Astronauts Alert!

The notion of space is too wide for us to grasp, they say, especially for children. Going to Yokohama Science Center (Yokohama Kodomo Kagakukan), however, the children think differently. The center brings space and science to thechildren's level -- and not necessarily down to their level either. The center has a dual purpose, to teach children more about science and space through experiencing the theories that adults hold so dear, and to actively encourage boys and girls to become tomorrow's scientists and astronauts.

After undergoing major restoration and renovation, the center has notched up increased popularity since reopening in summer 1995. Right from your initial approach, the entire complex, built like a huge spaceship, gives a feeling of navigating through outer space.

We start, as appropriate, closest to the stars. As we ascend to the top floor, the 75-person capacity elevator Spaceship YSC-1 sets the mood on its way to the fifth floor Space Captain. Here we get an idea of the vastness of space when examining the solar system through spectrums and experimental models and navigating in space as captain of a spaceship.

The next floor down, Space Discovery, concentrates on how light and radio waves work. A few minutes of play with the light robot, radio-controlled probes and you begin to understand the mystery of electromagnetic waves. Or step into the ultra-violet tunnel and watch the color change according to which rays are applied.

And get ready for some physical exercise. The third floor, Space Training, is a favorite at the center. This floor shows us all the exercises in astronaut training. Here you can, with a little help from the simulation machine, jump on the moon or enjoy a spacewalk in the Space Moving Unit.

Exhausted we went down to Space Laboratory on the second floor to observe how electric discharge works in natural phenomena such as lighting and Northern Lights. Along with a battalion of curious youngsters, we peered into microscopes, used computers to learn about Bits, gazed wide-eyed at scientific videos and accessed the library.

To watch something on a larger scale, we went to Space Theater on the first floor for some of the daily five to seven screenings of planetarium shows and IMAX movies on a screen covering the entire ceiling. Borrow headphones at the information desk for English.

The tearoom on the first floor serves food or take your o-bento lunch box to B1, a big resting area, before tackling the very bottom of the center, the Space Factory, for workshops and science crafts classes. Register for the workshops in advance.

The Science Center is all that Kanagawa Prefecture aims to be and more: as well as encouraging a questioning, curious attitude to science and space studies, it is a supreme place of play and exploration.

Yokohama Science Center (Yokohama Kodomo Kagakukan) Adults entrance fee 400 yen, Planetarium 1,000 yen, IMAX Dome 1,000 yen, Planetarium + IMAX Dome 1,600 yen. Season pass valid for 6 months is 4,000 yen. School children entrance fee 200 yen, Planetarium 500 yen, IMAX Dome 500 yen, Planetarium + IMAX Dome 800 yen. Season pass valid for 6 months is 2,000 yen. Children entrance fee FREE, Planetarium 300 yen, IMAX Dome 300 yen, Planetarium + IMAX Dome 600 yen. Season pass not applicable. 9:30am-5pm (enter by 4pm); Sun. & hol. from 9am. Closed Mon. Yokodai Sta. (JR Negishi Line), walk 5 min. Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Tel: (045) 832-1166. (URL: http://www.city.yokohama.jp/yhspot/ysc/ysc/ysc.html)

KANTO REGION

Funabashi City Municipal Planetarium offers shows on weekends & Sat. at 2pm and Sun. at 10am & 2pm. This 13-year-year-old planetarium features an 18-meter dome and has a capacity of 255. Adults 400 yen, children 200 yen, children under four get in FREE. 834 Higashicho, Higashi Funabashi Sta. N. Exit (JR Sobu Line). Tel: (0474) 22-7732.

Katsushika City Museum (Katsushika-ku Kyoudo to Tenmon Hakubutsukan) -- Planetarium, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo. Tue.-Thurs., 9am-7pm; Fri. & Sat. until 9pm; Sun. & hol. until 5pm. Closed Mon., 2nd & 4th Tue. 100 yen (Planetarium 300 yen), students 50 yen (Planetarium 100 yen), children FREE (Planetarium 50 yen). Ohanajaya Sta. (Keisei Line), walk 10 min. At Nippori Sta. (JR Yamanote Line) change to Keisei Line. Tel: (03) 3838-1101/fax: (03) 5680-0849. 3-25-1 Shiratori, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo 125-0063. (URL: http://203.141.15.9/links/shisetsu/katusika/index-j.html)

National Astronomical Observatory (Monbu-sho Kokuritsu Tenmondai) -- Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588. Tel. (0422) 34-3600. (URL: http://www.nao.ac.jp/index.html)

AICHI PREFECTURE

Nagoya City Science Museum (Nagoya-shi Kagakukan) -- Planetarium, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Prefecture. Tel: (052) 201-4486. (URL: http://www.ncsm.city.nagoya.jp/index.html) Planetarium (URL: http://www.ncsm.city.nagoya.jp/planet/index.html) in Japanese only

HIROSHIMA PREFECTURE

Children's Science Museum -- Planetarium, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture. Planetarium. Tel: (082) 222-5346 (URL: http://mothra.rerf.or.jp/ENG/Hiroshima-old/Art/Hiroshima-Children.html, contains only minimal information)

HYOGO PREFECTURE

Akashi Municipal Planetarium (Akashi Shiritsu Tenmon Kagakukan) Tel: (078) 919-500; Fax: (078) 919-6000. (URL: http://www.am12.akashi.hyogo.jp/top.htm) in Japanese only Kobe Science Museum (Kobe Shiritsu Seishonen Kagakukan) Tel: (078)-302-5177 (URL: http://www.ksm.or.jp)

ISHIKAWA PREFECTURE

Cosmo Isle Hakui -- Space Science Museum, Information Library, Cosmo Theater with programs like "Humankind and Space," "SETI" and "UFOs." Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture. 25 Menda, Tsurutacho, Hakui-shi, Ishikawa-ken 925-0027, Cosmo Isle Hakui. Tel: (0767) 22-9888; Fax: (0767) 22-1947

Japanese Association of Museums (Nihon Hakubutsukan Kyokai. (URL: http://www.j-muse.or.jp/y_net.html) in Japanese only

• Virtual Library Museum Pages (URL: http://www.icom.org/vlmp/) For a list of planetariums all over the world, access (URL: http://www.lochness.com/pltweb/pltweb.html).