In Hakuya's home, you get the impression that you are in space. Hakui bills itself as a UFO city. One of its main attractions is the Cosmo Isle Hakui Science and Space Museum. Cosmo Isle translates to "space island". Originals prevail among the exhibits presented in this museum.
Attention is drawn to the space capsule of the American program "Mercury", as well as the return capsule of the Soviet spacecraft "Vostok". The capsule "Mercury" is an exact copy; during its construction, the same materials were used as in the manufacture of the original. The Vostok capsule is a real device that has returned from space. Traces are visible on the capsule skin: it was burned when it passed through the atmosphere during its return from space. It is also surprising that American and Soviet spacecraft during the desperate struggle in space exploration are on display together.
Nearby is an experimental vehicle for exploring the surface of the Moon and Mars. This is a real machine that has participated in various tests. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) donated it to the city of Hakui. The museum also presents an automatic interplanetary station for studying the Moon "Luna-24", a telecommunications satellite, a replica of a spacesuit made of the same materials from which a real spacesuit is made, and so on. “We wanted museum visitors to get in touch with real space objects,” says the museum's deputy director, Masatoshi Kazusawa.
Hakui was developed as a "UFO city". The inspiration was Jyosen Takano, who worked as a science writer and screenwriter for the 11PM evening program. In 1984 he started working in the city administration. He borrowed an idea from a local ancient tradition that tells of an object flying across the sky.
He received the museum exhibits thanks to negotiations with representatives of NASA and Russian departments. According to Mr. Takano, he met various people while preparing scientific materials. The museum opened in 1996. “Since there are many original pieces in the museum, their historical value will only grow over time,” says Mr. Takano.
The museum hero is also an extremely lovable character. His name is Alien Thunder. His spaceship crashed, so he moonlights on Space Island in order to earn money for repairs.
However, meeting him is not so easy. Like UFOs, the alien is a very mysterious character. “I want children to get used to meeting the unknown and dream of the opportunity to make friends with representatives of other civilizations,” says Mr. Kazusawa, “space and our possibilities are endless.”