Nagoya City Science Museum

**Planetarium reservation:** Planetarium tickets are separate from general admission and sell out during school holidays and weekends. Strategy: arrive 15–20 minutes before opening to queue for popular afternoon slots (13:30, 15:00 shows). Alternatively, reserve online up to 2 months ahead (Japanese language site only, requires translated navigation). Weekday mornings have best availability. **Show selection:** The museum offers multiple programs rotating seasonally: children's programs (30 min, simple), general programs (50 min, balanced), and evening programs (adults only, 18:00 shows on weekends, more complex astronomy). Choose based on Japanese language comfort — even without understanding narration, the visuals and star field are spectacular. The Zeiss projector creates the most realistic night sky outside actual dark-sky locations. **Extreme weather exhibits:** The -30°C Aurora Room simulates polar conditions — dress warmly or use provided jackets. The room stays cold continuously, so visit early before crowds create humidity that fogs viewing. The 9-meter lightning discharge demonstration (11:00, 14:00) is loud and dramatic — sit in the first three rows for maximum impact. The tornado chamber uses 6 fans to create a 3-meter vortex visible with fog. These demos make science tangible in ways traditional museums cannot match.