The Miraikan Museum in Tokyo, Japan, is hosting an aging-themed exhibition that offers young people a simulated experience of how the human body changes with age.
The exhibition, Park of Age, is split into four interactive areas where visitors can experience the changes aging brings to their visual, auditory, motor skills and brain through interactive games.
In one game, participants can experience the challenges of judging objects with vision loss as they age. Another game called Nucopol simulates the effects of cataracts on color vision, resulting in difficulties in judging colors.
A unique feature in the brain aging experience area is a self-service camera that allows participants to see how elderly people may struggle to understand expressions like anger, sadness, and fear. Through these games, visitors can grasp the mechanisms of human aging and reflect on how they interact with the elderly and envision their own future.
The Park of Age exhibition, part of Miraikan's three permanent exhibits themed Create Your Future, is one of 22 exhibitions grouped under those three main themes, with the other two being Explore the Frontiers and Discover Your Earth.
"I take him to this exhibition related to robotics today. But he's not school age yet, so hopefully he'll find something here that interests him," said a mother.
"The emphasis in school is on basic theory. Much of what is on display here is practical science that can be applied to life. It gave me inspiration on my own research as well," said a student.
According to the museum staff, nearly half of the visitors are under 18, with high school students making up 17 percent of that group. As an off-campus learning venue, Miraikan also collaborates with local schools, inviting teachers to contribute to exhibition planning to align with students' actual needs and interests.
"Through physical display and interactive experience, students can get a new scientific experience different from classroom teaching, which is the biggest feature of our Miraikan science museum exhibition," said Ito Yoichi, deputy director of the museum.
Tokyo science museum holds aging experience exhibition
Government authorities in Dehua County of east China's coastal province of Fujian have developed efficient new forms of direct contact between the government and local enterprises to solve problems in business operation -- breakfast meeting, on-the-spot meeting, tea party, etc.
The county, known as "World Ceramics Capital," is home to more than 4,000 ceramic companies, almost all of which are privately operated.
The new forms of direct government-business contact have served as an important platform for the businesses to give their suggestions and seek help from authorities.
"I have taken part in [such events] many times. In May this year, the Development and Reform Bureau hosted a symposium. I had just been granted the right to the use of a plot of land the year before last, but the boundary was occupied by village roads. So, I brought the problem [to the symposium]. The bureau attached great importance to it and assigned exclusive personnel to follow it up. The problem was solved in August. This time I also have a demand," said Xu Jianyong, manager of a ceramics company.
"The tea party is for us to talk freely, to say whatever we want to say. Normally, if we speak up about our problems at the event, the relevant authorities will come to us just the next day to learn about what has happened," said Qiu Zhenke, head of another ceramics company.
At one recent "tea party" hosted by the Development and Reform Bureau of Dehua County, business operators brought forward opinions ranging from labor demand, gas price, construction of new energy charging piles, to fund bonus policy. They even took advantage of the occasion to consult the government on relevant policies.
Although the "tea party" was scheduled to last only an hour and a half, the bureau extended the event to three hours to address the concerns of every participant.
"For the questions involving the jurisdiction of the Development and Reform Bureau, we would give replies one by one on the spot. For those involving the jurisdiction of other relevant departments, we would make a task list and refine and specify them. We would coordinate with the relevant departments to formulate solutions, and strive to reply to the entrepreneurs one by one within half a month," said Zhou Yiguo, director of the Development and Reform Bureau of Dehua County.
"Today's event is fruitful. First of all, it's very pragmatic, and second, it's very timely. And the officials have given us more efficient solutions," said Lin Xiaowa, manager of a local ceramics company.
Fujian government-business tea parties enable efficient problem solving for private companies
Fujian government-business tea parties enable efficient problem solving for private companies
