Saitama Museum of Natural History, Natural history museum in Nagatoro, Japan
The Saitama Museum of Natural History is a repository of rock specimens, marine fossils from ancient times, and detailed information about how the Chichibu Bay formed. The exhibits show how this region developed millions of years ago and what creatures lived here in the distant past.
The institution was founded in 1921 by the Chichibu Railway Company and designed by architect Kunio Maekawa, after starting as a hall displaying mineral and plant specimens. Over time it expanded into a comprehensive collection about the geological history of this region.
The museum presents rotating exhibitions about regional wildlife and how local people have long connected with their natural surroundings. Visitors can observe which plants and animals are native to this area and how they have shaped life here.
The museum sits just a short walk from Kaminagatoro Station and is easy to reach on foot. Visitors should know it stays open daily but closes on Mondays, so planning ahead helps ensure your visit goes smoothly.
In the entrance hall, visitors encounter a reconstructed model of Megalodon shark remains and a fully preserved skeleton of a Paleoparadoxia creature from ancient Chichibu Bay waters. These striking remains offer windows into the life that existed in this region's prehistoric sea.
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