500 peonies of 110 varieties are cultivated in the strolling Japanese garden in spring, and 160 peonies of 40 varieties are cultivated in winter.
Located in the heart of Tokyo, Ueno is lush with greenery, so you can enjoy the peonies at your leisure while immersing yourself in the Edo atmosphere.

Address: 9-88 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0007
TEL: 03-3822-3575 (Peony Garden)
Access: 5-minute walk from the Park Exit of JR Ueno Station; 5-minute walk from the Ikenohata Exit of Keisei Electric Railway Keisei Ueno Station; 10-minute walk from Exit 2 of Tokyo Metro Nezu Station. Official website: https://uenobotanen.com/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/utbotanen_official/

[Toshogu Shrine] Press release

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