The New Konica Minolta Planetarium

Tenku

If anyone may have needed yet a further reason to visit Tokyo’s newest premier tourist attraction, the 634m (world’s tallest) tower Skytree and its vast shopping centre Skytree Town, the new Konica Minolta Planetarium ‘Tenku’ is surely it.

Recipient of The Good Design Award 2012 from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion, the state of the art, full-immersive digital facility offers a huge range of both educational and informative programming as well as lighter-hearted seasonal fare for children and adults alike.

Tenku’s gloriously sleek entrance and foyer, a swirling series of polished elipses and illuminated glass courtesy of Nomura Co., is just the beginning. With its Astro Tec perforated aluminium dome, the auditorium comes complete with aromatic diffusers, filling the space with custom-designed fragrances complementing the shows. Thus you may be treated to a refreshing walk through the starlit woods of Finland during the Finnish poem Aurora, damp grasses and resins under a starry panoply in Forest Forest, and tropical scents for Embraced by Sea Stars and Asian Healing.

Working in collaboration with artists, directors, designers and musicians like violinist Taro Hakase, the constantly evolving repertoire is as varied as it is inventive and olfactory. And though we may never get to visit the planets, at least we can imagine what they may smell like! Star scent!