Fukui Dinosaur Museum

If you're a Japan traveler who's bored with temples and shopping and wants to try something new and educational, come to the "Fukui Dinosaur Museum." This prefecture is not far from Osaka, just a short train ride away. We recommend staying 1-2 nights for a relaxing experience.

This is Fukui Prefecture's grand dinosaur world.
As soon as you step inside, you'll be greeted by a giant T-Rex roaring loudly. The atmosphere inside is as breathtaking as a skeleton version of Jurassic Park. The museum has several zones, each with three floors to climb up and down. It's always crowded, so we recommend buying tickets in advance.

Let's have some informative notes. Here's the history of this place:

Reaching back about 7-8 million years, the Katsuyama Mountains were once home to real dinosaurs. Over time, Japanese researchers began uncovering fossil bones, skulls, and footprints, which became big news in the scientific community.

After that, the Fukui prefectural government came up with the idea: "Darling, with so many dinosaurs, this is our prefecture's selling point!" We need our own dinosaur museum!”

Fukui then established itself as a dinosaur city. You'll see dinosaurs greeting you as soon as you exit Fukui Station.

In 2000, the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum officially opened.

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Highlights:
• The museum itself is absolutely magnificent. From what I've researched, it's said to be... "One of the three best dinosaur museums in the world."

• There are moving dinosaur models (walking, moving heads, and roaring, seriously!).

• The exhibition hall is incredibly spacious and divided into three main zones:

1. World of Dinosaurs – A highlight zone featuring life-size fossils and models.
2. History of Life – Taking us back in time to the earliest stages of Earth's evolution.
3. Geology of Fukui – Showcasing the rocks, minerals, and structure of the surrounding mountains.

• The highlight is that there are dinosaur species discovered only in Fukui, such as:
• 🦖 Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis
• 🦕 Fukuisaurus tetoriensis
• And there are many species named after this prefecture!

Getting there:
Actually, it's easiest to drive there if you don't have a car, but if you want to get there, here are some tips.

1. First, no matter where you are in the world, Get yourself to Fukui Station first.
2. From Fukui Station → Take the Echizen Railway (Echizen Railway) on the Katsuyama–Eiheiji Line (勝山永平寺線).
• Destination: Katsuyama Station (勝山駅)
• Travel time: Approximately 1 hour
• Fare: Approximately ¥770
• Trains depart every 30–60 minutes (depending on the time of day)

From Katsuyama Station → Take a local bus (Community Bus) or taxi.
• The bus takes approximately 15 minutes (get off at the “Kyōryū Hakubutsukan-mae” stop).
• Fare: Approximately ¥300–400
• If you take a taxi It takes about 10 minutes and costs around ¥1,500–¥2,000.

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