Visit The Land Of The Dinosaurs In Fukui

Whether it's a festival, a sightseeing spot, or a speciality dish, many prefectures have one thing that sets them apart from the rest.

Fukui, an often forgotten gem in the Hokuriku region, is famous for something especially unique: dinosaurs. 

The largest dinosaur excavation site in Japan is in the town of Katsuyama, and many remains have been found there. I

t's a fact Katsuyama and Fukui as a whole are quite proud of. 

There's no shortage of dinosaurs in the area, from the signs welcoming you into the town to the giant dinosaurs that greet you from the road up to the museum.

There are even animatronic dinosaurs outside Fukui station, and a dinosaur in a lab coat waiting for you right inside the station. 

The Fukui excavation sites are not just important in Japan, but worldwide; Katsuyama is noteworthy because since 1989, five dinosaur species have been discovered there: the Fukuiraptor, the Fukuisaurus, the Fukuititan, the Fukuivenator, and the Koshisaurus.

If you want to learn more about dinosaurs, you can head to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. 

The museum is considered one of the top three dinosaur museums in the world, and it is one of the largest. 

Despite growing up going to natural history museums, the scale was like nothing I had seen before, and you can easily spend half a day here. 

There are over 40 complete skeletons on display as well as partial skeletons and replicas. 

It's a great place to not only see dinosaur bones but to learn more about them. 

One of the first sections as you enter is an excellent series of displays on the lifestyle and biology of dinosaurs both in English and Japanese. 

There are models showing their growth as well as displays on their nesting and breeding habits, complete with cute baby dinosaurs. 

You can compare different skulls to learn about how scientists have determined their diet and feeding habits through their jaws. 

You can hear what they believe some dinosaurs sounded like and learn about how those sounds are produced. 

You can see footprints and feet bones, and read about how dinosaurs moved. In short, everything you have every wanted to know about dinosaurs is explained in this museum. 

To make things more exciting, there are scale dioramas of various dinosaurs in their natural habitat as well as animatronic ones that move and roar. 

The most impressive of these is the giant T-Rex that greets you as you enter the dinosaur hall, which is awe inspiring even as an adult. 

Even more unique is the animatronic Fukuiraptor, which you are unlikely to find anywhere else.

HOURS:
Open Everyday except 2nd and 4th Wednesday. Closed Dec. 29–Jan. 2.
9 AM to 5 PM (No entry after 4:30 PM).

ACCESS:
There is a community bus from Katsuyama Station to the Museum.

ADMISSION:
Primary/Middle School Students: ¥260, Groups: ¥210
High School and College Students: ¥410, Groups: ¥310
Adults: ¥720, Groups ¥620