Fukui Dinosaur Museum

Friday, May 17, 2019 Updated

Time Travel to see a T-Rex & More | Fukui

The Fukui Dinosaur Museum is the largest dinosaur museum and research center in Japan and is recognized as one of the top three Dinosaur Museums in the world. The museum is located in Katsuyama City, Fukui, home to Japan's largest and most prolific excavation site as well as the main hub of dinosaur research in Japan.

The Fukui Dinosaur Museum has four floors, full of information and extravagant displays. Dinosaur World, located in the main floor, is an exhibition with over 40 dinosaur skeletons including the local Fukui-raptor and Fukui-saurus. The displays include English for foreign tourists and also include animatronic dinosaurs in the mix. The most notable is the massive life-size Tyrannosaurus Rex display. From the Dinosaur World exhibition, guests can either explore the Earth Science exhibition featuring videos and displays of the earth and the planet's development or above to the History of Life Corner. Overlooking the Dinosaur World floor via balcony, the History of Life corner features fossils and models of the dinosaurs' evolution in Japan and around the world. There's also a hand on zone for visitors can interact with real-world fossils. Visitors can even watch as scientists and researchers clean and examine fossil samples.

In addition to the expansive exhibits, the museum also houses a movie theater for special exhibits, a restaurant, and a museum gift shop. There are also dinosaur models around the museum grounds as well as outdoor excavation activities during the warmer months. If you or your family is as obsessed with Dinosaurs as Ross Geller from the hit-sitcom Friends, talk to your tour agent about adding the Fukui Dinosaur Museum to your vacation itinerary when booking your Japan tour!