Astronomical Observatory
"Showing guests the sky full of stars as they’ve never seen it before."
With its scarcity of artificial lights, Kumakōgen-chō is an optimal location for viewing the beauty of the starry skies. The Milky Way can be seen in summertime as well.
The observatory is set up with a reflecting telescope with 7,000 times the light-gathering power of the naked eye. With its 60-cm aperture, it is one of the largest in all Shikoku, and allows observation of planets, nebulae and star groups far in the distance. Come stop by for a look at stars in a form you’ve never seen before and send a dreamy thought off into outer space.
The observatory also includes a planetarium offering seasonally-changing programs to introduce visitors to discussions and mythology regarding the night skies of all four seasons.
Come enjoy moments of romantic charm together with family or friends and let your affinity for the universe grow. You may get a sense of just how vital it is to preserve the environment of space and of the Earth in order to safeguard the beautiful stars and planets for eternity.
Come spend a soul-soothing time here with explanations provided not by machines or computers, but in person by observatory personnel.
Kumakōgen Astronomical Observatory
Admission fees (charged separately for the planetarium and observatory)
Adults: ¥500
High school and university students: ¥400
Elementary / middle school students and young children: ¥300
Use of napping facility
High school students and older: ¥2,100
Elementary / middle school students: ¥1,575
Hours open (Seiten Castle)
Weekdays: 13:00–17:00
Weekends and holidays: 10:00–17:00
Starting times for projections in the planetarium (Time needed: 30 minutes)
April 1 – July 20 and September 1 – November 30
Weekdays: 13:30 ・15:00
Weekends and holidays: 11:00 ・ 13:30 ・ 14:30 ・ 15:30
July 21 – August 31
Weekdays: 13:30・ 14:30 ・ 15:30
Weekends and holidays: 11:00 ・ 13:30 ・ 14:30 ・ 15:30
December 1 – March 31
Weekdays: 13:30 ・ 15:00
Weekends and holidays: 11:00 ・ 13:30 ・ 15:00
Astronomical observatory hours (Time needed: 50 minutes)
Tues ・Thurs・Sat
* When consecutive holidays of 3 days or more occur and include a Saturday, then the observatory will be open for each of the days other than the final day of the holiday, regardless of the day of week.
April 1 – August 31: 19:30 ・ 20:30 ・ 21:30
September 1 – November 30: 19:00 ・ 20:00 ・ 21:00
December 1 – March 31: 19:00 ・ 20:00
Reservations required for access to the observatory. Please make reservations by telephone by 17:00 on the day of your desired reservation or up to 3 months in advance. Reservations for use of both the planetarium and observatory by groups can be made even outside the house listed above. Please contact the observatory to make arrangements.
- Address
- 488 Hatanokawa Otsu, Kumakōgen-chō 791-1212 [google map]
- Access
- 19 min by car from Kumakōgen-chō Town Hall
- Contact
- (0892)41-0110
- Hours of Operation
- Closed
Mondays and days following holidays (although if holidays fall on weekends, the observatory will open for the holiday and close the following day), New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
