Planetaria Tokyo: Where Love and Starts Meet

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night. –Sarah Williams

“I was positively surprised”, this was my reaction when I was already inside the dimly lit Planetarium; my head resting on a soft round pillow that felt velvety, gazing unto the screen that projects the stars and the different constellations. I must admit, I didn’t know what to expect.

When I opened the website, I was expecting to see a huge telescope which I could somehow use to do my stargazing or walk through a series of rooms that’ll explain about stars but neither was there. I got hesitant and chose to watch the first thing I was familiar with which was their Paris Night Cruising Show. Although, I still couldn’t fathom how they were going to inject stargazing while taking a night stroll around the City of Love. I even thought of cancelling it, had the ticket not been bought already but I’m so glad I didn’t. It was so worth it, it was beautiful and my soul felt light after attending the show. 

Today, I’ll be taking you into a new attraction here in Tokyo, an establishment that just celebrated their first anniversary recently and perhaps somewhere not a lot of people knows still: Planetaria Tokyo. 

The Planetaria Tokyo is one of the three establishments owned and managed by Konica Minolta Planetarium Co., Ltd which is a major manufacturer of Planetarium technologies. They create immersive images of starry night skies and team up with recording artists in creating an extraordinary environment where their audiences may enjoy and relax. It was opened December of 2018 and has recently celebrated their first year anniversary. 

Inside Planetaria Tokyo you will find three different areas called: Dome 1, Dome 2 and Virtual Link. Each area offers a different range of experience for the audience and will present different kind of shows according to your taste.

Different from my other blogs, I’ll detail my experience from visiting the Planetarium first, because I feel that it’s just a beautiful experience and I can’t wait to share it with you. 

First, you’ll have to purchase your tickets online or at least check their shows and its availability before heading there. We chose the show entitled “Starry Night in France” which talked about the journey of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the writer and animator of The Little Prince and other tales about the heavenly bodies lighting up the Parisian skies.

I listened to the tales of Andromeda, Cassiopeia and Cepheus like a child looking at the Sun for the first time. I was taken to the different places around France and its different cities tool like Leon. One of the part I really liked was when they flashed different quotations on the screen accompanied by a beautiful music and the view of the night sky over Paris. It was a very heat warming, exotic and Interactive experience. It touches your heart and emotions.

The most beautiful part though, was the ending. They really gave justice to the saying: “Save the best for last”, during the ending, the narrator lulls you in a hypnotic view of the universe and the Milky Way galaxy then plays a song that felt bittersweet while telling you that this moment right here is special because it’s one of a kind, you, gazing at the skies while being together with whoever you are with at the planetarium: Your parent, your partner or your friends. I swear it’s the perfect place and the perfect moment for a love confession or a marriage proposal. 

I can’t put into words how wonderful the show was but it’s one thing I would surely recommend if you’re out on a date with your partner or that special someone you would like to be with.

Now that I’m done discussing my experience, let me share with you the different areas of the Planetarium.

This dome is a “Multi-purpose Dome” capable of 8k resolution, that seeks to create an unprecedented sense of immersion and unity. The images are projected from the floor to the top of the dome so as to wrap the entire space. In addition to this, they also use this dome for their interactive contents such as co-starring actors and live music. The front of the dome offers a bead cushion seating set-up that lets the viewers enjoy and have a comfortable time while having a great bird’s eye view. 

Dome 2 is known as the “Planetarium Dome Theater”, as it offers audiences a view of the stars against jet-black skies. In this dome, they use state of the art technology such as their latest projector: Cosmo Leap II, and the Sound Dome that expresses fine sound-image movement. They also have special seating space such as the couple’s seat and a bed-type seating area for those who’d like to have an extra special time while visiting the Planetarium.

The shows are narrated in English and for that, they have an translation ear piece that you may borrow before entering the theater. Just inform the staff what language you’d like it to be translated to and they will provide you with a translation ear-piece device and instructions on how to use it.

VirtuaLink is a one of a kind stargazing technology that offers real starry skies and outer space Experience. It can accommodate up to 24 people. They have a new content called the “Night Cruising”. 

After watching the shows which lasts a good 40 minutes to 1 hour depending on the Title, you may get a bit hungry and try out their Cafe. They offer different kinds of snacks from Donuts, Cakes, Soft serves and Drinks. We tried out their Galaxy Donut which was so insta-worthy and oiiishii! Be careful though, as your lips will be colored a beautiful Galaxy blue after this delicious treat! 

After exiting the Domes and Virtual Link area, you will be led to the merchandise room where they offer a variety of fun souvenirs. They have Planet -inspired keyholders, Galaxy-inspired candles and bath bombs to name a few. 

Tips

• Booking your tickets online ensure you a good seat inside the Planetarium.
• Be at the lobby/waiting area at least 5 minutes before your entry time.
• They have an audio translating device available for foreigners, just inform the staff.
• Visit their website for their events and other information: Planetaria Tokyo

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