A Collaboration between Two Museums Exploring the Mystery of 'Time' from a Scientific Perspective! Special Exhibition 'Want to know time ~ Measuring and expressing time' to be Held!
Osaka Science Museum, in full collaboration with Akashi Municipal Planetarium, will hold an exhibition titled 'Want to know time' from May 9 to June 14, 2026, showcasing rare historical clocks and time-measuring instruments.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 00:30
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'Time' is essential to our lives. How have humans measured and expressed time?
This exhibition introduces methods of knowing time, as well as calendars and clocks that express time, along with related materials.
Furthermore, with the full cooperation of the Akashi Municipal Planetarium in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture—known as the 'Meridian City'—materials related to 'time' from their collection will be specially exhibited.
Highlights
▶ Materials related to 'time' collected from both the Osaka Science Museum and the Akashi Municipal Planetarium!
From the Akashi Municipal Planetarium, precious materials will make an appearance, such as the Sartorius transit instrument (a tangible cultural property designated by Akashi City) used to determine the 135 degrees East meridian, which is the basis for Japan Standard Time, and the Cesium atomic clock used to generate Japan's standard time until 2019.
From the Osaka Science Museum, artifacts taken from the vaults will be exhibited, including 'Wadokei' (traditional Japanese mechanical clocks) used in the Edo period and calendars published during the solar calendar reform in 1873 (Meiji 6).
Exhibition Overview
■ Knowing Time
Time flows in the world we live in. Ticking away the passage of time is important for regulating the rhythm of our lives. What kind of units for the passage of time have people created by finding regularity in the nature that surrounds us? And how are they determined?
In this exhibition, we will display books related to the passage of time, starting with the booklet 'Meiji 6 Solar Calendar Reform', which conveyed the contents of the calendar reform to the solar calendar implemented in 1873 (Meiji 6).
■ Expressing and Keeping Time
The flow of time is continuous. Therefore, to connect the past, present, and future, people have maintained and standardized the defined units of time's flow. Those tools are calendars and clocks.
In this exhibition, various clocks and calendars collected by the Osaka Science Museum and the Akashi Municipal Planetarium, including mechanical clocks (Wadokei) used in the Edo period and the Cesium atomic clock used to generate Japan's standard time until 2019, will be displayed in one place. We will observe the footsteps of people expressing and maintaining time from ancient times to the present.
■ Expressing the Passage of Time
To grasp the flow of time and know the 'present', people have found regularity in the positions and movements of celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and stars, using them as standards. This has also been deeply involved in the development of astronomy.
In this exhibition, we will display items such as the Sartorius transit instrument (a tangible cultural property designated by Akashi City) used when determining the 135 degrees East meridian passing through Akashi City, a star clock (nocturnal) for knowing the time from the position of celestial bodies, and an 'Astronomical Almanac' compiling data necessary for ships sailing the oceans to determine their own position through astronomical observations.
■ Akashi, the City of the Meridian
Akashi City in Hyogo Prefecture is known as the city through which the 135 degrees East meridian, which determines Japan's standard time, passes. Built directly above that meridian, the Akashi Municipal Planetarium is a museum that symbolizes 'Akashi, the City of Time'. In this exhibition, we will introduce the charm of the Akashi Municipal Planetarium and related materials.
Message from the Curator in Charge
Today, we can know highly accurate time using familiar tools like smartphones and radio-controlled clocks. Also, when planning for the year-end and New Year holidays or summer vacations, we care about national holidays and days of the week on the calendar. How are such 'time' and 'calendars' maintained and expressed? In this exhibition, we would like to look at it from a scientific perspective.
In planning and holding this exhibition, we received the full cooperation of the Akashi Municipal Planetarium in 'Akashi, the City of Time', where the 135 degrees East meridian, the standard for Japan Standard Time, passes. This has realized the display of numerous precious materials and explanation panels, including the Sartorius transit instrument and the Cesium atomic clock from their collection. Of course, there are also vault exhibitions such as the Edo period Wadokei and the solar calendar implemented in 1873 (Meiji 6) from our own museum's collection, resulting in a substantial content thanks to the collaboration of both museums.
We hope you take this opportunity to thoroughly engage with 'time', which is directly linked to our lives and whose importance is attracting increasing attention.
Tsuguto Kazu, Chief Curator, Osaka Science Museum
[Related Events]
◆ Thursday, May 14: Nakanoshima Science Institute Colloquium 'Want to know time ~ Measuring and expressing time'
◆ Saturday, May 23: Special Night 'Time to know time! ~ Osaka Science Museum x Akashi Municipal Planetarium Collab Night ~'
▶ Details are introduced on the official website of the Osaka Science Museum.
Outline of the Event
■ Period: Saturday, May 9, 2026 - Sunday, June 14, 2026
■ Hours: 9:30 - 17:00 (Admission to the exhibition hall is until 16:30)
■ Closed: Every Monday (or the following weekday if Monday is a holiday), June 1 (Mon) - June 3 (Wed)
■ Venue: Osaka Science Museum, Exhibition Hall 1st Floor
■ Admission Fee: Can be viewed with the exhibition hall admission fee.
This exhibition introduces methods of knowing time, as well as calendars and clocks that express time, along with related materials.
Furthermore, with the full cooperation of the Akashi Municipal Planetarium in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture—known as the 'Meridian City'—materials related to 'time' from their collection will be specially exhibited.
Highlights
▶ Materials related to 'time' collected from both the Osaka Science Museum and the Akashi Municipal Planetarium!
From the Akashi Municipal Planetarium, precious materials will make an appearance, such as the Sartorius transit instrument (a tangible cultural property designated by Akashi City) used to determine the 135 degrees East meridian, which is the basis for Japan Standard Time, and the Cesium atomic clock used to generate Japan's standard time until 2019.
From the Osaka Science Museum, artifacts taken from the vaults will be exhibited, including 'Wadokei' (traditional Japanese mechanical clocks) used in the Edo period and calendars published during the solar calendar reform in 1873 (Meiji 6).
Exhibition Overview
■ Knowing Time
Time flows in the world we live in. Ticking away the passage of time is important for regulating the rhythm of our lives. What kind of units for the passage of time have people created by finding regularity in the nature that surrounds us? And how are they determined?
In this exhibition, we will display books related to the passage of time, starting with the booklet 'Meiji 6 Solar Calendar Reform', which conveyed the contents of the calendar reform to the solar calendar implemented in 1873 (Meiji 6).
■ Expressing and Keeping Time
The flow of time is continuous. Therefore, to connect the past, present, and future, people have maintained and standardized the defined units of time's flow. Those tools are calendars and clocks.
In this exhibition, various clocks and calendars collected by the Osaka Science Museum and the Akashi Municipal Planetarium, including mechanical clocks (Wadokei) used in the Edo period and the Cesium atomic clock used to generate Japan's standard time until 2019, will be displayed in one place. We will observe the footsteps of people expressing and maintaining time from ancient times to the present.
■ Expressing the Passage of Time
To grasp the flow of time and know the 'present', people have found regularity in the positions and movements of celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and stars, using them as standards. This has also been deeply involved in the development of astronomy.
In this exhibition, we will display items such as the Sartorius transit instrument (a tangible cultural property designated by Akashi City) used when determining the 135 degrees East meridian passing through Akashi City, a star clock (nocturnal) for knowing the time from the position of celestial bodies, and an 'Astronomical Almanac' compiling data necessary for ships sailing the oceans to determine their own position through astronomical observations.
■ Akashi, the City of the Meridian
Akashi City in Hyogo Prefecture is known as the city through which the 135 degrees East meridian, which determines Japan's standard time, passes. Built directly above that meridian, the Akashi Municipal Planetarium is a museum that symbolizes 'Akashi, the City of Time'. In this exhibition, we will introduce the charm of the Akashi Municipal Planetarium and related materials.
Message from the Curator in Charge
Today, we can know highly accurate time using familiar tools like smartphones and radio-controlled clocks. Also, when planning for the year-end and New Year holidays or summer vacations, we care about national holidays and days of the week on the calendar. How are such 'time' and 'calendars' maintained and expressed? In this exhibition, we would like to look at it from a scientific perspective.
In planning and holding this exhibition, we received the full cooperation of the Akashi Municipal Planetarium in 'Akashi, the City of Time', where the 135 degrees East meridian, the standard for Japan Standard Time, passes. This has realized the display of numerous precious materials and explanation panels, including the Sartorius transit instrument and the Cesium atomic clock from their collection. Of course, there are also vault exhibitions such as the Edo period Wadokei and the solar calendar implemented in 1873 (Meiji 6) from our own museum's collection, resulting in a substantial content thanks to the collaboration of both museums.
We hope you take this opportunity to thoroughly engage with 'time', which is directly linked to our lives and whose importance is attracting increasing attention.
Tsuguto Kazu, Chief Curator, Osaka Science Museum
[Related Events]
◆ Thursday, May 14: Nakanoshima Science Institute Colloquium 'Want to know time ~ Measuring and expressing time'
◆ Saturday, May 23: Special Night 'Time to know time! ~ Osaka Science Museum x Akashi Municipal Planetarium Collab Night ~'
▶ Details are introduced on the official website of the Osaka Science Museum.
Outline of the Event
■ Period: Saturday, May 9, 2026 - Sunday, June 14, 2026
■ Hours: 9:30 - 17:00 (Admission to the exhibition hall is until 16:30)
■ Closed: Every Monday (or the following weekday if Monday is a holiday), June 1 (Mon) - June 3 (Wed)
■ Venue: Osaka Science Museum, Exhibition Hall 1st Floor
■ Admission Fee: Can be viewed with the exhibition hall admission fee.