Hiratsuka City Museum

Go straight on Festa Road that extends from the north exit rotary of Hiratsuka Station on the JR Tokaido Main Line, pass Hiratsuka Hachiman Shrine on Sakura Street, pass Hiratsuka City Hall and Hiratsuka City Fire Department Headquarters, and follow the green road behind the Konan Hiratsuka City Hall Store parking lot. This museum is located within Hiratsuka City Cultural Park. On the first floor, there are restored models of Hiratsuka City's nature, the Stone Age, and the residences of former feudal lords, and on the second floor, there are exhibits of excavated earthenware, agricultural tools, minerals, etc. There is a planetarium on the third floor, which requires a paid reservation. Everything except the planetarium is free, so if you like history and nature, this place is recommended. I didn't ask for it myself, but from listening to the people who used it and the voices I heard, it seemed like the volunteer guides were very thorough in their explanations, so it's fun to use it if you have time. Dew.

[Visited on Sunday, November 19, 2023] Hiratsuka Station → Hiratsuka Hachimangu Shrine → Hiratsuka City Museum of Art → Visited after having lunch at the restaurant in the museum... From October 19th (Thursday) to December 10th (Sunday), 2023, items related to Tokugawa Ieyasu that have been passed down in Hiratsuka City will be on display. I visited the special exhibition “The Legend of Hiratsuka Ieyasu”👀 On display are the lacquered Choshi ``Choshi with Aoi Crest'' and the tea bowl ``Chawan with Aoi Crest'' that are said to have been given by Ieyasu, and the ``Chagama'' that Ieyasu is said to have used when drinking tea at Seiunji Temple. I did. Also, at the permanent exhibition, the guide carefully explained about the old fishing methods and tools used in the Sagami River m(_ _)m In the exhibition room on the second floor, there was a reconstructed model of the jaw teeth of a great white shark (megalodon), a skeletal specimen of a loggerhead sea turtle, and pottery and ore from the Jomon period. I didn't see the planetarium on the 3rd floor ⭐️ this time, but the D52 type 403 steam locomotive 🚂 was on display outside.

Since the weather was not good, I came to see the planetarium. The museum is a three-story building, and the first and second floors had more exhibits than I expected and were worth seeing. For example, on the first floor there is a relocated private house, a diorama of Satoyama, and a model of ruins. The second floor was full of things like plates and geology, fault models, Showa era agricultural tools, many types of rocks and minerals, and the Hiratsuka air raid. Now it's free... The planetarium on the third floor is small and has 70 seats, and although there was space today, it can get full, so it's best to get a numbered ticket early. It's a good idea to spend the time before the performance checking out museums, parks, and locomotives. There are also stone balls carved with poems by Kenji Miyazawa, as well as other sculptures. There is a charge for the planetarium, but it costs 200 yen, which is reasonable, and the program was very interesting. Today's content was about astronomical phenomena from the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu, such as comets, solar eclipses, and supernova explosions, compared to historical facts. I thought I'd come back when the theme changed. Oh, there was also a model of the sample recovered by Hayabusa 2 from Ryugu near the planetarium entrance.

Free admission, 90 minutes free parking However, it was very good. At the planetarium, you get a numbered ticket and pay 200 yen. It has a wide range of exhibits, from history to nature, and also holds special exhibitions. There is no elevator, so I couldn't see the special exhibition on the 3rd floor with a stroller. (Wheelchair accessible) It's very empty and you can enjoy it without stress.