Attraction
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum 福井県立恐竜博物館
Visit the center of dinosaur research in Japan
Driving through the city of Katsuyama, you'll notice a large silver egg-shaped building in the hills. This is the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, the center of dinosaur research in Japan and recognized as one of the greatest dinosaur museums in the world. It's the biggest in Japan, making it one of Fukui's most popular tourist destinations with 900,000 people visiting annually.
Don't Miss
- Excavation experiences from spring to autumn
- Special exhibitions, typically staged from July to October
- The dinosaur-themed restaurant on the third floor
How to Get There
The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum is accessible by bus or taxi from Katsuyama Station.
Take the community bus bound for Nagaoyama, and get off at Kyoryu Hakubutsukan-mae (20 minutes). A taxi will get you there slightly faster.
Quick Facts
Katsuyama is home to Japan's largest excavation site
This site is responsible for the majority of dinosaur discoveries in Japan
Five dinosaurs have been discovered here: the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis, Fukuisaurus tetoriensis, Fukuititan nipponensis, Koshisaurus katsuyama, and Fukuivenator paradoxus
Start at the top
The entrance to the museum is on the third floor and includes a special exhibit hall and movie theater.
Come face to face with a T. Rex and see close to 50 dinosaur skeletons
There are three main exhibitions at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, the largest being Dinosaur World. You'll be greeted here by 7.2-meter tall Tyrannosaurus Rex robot, which guards the skeletons of over 40 dinosaurs. You'll also be able to find the skeletons and fossils of locally discovered dinosaurs including the Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus. Ten of the skeletons are original specimens.
Get closer to prehistoric Earth
The Earth Sciences exhibition, on the same level as the Dinosaur World exhibition, tells you all about the Earth and how life came to exist through hands-on displays and videos. There is another zone on the second floor called the Dino Lab where you touch some real fossils.
See the evolution of life right before your eyes
The History of Earth is the third and final exhibition, located on the second floor. Browse the exhibitions to discover more fossils and dinosaur models which illustrate the evolution of life. Also on display are the skeletons of several large prehistoric mammals, including elks and mammoths. This level offers a panoramic view of the first floor. .
Observe technicians as they work
On the second floor, you'll find the Fossil Preparation Lab. Technicians meticulously clean fossils found at the nearby Kitadani Quarry excavation site for research and exhibition. Visitors are free to observe them as they work through the window.
When to see the dinosaurs
The museum is only open during the daytime, and visitors must enter by 4:30 p.m. It's open every day from the end of July until the end of August and closed on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month and from December 31 to January 1.
You may need to make a reservation to enter the museum. Please check the official website for the latest information.
* The information on this page may be subject to change due to COVID-19.
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