The "Summer Festival" has been held at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store since July 23rd. The simple event name reflects the hope that visitors will forget the heat and enjoy the nostalgic atmosphere of the festival while also enjoying heart-to-heart contact with loved ones.
From July 23rd to 29th, at the beginning of the festival period, a giant 7m air dome-shaped planetarium will be set up in the central hall on the first floor of the main building. The "Let's Enjoy the Starry Sky!" event will be held, where visitors can enjoy the starry sky of the day, the sunset seen from Nihonbashi, and the Perseid meteor shower that can be seen in August, all projected inside the dome.
The planetarium will be showing seven shows every hour from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day (the noon show will be canceled on July 25th and 26th, the 3:00 PM show will start at 3:15 PM from the 25th to the 27th, and the noon show will start at 12:15 PM on the 27th). Admission is 278 yen, and is limited to the first 30 people per session, with the duration of the session being approximately 30 minutes.
In addition, inside the dome, picture book readings and literary readings will be held by Kakazu Yumi, the voice actress best known for her role as Shizuka in the popular anime "Doraemon." The dates for the readings are "Star Picture Book Readings for Children" on July 25th and 26th, and "Star-related Literature Readings for Adults" on the 28th. There will be two sessions each day, at 12:30 and 14:30.
In addition, during the "Let's Enjoy the Starry Sky!" event, various workshops will be held in the central hall on the first floor of the main building. In addition to the free "Paper Craft Box: My Space Creation," participants can also enjoy other activities, such as "Make a Plastic Alien" (draw an alien on plastic board, cut it out, and bake it), "Try Your Own Space Food," "Make a Space Kaleidoscope," and "Make a Glowing Constellation Box" (all 464 yen), and "Make a Handmade Astronomical Telescope: Science Craft" (926 yen). Each event, excluding the regular "Paper Craft Box: My Space Creation," lasts approximately 30 minutes. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis at the venue. An event organizer commented, "Astronaut Koichi Wakata returned from the International Space Station in May, and the popular "Space Brothers" exhibition held at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store that same month was also a hit. With signs of a space boom in sight, now is the perfect time to hold this event. It's also perfectly timed with the Perseid meteor shower peaking on the 12th and 13th of next month." At the same time, summing up the "Summer Vacation" events, he said, "I hope that by enjoying the events while you're out shopping, you will also take home some learning and new discoveries."
During the event, aquarium art created by Kimura Hidetomo, who is also producing "Art Aquarium 2014," which is being held at the same time at Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall, will be on display at the entrance on the first floor of the new building. The goldfish swaying in the tank will bring a cool feeling to visitors.
