Permanent Exhibition: The Ginga no Mori Observatory and its 115cm Telescope

A public observatory in Rikubetsu, a town designated one of Japan's finest for its night skies. Its 115cm reflector is among the largest open to the public in the country, alongside four 30cm telescopes, large binoculars and a four-barrel solar telescope. The ground floor carries panel displays on the galaxy, the aurora and the cosmos with hands-on learning; upstairs are the telescope domes and a rooftop viewing deck. Opened July 1998.