Special Exhibition “Human History of the Ocean: A Million Years of Pioneers”

→Press Release: PDF file［2.8MB］

'This exhibition seeks to reconsider the relationship between humans and the sea from a historical perspective. How did our distant ancestors interact with the sea, and what did they gain from it? What are we trying to do with the sea today?
We humans obtain much from the oceans. In addition to the food, spectacular scenery, leisure activities, and various water sports that feed our bodies and souls, the oceans and seas now serve as expansive highways connecting remote areas of the globe. In recent years, they have also become sources of energy, rare earth elements, and other raw materials. However, humans—who evolved as a primate group—have not always been deeply connected to the sea in this way.
Monkeys do bathe in pools, soak in hot springs, and swim across rivers. However, having evolved in tropical forest environments, primates essentially have no real connection to the sea. Since our origin in the forests of Africa about 7 million years ago, humans, a member of the primate family, have also largely evolved without the need for any significant contact with the sea. For early humans, the sea was a "barrier" that prevented them from advancing, and was by no means a beneficial place.
At some point during human history, however, someone decided to confront this obstacle and thereby began to change the relationship between humans and the ocean. The countless benefits that we enjoy from the ocean today are thanks to the cumulative efforts made by our ancestors. Yet, we, their descendants, have not stopped challenging the ocean.
This exhibition peers back into the history of human exploration of the oceans. Particular attention is paid to the earliest developments and to the present. In Part I, we introduce some of the unexpected and surprising cases of early human interactions with the sea, focusing on examples from Southeast Asia and the Japanese archipelago, as revealed by modern scientific research. In contrast, Part II highlights some of the new challenges that the shipping industry has been facing in recent years, and innovative thinking that goes beyond the pursuit of maximum functionality. We hope that through this exhibition you will realize humanity’s relationship with the sea is entering a new phase.

●Contents
Part I Challenges in Prehistory
　Chapter 1 The Oldest Evidence: Mysterious Early Humans Who Crossed the Sea - c. One Million Years Ago
　Chapter 2 The Beginning of Full-Scale Ocean Expansion
　Chapter 3 Further Afield: Challenges of the Jomon People - 16,000 to 3000 Years Ago
　Chapter 4　The Next Era: The End of Jomon Ocean Expansion - 3000 to 2000 Years Ago
Part II Contemporary Challenges
　Chapter 5 Constructing a New Ship--the Return of the Wind
　Chapter 6 Protecting Maritime Safety and the Marine Environment--From Individuals to Organizations
　Chapter 7 Designing New Ships--Frontiers of Technological Innovation

●Key Information
Title: Special Exhibition “Human History of the Ocean: A Million Years of Pioneers”
Dates: July 5, 2024 – October 6, 2024
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 18:00 (open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays) *Opening hours may change.
Closed: Mondays (or the following Tuesday if Monday is a National Holiday; however the museum is open on August 13 and 19) and September 2-9. May close irregularly.
Venue: Intermediatheque 2F [GREY CUBE]
Organizer: The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (UMUT)
Cosponsors: Pharmarise Holdings Corporation / Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. / Nippon Kaiji Kyokai / Yamagata Maritime Institute
Support: The University of Tokyo Ocean Alliance Collaboration Research Organization / Japan Institute of Navigation
/ The Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers
Cooperation: Maritime and Ocean Digital Engineering Laboratory (MODE)
Admission: Free of charge
Address: KITTE 2F - 3F, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
Access: JR lines and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line Tokyo
Station (Marunouchi South Exit). Nijubashimae Station (Exit 4) on the Chiyoda Line (about 2 minutes on foot).
Contact: +81-47-316-2772 (NTT Hello Dial Service)
From Japan: 050-5541-8600 (NTT Hello Dial Service)
Website: http://www.intermediatheque.jp/en/schedule/view/id/IMT0277