A museum opened in 2000 at the cutting edge of dinosaur research
Fukui Prefecture accounts for a majority of the dinosaur fossils excavated in Japan and is famous for being an area at the forefront of dinosaur research in Japan. In Katsuyama City, there is the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum which is the nation’s largest museum for geological features and archaeology. The displays focusing on dinosaurs are fun enough just to see, and they have garnered a good reputation for being easy to understand and for being able to be enjoyed by kids and grownups alike. Since its opening in 2000, over 700,000 visitors have come to the museum annually, and it has become a popular tourist spot representing Fukui Prefecture that has been called The Kingdom of Dinosaurs.
The zones where you can learn about the history of the huge Earth through the dinosaurs
The exhibition area is divided into the zones of Dinosaur World, Earth Sciences and History of Life. In Dinosaur World, there are 42 full dinosaur skeletons on display in the wide space, faithfully recreated dioramas and other exhibits to fully realize a living world of dinosaurs. Also, in Earth Sciences, a cross-sectional investigation of the earth strata is introduced through “Water & Earth” and “Fire & Earth”. It is a zone that takes the appearance of the Earth into consideration via sediment, fossils, minerals, etc. And then in the History of Life, you can learn about the history of life through repeated evolution and extinction over 4.6 billion years. Elsewhere, there is the Dino Lab where you can get a hands-on experience in touching fossils and making observations through microscopes, and the Fossil Preparation Lab where excavated fossils are cleaned so that you can enjoy that unique dinosaur experience.
The popular fossil excavation experience at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum!
At the popular Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum which opened in 2014, there is the attraction of experiencing a dig for fossils where other specimens have been excavated. At these dinosaur digs, you can closely observe earth strata and fossilized footprints and even take part in digging up fossils. The work of digging as you listen to the explanations by museum researchers is a precious experience in field work.