Nawa Insect Museum, Entomological museum in Gifu Park, Japan
The Nawa Insect Museum is an entomological museum in Gifu, Japan, housed in a registered tangible cultural property building from the early 20th century. The displays cover beetles, butterflies, moths, hornets, dragonflies, and spider species gathered from across multiple continents.
Yasushi Nawa established his insect research center in 1896 and went on to open this museum in 1919, making it the first of its kind in Japan. The building has since been listed as a registered tangible cultural property.
The building shows early 20th-century Western design that visitors notice as they walk through the rooms. The classical layout and style create an atmosphere that reflects the period when it was built.
The museum sits inside Gifu Park, which makes it easy to combine with a walk through the surrounding grounds. A visit of around one hour is enough to see the main displays, but more time lets you take in the details.
Among the most noticed specimens are owl butterflies, whose wing patterns resemble owl faces, displayed alongside blue morpho butterflies from South America with wings that shift color depending on the light. Visitors often stop longest in front of these two cases.
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