Sakumo is an interactive children’s museum in Saku, Nagano Prefecture, where children can discover the wonders of science through hands-on exhibits and playful experiences. Officially known as the Saku City Children’s Future Museum, the facility introduces fascinating themes such as Earth, life, and space in ways that are easy and enjoyable for children to understand.
Since opening in 2001, the museum has provided exhibitions designed to spark children’s curiosity about the natural world and the universe. In October 2013, it reached the milestone of welcoming more than one million visitors. The museum is operated by the Saku City Development Corporation.
The central theme of the permanent exhibition is “Creating the Future: The Evolving Universe, Earth, and Life.” Exhibits are organized around seven broad themes: Earth, Water and Atmosphere, Life and Living Things, Humans and Humanity, Celestial Bodies, Space Development, and the Future.
By combining scientific information with interactive equipment and imaginative play, Sakumo encourages children to explore complex subjects through direct experience rather than simply reading about them.
One of the museum’s most eye-catching exhibits is a life-size moving Brachiosaurus model, which allows children to appreciate the enormous scale of this prehistoric dinosaur. Visitors can also experience simulated walking on the Moon and explore the history of Earth through an immersive video theater.
The museum is also home to a large planetarium equipped with ORPHEUS. With a dome approximately 16 meters in diameter and seating for 140 people, it is one of the largest planetariums of its kind in Nagano Prefecture.
Step inside the Sakumo spacecraft cockpit and explore the connections between Earth, space, and life through hands-on experiences.
A life-size moving Brachiosaurus model gives children an impressive sense of just how enormous these dinosaurs were.
Fossil displays introduce visitors to creatures that once lived in ancient seas and on land, while the mineral exhibits allow children to observe and explore a variety of minerals.
The Earth Wall lets visitors experience sounds associated with volcanic activity and earthquakes. An earthquake early-warning relay game combines quizzes and play with basic disaster-prevention education.
A large Water Column introduces environmental issues such as marine litter and encourages children to think about the relationship between water and the natural environment.
The museum features a life-size model of Ohsumi, Japan’s first artificial satellite, as well as a recreated interior of the Mercury spacecraft, giving children a glimpse into the history of human space exploration.
Visitors can examine insect specimens in detail using microscopes and discover the fascinating structures of the small creatures that live around us.
The museum displays actual hikarigoke, or luminous moss, a rare type of moss that is difficult to encounter in many parts of Japan.
Displays featuring animals and other living things found in Saku and throughout Nagano Prefecture help children understand the region’s ecosystems and biodiversity.
The Body Exploration area is designed like a large jungle gym, allowing children to move through a representation of the human body while learning about how it works.
Children can enjoy pretend play at the Sakumo Healthy Food Café while learning about balanced nutrition and the importance of healthy eating.
The museum introduces Kimiya Yui, an astronaut from Saku, allowing visitors to learn about his career and his connection to space exploration.
A realistic model and explanatory displays introduce the Hayabusa 2 asteroid exploration mission and the technology used to explore objects far beyond Earth.
Interactive exhibits allow visitors to experience the scale of world-record athletic achievements at actual size, making the performances of top athletes easier to appreciate.
A visual display explains the relationship between the Sun, Moon, and Earth, helping children understand the movements and interactions of these three celestial bodies.
A ball pool designed especially for preschool children provides a safe space for younger visitors to enjoy active play.
The Moon Walker recreates the reduced gravity of the lunar surface, giving visitors a playful way to experience what it might feel like to move around on the Moon.
At the Sakumo Mission Control Room, children can take on challenges, answer quizzes, and bring together what they have learned through their exploration of the museum.
The Future Farm introduces the imaginative idea of growing food on the Moon. Children can freely draw and create their own visions of agriculture in space.
A tube-shaped slide runs through the museum, allowing children to travel between levels while enjoying an exciting physical activity.
The Cube is an interactive game space where visitors can use their entire bodies while enjoying a playful challenge that combines movement and technology.
Sakumo is a place where children can learn about science, nature, Earth, and space through play and direct experience. From dinosaurs and fossils to human biology, earthquakes, astronauts, and lunar exploration, the exhibits cover an unusually wide range of subjects.
Its hands-on approach makes scientific concepts approachable even for young children, while the wide variety of exhibits means that older children can also discover new questions and subjects to explore. For families traveling through Saku, Sakumo offers an engaging indoor destination where learning and fun naturally come together.
The museum is immediately accessible from the Saku City Loop Bus stop named “Saku City Children’s Future Museum.”
It is approximately a 3-minute walk from the Iwamurada bus stop, served by highway buses including Chikuma Bus. From Iwamurada Station on the JR Koumi Line and JR Bus Kanto services, the museum is approximately a 5-minute walk.
Sakudaira Station on the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen is approximately 1.5 kilometers from the museum.