[Experience Report] “What is common sense?!” Exhibition held at METoA Ginza. Numerous experiential content that makes you think about a brighter future from everyday “common sense”

Mitsubishi Electric Event Square "METoA Ginza" in Ginza, Tokyo is holding its final event, "Rediscover and discover new things in the 'ordinary' of everyday life. Is it obvious!?" before it closes on Monday, August 4, 2025. Admission is free.

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METoA Ginza , named after "Mitsubishi Electric: Touch of Advancement," is an experiential facility where visitors can have fun learning about Mitsubishi Electric Group's products, technologies, and sustainability initiatives by "seeing," "touching," and "experiencing." It opened in March 2016 at Tokyu Plaza Ginza and has entertained over 6 million visitors to date, but unfortunately it has been decided that the facility will close on Monday, August 4, 2025.

The final event, "Atarimae!? Exhibition," was a fitting finale, bringing together the most popular content from among the various events that have been held over the past nine years.

The theme of the event was "the ordinary things" that are there all the time and change in the blink of an eye. Starting from the empathy and awareness of the people who exist in these things, the concept was to experience the innovations of the Mitsubishi Electric Group's wide range of business fields, from home appliances to space systems, that support these ordinary things, and to discover the exciting ordinary things of the future that will lead to the realization of a sustainable society.

For example, the wall-mounted air conditioner that we use every day without even thinking about it.

"When I go outside an air-conditioned room, I get frightened by the heat."
"I still can't believe that 'leaving it on for a short time will save you money.'"
"When I was a student, I would go to the staff room, the only room with air conditioning, even when I had no business there."

The introduction is a series of so-called "common topics" such as these. Air conditioners are so common in our daily lives that they can make anyone chuckle, but did you know that behind the popularity of today's wall-mounted air conditioners was a product from Mitsubishi Electric that was "not common"?

In the past, room air conditioners were mainly floor-mounted or window-mounted air conditioners that used large fans like those used in ventilation fans to create wind. In 1967, Mitsubishi Electric released the wall-mounted room air conditioner "Kirigamine," the world's first to feature a "line flow fan" that was lightweight, thin, quiet, and characterized by blowing air in a straight line. This led to the wall-mounted type becoming the standard for room air conditioners in Japan.

The exhibit focuses on the line flow fan, which has revolutionized room air conditioners, and allows visitors to have a simulated experience of creating the "straight-moving wind" themselves . When you blow air on the unit, colorful animations of hearts, stars, and pop spaceships appear on the screen. You can enjoy different flight patterns depending on the strength of the wind you blow on it, and there are nine different designs in total.

Furthermore, Mitsubishi Electric will develop air conditioners equipped with conversational AI as a "future norm," and will introduce its goal of "making it commonplace for air conditioners to act as butlers, providing comfortable air and helping you enjoy your daily life."

Throughout the venue, there was content encouraging visitors to have fun and think, "It would be great if a future like this existed beyond the ordinary things of everyday life."

The "Smartphone Commonplaces" exhibit features a super mini museum using a laser processing machine .

Mitsubishi Electric is developing ultra-precise, high-speed laser processing machines, which are essential for creating complex electronic pathways in a limited space, which is essential for smartphones, which are naturally small and highly functional. The exhibition features tiny 9mm square art depicting the Mona Lisa and Nagoya Castle, made with microscopic holes less than 0.1mm in diameter, created with a laser processing machine that can accurately process at a maximum speed of 7,000 holes per second. While the artwork is playful, when you look through a magnifying glass you can clearly see how intricate it is, and you can't help but exclaim, "Wow!" in admiration.

The most ambitious and impressive exhibit is the "HOPE FOR UNIVERSE" movie in the "Space Commonplace" exhibit, which immerses the viewer in spectacular images and sound with the trajectory of Japan's first space station resupply vehicle, the "Kounotori."

"Kounotori" is an unmanned spacecraft that carries various supplies such as water and food for astronauts and experimental equipment to the International Space Station (ISS). Many companies, including Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, are involved in the project, with Mitsubishi Electric in charge of developing the electrical module that is the brain of "Kounotori" and the "Kounotori" operation system installed at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center.

From the launch of the first unit in 2009 to the final mission of the 9th unit in August 2020, the nine KOUNOTORIs were 100% successful in transporting supplies to the ISS, demonstrating Japan's space technology to the world. However, behind the nearly 30 years of development, there was a history of trial and error by the development team, including the challenge of meeting over 1,000 manned safety technology requirements imposed by NASA.

"HOPE FOR UNIVERSE" is an experiential content that lets you feel as if you are traveling in space through the "Kounotori" projected across a huge screen. You can experience the approach using the rendezvous capture method, a unique Japanese technology that safely delivers supplies to the ISS, which flies at an ultra-high speed of 7.8 km per second, from launch in Tanegashima, and relive the inspirational drama and thoughts of the developers on the craft.

The powerful images and sounds that fill the entire space create a sense of realism, but because the starry sky and blue Earth cover most of the screen, it gives off a similar impression to a planetarium, allowing you to comfortably immerse yourself in the world. Before and after the screening, the light of the stars spread out around your feet interacts with the movements of the audience, flickering in sync with their movements, and during the screening, the audience's movements are reflected on the screen as beams of light, creating a fantastical beauty that is also a highlight.

On the other side of the screen, there was an introduction to the next-generation unmanned supply ship "HTV-X," which will succeed the spirit of "Kounotori," and the Greenhouse Gas and Water Cycle Observation Satellite "GOSAT-GW," which is expected to contribute to monitoring climate change and global warming and disaster prevention measures. Both are scheduled to be launched this year and are at the forefront of Mitsubishi Electric's innovation.

These exhibits allow visitors to imagine how space-based technology will continue to evolve and become commonplace, raising their expectations for a future when space travel will no longer be something special.

Other than that,

– An experiential exhibit of "Serendie City" that uses Mitsubishi Electric's digital platform "Serendie®" to create unknown solutions through chance encounters with data collected from various Mitsubishi Electric Group products and services, including electricity, transportation, buildings, and housing facilities.

・A VR experience where you can feel the speed of the ultra-high-speed elevator developed by Mitsubishi Electric, which travels at 1,230 meters per minute, located in the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China, along with the view of Ginza (people with a fear of heights should be careful)

A wide variety of content is available across two floors.

This exhibition may inspire you to imagine something exciting about the future of a sustainable society and the possibilities of technology. If so, you can vote for the future norms you want Mitsubishi Electric to realize in the "Naturalities Popularity Vote" or share your thoughts on the message board. Not only will this motivate the people at Mitsubishi Electric, but specific ideas will be fed back to the developers, so the voices of each visitor may lead to major action.

Additionally, the attached cafe restaurant "METoA Cafe & Kitchen," which serves carefully selected coffee and juices, as well as meals centered around superfoods and vegetables, will be offering a limited edition sustainability-conscious menu to coincide with the event.

Limited menu "Death By Chocolate"
1,958 yen (tax included) Drink set + 330 yen (tax included)
*Limited quantity. Ends when stock runs out.

This menu features the extremely popular hotcakes topped with ice cream and sauce made with fair trade chocolate. We tried a sample, and the fluffy, light-weight hotcakes and cream went perfectly with the rich, flavorful chocolate ice cream. The superfoods sprinkled on top, such as walnuts and almonds, add a fun texture, and the edible flowers add color. It was a dish that was both visually and tastefully satisfying, so if you're visiting the museum, be sure to stop by the store.

After closing, the plan is to continue METoA Ginza's concept and initiatives and hold events around the country in collaboration with various companies and organizations. It's a shame that it will be leaving Ginza, but having more people in the area experience these events should strengthen its function as a place where we can learn about and think about various social issues and their solutions, and create an exciting future together, so keep an eye on future developments.

■ Event summary: "Rediscover and discover new things in the 'ordinary' of everyday life. Is it ordinary!?" Exhibition

*The contents of this article are from the time of the press preview. It may differ from the latest information, so please check the official website for details.

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