[2025 Minamitane Attraction] Travel Guide for Tanegashima Space Center Space Science and Technology Museum (Updated Jun)

#Spring0yentrip "Japan's largest space center operated by JAXA. The tours that allow you to see the rocket launch site and assembly building up close are popular. This is where the H-IIA rocket is actually launched, so you're sure to be impressed by the real space development scene. There is also an exhibition hall and a simulation experience inside the facility! 🌌✨ ▶Access: About 1 hour by car from Nishinoomote Port (buses also available) ▶Travel tips: It is a must to participate in a guided tour by booking in advance. Be sure to check the launch schedule!

As the home of Japan's largest rocket launch site, Tanegashima is filled with rocket-related sites and items, from supermarkets that also sell space food to observation decks designed for visitors to watch the rockets ascend. In short, the topic of rockets is ubiquitous. Most visitors aim to time their trip to witness the deafening rocket launches that occur every few months from the southern space center. However, with limited launch days, to soothe the hearts of those who miss the launch dates, an official space center open year-round has been established, where the exhibits depict the path out of Earth. Boasting the title of Japan's largest space development base, the Tanegashima Space Center covers an area nearly as vast as 20 Tokyo Disneyland parks, and it is generally impossible (and time-consuming) for visitors to tour the entire site. Tanegashima Space Center (Tanegashima Uchu Center) Address: Masuda, Nakatane, Kumage District, Kagoshima Prefecture

I went to visit the Tanegashima Space Center a month before the launch on January 12th.