A few weeks ago a young man stopped by our office and presented us with an envelope full of discount tickets to Konica Minolta Planetaria in Yokohama. I had never been to a planetarium before, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to check it out, as it's only a few minutes walk from my office.
So, if you are like me and hadn't a clue what a "planetarium" is, it is like a dome-shaped movie theatre, and the night sky is projected onto it. At the Konica Minolta Planetaria in Yokohama, there are about 4 to 5 different shows that are playing that revolve around stars and the night sky.
The official website allowed me to find out information about each show and the showing times. You can also view the menu of the café and the goods at the gift shop.
I decided to buy tickets online, which means you can make a reservation up to three days in advance. The show I decided to see was 星日和 －上を向いて歩こう－ (Hoshibiyori - Let's walk while looking up). This show showcases the stars based on the season and explains some of the most famous constellations and myths, such as Ursa Major and Aries. The website also mentions who the show is aimed at, such as those who are tired, those who want to relax, etc.
The Planetarium is located on the 2nd floor of the Yokohama Gate Tower building. You won't miss the grand staircase or the ball shape of the building. You can enter the theatre 10 minutes prior to the showing. However, you can enter the gift shop/café at any time.
For the show, I ordered the blue lemonade that comes in a starry bottle that lights up, and I got an order of the herb and salt popcorn. Unfortunately, they had run out of herbs and salt. Instead, they offered me the truffle and pepper and gave me a little extra for the inconvenience, which was super sweet. Plus, the truffle and pepper popcorn was super delicious!
While I waited, I wrote a wish on a little star that you can hang up to celebrate Tanabata.
The planetarium has two types of seats, the bed-like seat and reclining theatre seats. I was going to get a bed-like seat, but I thought I should start small with the reclining theatre seat and if I like the experience, go for the bed-like seat next time.
The theatre wasn't packed at all, even though it was the premier of the show. I heard that they have English audio guidance available, but I don't know if you need to request it beforehand, so I just listened to the Japanese.
When the show started, I immediately thought about how real everything looked! It was really cool, and at only 40 minutes long, I didn't feel exhausted or bored and felt like the show was the perfect length.
After the show, I thought I'd definitely like to come back, especially if they are showing something I am interested in! Adult tickets are 1600 yen a person for the general reclining theatre seats, and I feel like it's totally worth it!
If you'd like to experience something new or just want to relax after work on a Friday evening, definitely check out your nearest planetarium!
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