Mutsu Science and Technology Museum is a science museum located next to Sekinehama Port in the northern part of Mutsu City, Aomori Prefecture. The museum was opened on Marine Day in 1996 to preserve the history of Mutsu, Japan’s first nuclear-powered ship, while providing visitors with opportunities to discover the fascinating world of science and technology.
The building itself is designed to resemble the hull of the nuclear-powered ship Mutsu, creating an impressive sight even before visitors enter. Through hands-on exhibits and displays, the museum offers an unusual opportunity to learn about science while also exploring an important chapter in Japan’s history of marine technology.
One of the museum’s most distinctive features is its exhibition of the nuclear reactor from Mutsu. The reactor was removed when the ship was decommissioned and is now kept under controlled conditions as part of the museum’s exhibits.
However, the museum is more than a place dedicated to the history of a single ship. It is also a hands-on science museum designed especially to help children and young people develop an interest in science and technology.
Many exhibits can be touched and operated, allowing visitors to discover scientific principles through direct experience rather than simply reading explanations. As a result, the museum can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
The main exhibition areas include the “Fascinating World of Nature”, an Advanced Science and Technology Exhibition Area, the Nuclear Reactor Room Exhibition, and the Mutsu Memorial Corner. Together, these exhibits introduce science, marine technology, and the history of the nuclear-powered ship from a variety of perspectives.
The Mutsu Memorial Corner focuses on the history of the nuclear-powered ship and the challenges encountered during its development and operation.
Visitors can learn about the ambitious technological project, the difficulties that followed its test voyages, and the subsequent modifications made to the vessel. The exhibits provide an opportunity to understand not only the technology itself but also the broader history of Japanese science and engineering.
The first floor of the main building features 33 interactive science exhibits selected from the Exploratorium, a science museum in San Francisco, USA.
The exhibits demonstrate natural phenomena and scientific principles, particularly concepts related to physics. Visitors can touch, move, and operate many of the displays, making abstract scientific ideas easier to understand through direct experience.
The first floor also includes an exhibition area introducing the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). Here, visitors can learn about Japan’s research into the oceans and the technologies used to explore the marine environment.
Parts of the original bridge and control panels from Mutsu have been relocated to the second floor of the main building.
Seeing the actual equipment used aboard the ship gives visitors a sense of what it was like to operate a nuclear-powered vessel. The displays provide a close look at the sophisticated technology and demanding environment involved in navigating the ship.
The first floor of the annex contains the original nuclear reactor room from Mutsu. The reactor is displayed behind lead glass, allowing visitors to observe it while maintaining appropriate protection.
The facility is particularly unusual because it provides public access to an actual marine nuclear reactor that was used in operation. Explanatory displays introduce the basic structure and principles of a shipboard nuclear reactor, as well as the safety measures associated with its operation.
Rather than presenting the technology only from a highly technical perspective, the museum explains these subjects in a way that can be understood by general visitors.
The second floor of the annex features a navigation simulator that allows visitors to experience a simulated voyage.
The simulator is popular with visitors of all ages. By operating the controls and experiencing simulated navigation, children and adults alike can gain a better understanding of the skills and technology required to operate a large ship.
Part of the stern of Mutsu is displayed outdoors on the museum grounds.
Standing beside the actual ship structure gives visitors a sense of the enormous scale of the project. The outdoor display also helps put the interior exhibits into perspective, allowing visitors to imagine the size of the original nuclear-powered vessel.
The story of Mutsu is an important chapter in Japan’s postwar history of marine technology.
The construction project was approved in 1963, construction began in 1968, and the ship was launched the following year. Mutsu became Japan’s first nuclear-powered ship.
The vessel was initially greeted with considerable expectations. A commemorative postage stamp was even issued to celebrate the launch of the nuclear-powered ship, reflecting the attention surrounding the project at the time.
During a test voyage in 1974, Mutsu experienced an incident that was widely reported at the time as a “radiation leak.” According to subsequent explanations, the incident did not involve a release of radioactive material, but the incident became a major public controversy.
The ship subsequently faced difficulties returning to port, including opposition to its return. The incident became one of the most challenging episodes in the history of the Mutsu project.
Mutsu was later taken to Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture, where extensive repairs and modifications were carried out.
In 1988, the ship entered Sekinehama Port in Mutsu City, which had been prepared as its new home port. Further test operations began in 1990, and in 1991, the ship officially received certification allowing it to operate.
During its operational history, Mutsu achieved the remarkable feat of traveling a distance equivalent to more than two trips around the Earth using nuclear power.
Mutsu was decommissioned in 1992 after completing its role as a nuclear-powered ship.
The vessel itself was subsequently converted by replacing its nuclear propulsion system with diesel engines. It was reborn as the oceanographic research vessel Mirai, operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).
Meanwhile, important parts of the original ship, including the bridge and nuclear reactor room, were preserved and relocated to Mutsu Science and Technology Museum. These exhibits allow visitors to explore the history of Mutsu even though the original ship no longer operates as a nuclear-powered vessel.
Preparations for transferring the nuclear reactor room took place in 1995, followed by the opening of Mutsu Science and Technology Museum on July 20, 1996.
Since then, the museum has served as a local center for learning about the history of Mutsu, while also introducing developments in science, technology, and marine research.
The museum’s location offers another attraction: it stands near the coast with views toward the Tsugaru Strait. Visitors can therefore combine their museum experience with the dramatic natural scenery of the Shimokita Peninsula.
Mutsu Science and Technology Museum is most conveniently reached by car.
It takes approximately 15 minutes from the Mutsu Bus Terminal, around 20 minutes from Shimokita Station, and approximately 30 minutes from Ominato Station.
The nearest bus stop is “Nago-daira,” operated by Shimokita Kotsu. Visitors using public transportation can therefore reach the museum by bus, although it is recommended to check the latest schedules before traveling.
Mutsu Science and Technology Museum offers a rare combination of hands-on science education and the history of Japan’s first nuclear-powered ship.
Visitors can explore interactive scientific exhibits, see the original bridge and control equipment from Mutsu, experience a ship-navigation simulator, and observe the preserved nuclear reactor room behind lead glass. The exhibits provide both children and adults with opportunities to discover how science and technology have been applied to ships and ocean research.
At the same time, the museum presents the complicated history of Mutsu, from its ambitious beginnings and technological challenges to its eventual decommissioning and transformation into the research vessel Mirai.
For travelers exploring the Shimokita Peninsula, Mutsu Science and Technology Museum is a fascinating destination where science, maritime technology, history, and the natural scenery of northern Aomori come together.