Two immersive installations by visual design studio WOW, Voyage: Beyond the Uncharted and Sky: A Journey Through Clouds, opened on April 25 at Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Aomi.
Framed around planetary exploration and meteorological observation, the works reinterpret scientific phenomena as sensory experiences. Both are now on permanent display, with Voyage installed in a newly built theater room on the 7th floor and Sky occupying the museum’s renovated Innovation Hall.
Voyage: Beyond the Uncharted draws on scientific observation data from NASA and is supervised by astronomer Junichi Watanabe. Through high-definition CG, the work traces the trajectory of human-led planetary exploration while gesturing toward the vast unknown that lies beyond. Musician Ichiko Aoba serves as a guide, adding a poetic layer to a journey that expands from the solar system into deep space.
Meanwhile, Sky: A Journey Through Clouds, supervised by meteorologist Kentaro Araki, transforms the ever-shifting expressions of the sky into an enveloping environment. 4K visuals wrap around an approximately eight-meter-high space, paired with a 12.2-channel spatial sound system and environmental effects including mist and wind, creating the sensation of moving within the clouds.
Together, the installations shift science from something to observe into something to feel — offering a visceral encounter with the forces shaping both the universe and everyday life.
Voyage: Beyond the Uncharted
Screening Information – Voyage: Beyond the Uncharted
- Screenings: Daily
(Screenings may be canceled depending on circumstances) - Showtimes: Every hour at :15 and :45 (approx. 15 minutes)
Final screening starts at 16:45 - Venue: Theater Room, 7F, Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
- Admission: Timed-entry ticket system, first-come, first-served
(Tickets distributed on the day at the Theater Room reception) - Ticket Price: Included with permanent exhibition admission
Adults 630 yen, ages 18 and under 210 yen, preschool children free
(Last admission ticket sold at 16:30) - Closed: Tuesdays
(May open on public holidays and during summer periods)
Credits
- Scientific Supervision: Junichi Watanabe (Special Visiting Professor, Kyoto Sangyo University / Director, Kamiyama Astronomical Observatory)
- Planning, Direction, Production: WOW
- Project Direction, Spatial Design: Total Media Development Institute Co., Ltd.
- Photography, Design: Hiroshi Hosokawa
- Planning, Production: Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
- Image Courtesy: Miraikan
Sky: A Journey Through Clouds
Screening Information – Sky: A Journey Through Clouds
- Screenings: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
(May also be shown on weekdays; please check the museum website for details) - Hours: 10:00–17:00 (loop screening, approx. 5 minutes per cycle)
Special installation periods include mist effects - Venue: Innovation Hall, 7F, Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
- Admission: No reservation required, free प्रवेश and exit
(Visitors may be asked to wait during busy periods) - Fee: Free
- Closed: Tuesdays
(May open on public holidays and during summer periods)
Credits
- Scientific Supervision: Kentaro Araki (Cloud researcher)
- Planning, Direction, Production: WOW
- Project Direction, Spatial Design: Total Media Development Institute Co., Ltd.
- Photography, Design: Hiroshi Hosokawa
- Planning, Production: Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
- Image Courtesy: Miraikan
