150th Anniversary of the Opening of the National Museum of Nature and Science

Kahaku was born as the Educational Museum in Ueno, Tokyo, in 1877 (Meiji 10). Since then, while experiencing difficult periods such as the Great Kanto Earthquake and the Pacific War, it celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1977 (Showa 52), became an Independent Administrative Agency in 2001 (Heisei 13), and continues to the present day.

The current Kahaku exists thanks to the museum that our predecessors established and operated in the "Past," and the existence of many fans who have supported us across eras. By looking back on this journey with you from the viewpoint of the "Present," we will conduct commemorative projects that will help us think about Kahaku's future together and serve as a Baton to be passed on to future fans and colleagues.

First, as a project to connect with the past, we will undertake the compilation of the 150-Year History of the National Museum of Nature and Science. We believe that this history will serve as the foundation for contemplating the museum's future.

Additionally, we will implement commemorative events, various special exhibitions, and feature exhibitions to express our gratitude to the fans and stakeholders who currently support Kahaku.

As an event directed toward the future, we will hold an International Symposium. In order to consider the future role of museums, it is necessary to broaden international and diverse perspectives.

Furthermore, we plan to digitize the specimens, materials, and records collected thus far and make them public on a special commemorative website, allowing them to be viewed online.

As described above, through these projects, we will share Kahaku's past journey with all of you in various forms. We aim to use the 150th anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on how the museum can be further accepted by the public as a member of society over the next 50 years leading up to our 200th anniversary, striving to be a museum that continues to thrive alongside you. Thank you for your continued support.

Logo Concept and Tagline

The logo expresses Kahaku's "Past," which has continuously woven its history without interruption, by depicting motifs representing our research fields in a single line: the Blue Whale, the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum), Human Evolution, the Troughton Telescope, and Allosaurus.

The line then follows an orbit, like the rings of Saturn, and continues into a shining star at the center of the "0." This star symbolizes the museum's "Future," expressing how the single line connected from the past continues on toward the future. The star was also designed to resemble a compass needle, embodying the wish that the museum may proceed without hesitation even during difficult times.

This logo was selected through an internal competition among museum staff, followed by an all-staff vote.

The tagline is "Connecting with the Past, Leading to the Future." The logo design connects the museum's past, present, and future.

Details regarding the anniversary projects and future plans will be communicated via the official website and social media channels as soon as they are finalized.

We are also sharing updates about our 150th Anniversary projects and fundraising efforts on our SNS (X) account, so please take a look.

We sincerely appreciate your attention and support for the National Museum of Nature and Science's 150th Anniversary projects.

Inquiries

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Project Secretariat (or Project Office).