Fossil Museum of Ogano

The Fossil Museum of Ogano displays skeletons and specimens of marine mammals and other sea creatures discovered in the nearby Chichibu region, offering a window into life from millions of years ago. The collection focuses on fossils from when this area was covered by an ancient sea, now documented through the sediment layers visible in the surrounding landscape.

The museum focuses on discoveries from the Paleo-Chichibu Sea, an ancient ocean that covered the region millions of years ago and shaped life there. The collection documents this geological period through remains of sea creatures preserved in the local rock layers.

Through educational workshops, visitors create replica fossils and learn about Japan's geological heritage while engaging with the local scientific community.

The museum is accessible by bus from nearby railway stations, with a short walk required from the stop. Visitors can spend a few hours examining the fossil displays and educational panels at a comfortable pace.

The museum houses a complete skeleton model of a Paleoparadoxia, an extinct marine mammal that once swam in Japanese waters. This reconstruction shows a creature that few people know about today, yet was once common in this region.