Planetarium screenings and craft experiences are also available.
The Ocean Culture Museum, located in Motobu-cho’s Ocean Expo Park, introduces the history and culture of the maritime peoples of the Pacific region, including Okinawa.
Maritime culture refers to the interaction of people trying to live with the sea.
In the exhibition hall, approximately 750 valuable materials are on display, including large canoes and personal belongings from voyages.
In the planetarium, the starry sky of Okinawa according to the season and folk tales about the starry sky handed down in Okinawa are introduced through images.
Admission is 190 yen for adults and free for elementary and junior high school students and younger.
Point 1: Introduce the history and culture of maritime peoples.
The Maritime Culture Museum exhibits about 750 valuable materials, including large canoes.
A Tahitian double canoe greets us as we enter the Marine Culture Museum.
We take the elevator to the third floor and enter the exhibition hall.
The exhibition hall is divided into four zones: Nautical Zone, Oceania Zone, Exchange Zone, and Okinawa Zone.
The floor map of the Pacific Ocean spread out and the dynamic images on the large screen and the three large canoes are very powerful.
Point 2: A planetarium that fills the dome screen
Several programs are shown each day in the planetarium, which fills the dome screen with up to 140 million compositions.
In the “Okinawa Nuchuraboshi – Okinawa’s Starry Sky and Mythology” program, which allows visitors to enjoy the starry sky of Okinawa according to the season, the starry sky visible from Motobu-cho is reproduced, and folk tales about the stars passed down in Okinawa are introduced.
As of June 2022, a special screening of “Star Journey – World Edition,” which takes visitors on a journey through the starry skies of the world, will be shown.
Other digital video programs are also available, using the entire dome screen.
Point 3: Craft Experience
At the Oceanic Culture Museum, visitors can try their hand at making easy masks and paper crafts that can be used to make a constellation quick reference sheet.
In the mask-making activity, participants use scissors and rubber bands to create masks of the Oceania region. By wearing the masks, you can feel like a local.
In the “Constellation Quick Look Sheet,” visitors can enjoy the seasonal constellations on a sheet of paper.
Held daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Community Hall on the 2nd floor of the Oceanic Culture Museum.
There is no charge.
