Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum
An air and space museum with a full-size mock-up of the ISS Japanese lab module.
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Gifu-Kakamigahara Air and Space Museum
SaveAn air and space museum with a full-size mock-up of the ISS Japanese lab module.
Simulators put you at the controls of an airliner, a small jet or a VR helicopter.
MoreWhat kind of place
The permanent collection splits into an air area, a space area, the aircraft parked outside, and a handful of smaller displays.
The space area upstairs has been in its renewed form since February 21, 2026, and holds a full-size mock-up of Kibo, Japan's laboratory module on the International Space Station. The mock-up has a wheelchair lift.
Kakamigahara has enough aviation-industry history of its own that one of the museum's suggested routes is given over to it. Volunteers give short talks at the exhibits on the second and fourth Sunday of the month.
Up on the roof, an observation deck stays open to anyone with a ticket until half an hour before closing, weather permitting; the view goes a long way, though the Gifu Air Base of the Air Self-Defense Force is the one thing you cannot see from it.
Sources and evidence (19)
- The second-floor space area holds a full-size mock-up of Kibo, Japan's experiment module on the International Space Station.source
- The full-size Kibo mock-up has a wheelchair lift.source
- The observation deck is normally open from opening time until 30 minutes before closing, though weather and other conditions can close it or shorten those hours.source
- Museum volunteers give short spot talks on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, and paid guided tours can also be arranged.source
- The baby room contains two private nursing rooms, each with a diaper-changing table.source
- Each nursing room has a sink with hot water for making formula.source
- The baby room on the first floor is two rooms, each with a water heater, a washbasin, and a changing table.source
- Coin lockers on the first floor take a 100-yen coin and give it back.source
- Packed lunches and other food are eaten outside, at the tables and benches or on the lawn.source
- Inside, only drinks are allowed and only at the mezzanine rest corner; eating and drinking elsewhere in the building is not permitted.source
- Sorahaku Cafe, in the first-floor entrance, serves light food and can be used without an admission ticket.source
- Outside food and drink cannot be brought into Sorahaku Cafe.source
- The museum shop in the first-floor entrance is also open without an admission ticket.source
- Twelve tactile map panels are installed around the museum, and a tactile map for caregivers can be borrowed at the first-floor information desk.source
- An AED is kept at the first-floor information desk.source
- The UDT Sorahaku smartphone app displays the exhibit texts and adds subtitles to the films.source
- UDT Sorahaku works in English, Chinese, Korean, French, and Japanese.source
- Free Wi-Fi covers the building, so you can download the app once you are there.source
- The official website switches between Japanese, English, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and Korean.source
With kidsThe part that matters
If your children go flat in a museum of glass cases, this one hands them the controls: an airliner simulator, a small-jet simulator, and a VR helicopter.
The baby room on the first floor holds two private nursing rooms, each with a diaper-changing table and a sink that runs hot water, so a bottle of formula can be made right there.
The first floor also has a kids room for children up to age 6, where the toys are block-shaped cushions.
You can bring your own stroller into the building, or take one of the ten loaners at the welcome gate and the entrance with a 100-yen coin that comes back when you return it.
The museum's own estimate is an hour and a half to two hours, and if that is more than you have, four suggested routes run 45 to 60 minutes, one of them a photo-spot route for parents and kids.
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1You can bring your own stroller, and 10 more are lent at the Welcome Gate and in front of the building entrance for a returnable 100-yen coin. One elevator serves the building, so you can push from the outdoor exhibits through the real aircraft on the first floor up to the space area on the second, looking up at big airframes the whole way. Admission is free for junior high school age and under.The baby room on the first floor holds two private nursing rooms, each with a diaper changing table and a sink with hot water for making formula. Diaper changing tables are also in the multipurpose restrooms, two inside on the first floor and one outside next to the Welcome Gate. Indoors, only the rest corner on the mezzanine allows so much as a drink, so packed lunches are eaten outside at the tables, on the benches or on the lawn. The Sorahaku Cafe and the museum shop at the first-floor entrance can be used without paying admission. Your ticket lets you back in the same day.
- Ages 2-3The kids' room on the first floor is a space of building-block cushions to play with freely, for children up to 6, somewhere to move between exhibits. Among the museum's suggested routes is one for parents and children touring the photo spots, 45 to 60 minutes long. The rooftop observation deck looks out a long way.Plan on 1.5 to 2 hours, counting the outdoor exhibits, the simulators and the theater room. Leaving room to duck into the kids' room or the baby room mid-visit keeps things calm. The 10 loaner strollers are same-day only and need a 100-yen coin, returned when you bring the stroller back. Chairs, step stools, ladders, tripods and monopods cannot be brought inside, and selfie sticks and gimbals cannot be used. The observation deck is open from opening until 30 minutes before closing and can shut in bad weather. Packed lunches are for the lawn and benches outside.
- Ages 4-6Simulators for an airliner, a small jet and a VR helicopter put the controls in their own hands. The space area on the second floor holds a full-size mock-up of Kibo, the Japanese lab module of the International Space Station, fitted with a wheelchair lift; it reopened renewed on February 21, 2026. The kids' room stays open to them through age 6, so there is still somewhere to go back and play. A family visiting with a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old took two and a half hours in all.Admission is free for junior high age and under and 800 yen for adults. E-tickets are sold on Jalan net and Asoview; there are no convenience store advance tickets. Photography for personal use is generally free, but not in the theater, not of the exhibit commentary videos, and not of the Boeing 787 fuselage section in Zone A3 on the first floor. Tripods, monopods, selfie sticks and gimbals cannot be brought in. To read the exhibit commentary in English, Chinese, Korean or French, install the UDT Sorahaku app over the museum's free Wi-Fi. Volunteer spot guides work the second and fourth Sunday of each month. The museum closes on the first Tuesday of the month, except in August when it stays open.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayA visit runs about 1.5 to 2 hours, covering the outdoor exhibits, the indoor exhibits, the simulators and the theater room. The full-size Kibo module on the second floor and the simulators are inside the building, but the rooftop observation deck may close or cut its hours depending on the weather.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed1.5–2.5 h
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- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
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* Other not checked (2)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
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Where it is
5-1 Shimogiricho, Kakamigahara-shi, Gifu 504-0924source
Before you go
- The observation deck is on the roof and open to anyone who has entered the museum, and the view reaches a long way, but the Gifu Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force cannot be seen from it.source
- Guide dogs, service dogs, and hearing dogs may come inside, while other pets are not allowed anywhere on the grounds.source
- The building and grounds are entirely non-smoking, with a smoking area in the second parking lot.source
- There are no advance tickets at convenience stores, but e-tickets can be bought ahead on Jalan net and Asoview.source
- Chairs, step stools, ladders, tripods, and monopods cannot be brought into the building, and selfie sticks and gimbals are not allowed either.source
More notes (3)
- Groups of 20 or more are asked to reserve in advance.source
- Re-entry is allowed on the same day, and you need your ticket to come back in.source
- Photography for personal use is generally allowed, but not in the theater, not of the exhibit-commentary videos, and not of the Boeing 787 fuselage section in Zone A3 on the first floor.source
Basics
- Fee：Junior high school age and under get in free. Adults ¥800, high school students and visitors aged 60 and over ¥500. From 20 paying visitors (high school and up) the group rate takes ¥100 off each, so ¥700 and ¥400; age 60 and over is taken on trust. Holders of a disability certificate or benefit card, plus one companion, pay half the individual rate — ¥400 and ¥250. Parking is free.source
- Hours：10:00-18:00, last entry 17:30 (the FAQ page gives 10:00-17:00 on weekdays, so check the day you plan to go). Closed on the first Tuesday of the month — the next weekday if that Tuesday is a holiday — and from 28 December to 2 January; the first Tuesday in August is open. Maintenance, usually on the third Tuesday, and rough weather can close it at short notice.source
- Time to allow：1.5–2.5 hsource2
- Booking：Individual visitors need no booking; groups of 20 or more are asked to book ahead. Tickets are not sold at convenience stores, but e-tickets can be bought in advance through Jalan net and Asoview. At the desk you can pay by credit card, e-money or QR code. Your ticket lets you re-enter the same day. There is an annual pass, and a combined ticket with the Aichi Museum of Flight.source
Basics in detail (22)
Other
Time to allow
- The museum's four suggested routes each run 45 to 60 minutes: a photo-spot route for parents and kids, a route on the technology behind space exploration, a route through Kakamigahara's aviation industry history, and a short overview route.source
- Allow about an hour and a half to two hours to cover the outdoor aircraft, the indoor galleries, a simulator, and a film in the theater room.source
Fees
- Admission is 800 yen for adults, 500 yen for high school students and visitors 60 and over, and free for junior high age and younger.source
- Groups of 20 or more paying visitors, high school age and up, get 100 yen off each ticket, so adults pay 700 yen and high schoolers and visitors 60 and over pay 400 yen.source
- Visitors 60 and over are taken at their word about their age.source
- Holders of a disability certificate or benefit card, plus one companion, pay half the individual rate: 400 yen for adults and 250 yen for high school students and visitors 60 and over.source
- Admission can be paid by credit card, electronic money, or QR code payment.source
- There is an annual pass, and also a combination ticket shared with the Aichi Museum of Flight.source
- Parking is free, with room for 600 cars, including three accessible spaces and five more under Gifu's priority-parking permit program, plus 12 large buses.source
Hours and closures
- The official homepage listed 10:00-18:00 for Friday, August 14, 2026, but the same page carried a July 6, 2026 notice about changed hours over the Obon period, so those times do not establish the normal weekday closing time.source
- The museum closes on the first Tuesday of each month, or the next weekday if that Tuesday is a holiday, and from December 28 to January 2.source
- Maintenance, usually on the third Tuesday, and rough weather can both cause unscheduled closures.source
- In August the museum stays open on the first Tuesday.source
Getting there
- Eight parking spaces are set aside for visitors with disabilities: three accessible spaces and five held for holders of Gifu's priority-parking permit.source
- The nearest station is Kakamigahara-shiyakusho-mae on the Meitetsu Kakamigahara Line, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the museum.source
- From that station the Kakamigahara Fureai Bus takes about 15 minutes on the Kawashima or Inaba-nishi line, while walking takes about an hour.source
- If you arrive on the JR Takayama Line, there is a Fureai Bus stop near Naka Station, about 25 minutes out on the Inaba-nishi line.source
- Get off the Fureai Bus at the Aerospace Museum stop.source
Contact
- The museum is at 5-1 Shimogiri-cho, Kakamigahara, Gifu 504-0924, and the phone number is 058-386-8500.
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (10)
- Official: Family restroom, Elevator, English support
- Official: Indoor / outdoor, Stroller friendly, Outside food allowed
- Official: Nursing space, Diaper changing table, Best-fit ages (guide)
- Official: main site
The collection splits into an aviation area, a space area and outdoor exhibits. Upstairs, a full-size mock-up of Kibo — Japan's laboratory on the International Space Station — stands in the space area. Simulators put you at the controls of an airliner, a small jet or a VR helicopter. The roof is a viewing deck, open to anyone who has come in. Downstairs a kids' room is filled with soft blocks to build with, and one of the suggested routes takes families round the photo spots.
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | Indoor galleries on two floors, plus outdoor exhibits, a lawn and a rooftop viewing deck. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Yes | You can bring your own stroller in. Ten loan strollers wait at the Welcome Gate and in front of the building entrance, released by a ¥100 coin that comes back when you return them; same-day, first come first served. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| Nursing space | Yes (2) | Two private nursing rooms on the first floor, each with a changing table and a sink with hot water for making up formula. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Changing tables are in both nursing rooms and in all three accessible toilets — two on the first floor and one outdoors beside the Welcome Gate. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| Family restroom | Yes (3) | Three accessible toilets: two inside on the first floor (the entrance and the aircraft hall) and one outdoors next to the Welcome Gate. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| Elevator | Yes | One elevator in the building. The full-size mock-up of the ISS Japanese Experiment Module Kibo, in the second-floor space area, has its own wheelchair platform lift. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| Outside food allowed | Designated areas only | Packed lunches are eaten outside, at the tables, benches and lawn. Indoors only the mezzanine rest corner allows drinks; eating elsewhere inside is not allowed, and nothing may be brought into the cafe. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| English support | English menu & signs | The app UDT Sorahaku puts the exhibit texts on your phone and subtitles the films, in English, Chinese, Korean, French and Japanese; free Wi-Fi in the building lets you download it there. The website also switches between those languages. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Parking is free — 600 spaces for cars, including eight accessible spaces. Coin lockers that return your ¥100 are on the first floor. Wheelchairs are lent at the first-floor information desk, tactile maps mark 12 points and a tactile map sheet is lent to carers, and an AED is at the desk. Guide, service and hearing dogs may come in; other pets may not. The whole site is non-smoking apart from the smoking area in the second parking lot. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Yes | A kids' room on the first floor, for children up to 6, is filled with building-block cushions to play with freely. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | sorahaku.net |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet |
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