Aeronautical science has always been a hotbed of innovative technology. Changes in human society, such as improved global networking and an increase in travelers has meant that aircraft design has always been dynamic, improving to meet passengers' military and others' expectations and demands.

In this sense, the evolution of the airplane could be seen to symbolize changes in human curiosity and our inquiring minds. The Museum of Aeronautical Sciences, close to Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture, explores this symbolic notion of the airplane in relation to industrial aeronautical design and art.

The Museum of Aeronautical Sciences opened to the public in 1989, 11 years after Narita airport, and has since offered numerous exhibitions on aircraft technology and its history in Japan. Displaying aircraft parts such as engines, tires, cockpits and flight simulators donated by airline companies, its permanent exhibition has attracted both aviation fans and the industrial-design curious. The museum, however, also offers a variety of events and special, temporary air-craft related shows.