Earthquake Science Museum — Attraction in Tokyo

A really unique learning experience, as well as a reminder of the power of natural disasters.

First off, it's not a museum in the strictest sense, its more of an educational center. That doesn't stop it from being interesting or engaging, but it is laid out like something you'd visit on a school trip. It is a little out of the way in the central Tokyo scheme of things. Still accessible via the trains and metro, but will need a dedicated trip to it specifically. It's free entry, which helps too.

The center is split between two buildings. One is used to house the educational exhibits, showing mock ups of earthquake damaged buildings and rooms, as well as illustrating different earthquakes that have struck Japan over the last 200 years or so.

The other building is used for the experience side of things. The simulator is genuinely quite excellent, able to demonstrate what up to a 7.0 earthquake would feel like in isolation (can only imagine how scary it would be with things like furniture and other buildings all around you). It also houses the smoke room demo, which shows how hard it can be to navigate an interior space during a fire, and how quickly rooms fill with smoke.

The staff were very accommodating, offering to help and guide us through using a pocket translator.

99% of the information is only in Japanese, so Google translate will come in handy, but you can still get a feel for things as is.

It's definitely worth the journey out to it, with the only caveat being the distance and potential...

visited the Earthquake Science Museum and experienced the power of an earthquake for the first time.

The staff gave us simulations of magnitude 2, 3, 5, and 7 earthquakes. The museum offers experiences of different regions' earthquake intensity from past major earthquakes. It turns out that the magnitude 7 Fukushima earthquake is quite different from the magnitude 7 Tokyo earthquake. The magnitude and direction of the shaking are significantly different.

Although each earthquake experience only lasts about 2 minutes, the impact on me was immense. I truly feel a sense of helplessness and sorrow for the Japanese people.

Earthquakes are terrifying. You can’t predict them, nor do you know when an aftershock will occur. All the "unknowns" are potentially life-threatening. I deeply admire how Japanese people continue to live so diligently.

This museum is completely free and doesn't require reservations. Though it's a bit far, it’s well worth visiting. The staff were very friendly, thorough in their explanations, and worked hard to communicate with...

Don't expect a museum in common sense. It is more like an information and training center for earthquakes and related effects. The exhibition only has a few remarks (like headlines) in English. Nevertheless, it is worth taking the whole tour of both levels as you will also see a lot of photos. You can also touch some cold lava stones and ashes. If you have the chance, you should experience the earthquake demonstration (every hour). In this safe environment, you get a clear impression of how scary and devastating the real thing must feel like. A kind Japanese guide led us through the demonstration using his mobile phone for English translations. This was the least touristy experience during my whole stay in Japan, but...