Lake Nojiri Naumanni Museum, Fossil museum near Lake Nojiri, Shinano, Japan
Lake Nojiri Naumanni Museum displays thousands of fossils and archaeological objects recovered from the lake's sediment layers over decades of research. The collections show the animal, plant, and human remains that reveal how this region changed through different time periods.
Elephant fossils were discovered at the lake in 1948, sparking a wave of excavations that transformed understanding of the region's ancient environment. The museum was established later as a research facility to make these discoveries accessible to the public.
The institution preserves remnants of ancient human settlements, including stone tools and hunting implements used by early inhabitants 40,000 years ago.
The museum sits near railway stations and is easy to reach, but opening times vary with the season, so check ahead before planning a visit. Families with children benefit from hands-on fossil activities that make the experience active and educational.
The skeleton displays show giant animals that roamed this area thousands of years ago, including species typically known from Europe. These finds reveal that the ancient world was far more connected than many visitors might expect.
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