Leave your summer vacation homework to us! A museum where you can learn about the Earth and discover Kanagawa

Go, see, and experience the world of art
File.3 Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History

4.6 billion years have passed since the birth of Earth, the planet of life. This museum allows you to easily learn about its history and the diversity of life in a chronological order. From giant dinosaurs to meteorites to insects the size of a bean, there are approximately 10,000 life-sized specimens. The exhibits, presented in a narrative style, are enjoyable to look at, but be warned that it could easily take a whole day to see everything thoroughly.
Whether you're a geology enthusiast, a space lover, an animal lover, an insect lover, a plant lover, or a fish lover, you have to go and see for yourself. Just go!

The entrance ceiling features a vast expanse of space. Below it, fossils of life that have etched their history in various spaces across the Earth—air, land, and sea—are displayed to welcome visitors.

The first theme on the first floor is "Thinking about the Earth."
Since no one has ever witnessed the moment of Earth's birth, meteorites that fly in from space are used to unravel that mystery. Fragmentary information extracted from various meteorites is pieced together to expand upon the image of creation…
The romanticism of scientists is truly amazing.

In the center is the Mandrabila meteorite that fell in Australia. It weighs 2.5 tons, and of course, it's the real thing. It's made almost entirely of iron, so if you smell your hands after touching it, you can definitely smell a bit of rust.
At museums, you can touch the exhibits, except for those enclosed in cases or surrounded by fences. Let's engage all five senses—touch, smell, and more—that can't be conveyed through online images, and reflect on the history of Earth and life.
This globe shows earthquake epicenters and volcanoes with white and red light bulbs, respectively. In areas where ancient civilizations flourished, such as Africa and the Middle East, or in areas where Western cities are concentrated, there are hardly any light bulbs lit. In contrast, the Japanese archipelago is so covered in red and white light bulbs that the islands are barely visible. It may be a miracle that cutting-edge cities have developed on such unstable ground.

Whether life has originated there or not, the "geological layers" are full of stories. I don't really understand the complicated details, but it's incredibly impressive!

The second theme is "Thinking about life."

Bacteria, considered the origin of life, first appeared on Earth about 2 billion years ago. It seems that it took another 1.5 billion years or more before trilobites and other organisms appeared.
Then, over 100 million years ago, the familiar "ammonite" appeared. This geological layer is also authentic, of course. If you look closely, you can apparently find ancestors of nautiluses, bivalves, and gastropods hidden within.
The parts within reach are polished to a shine by everyone's hands. You could even say it's the trace of a treasure hunt.

The exhibition also showcases the evolutionary process of aquatic life moving onto land and evolving into amphibians and reptiles.

But what really gets you excited are the fossils of large animals. Dinosaurs and elephant relatives (such as mammoths) exude an overwhelming presence in the grand hall.

A truly amazing collection for insect lovers. I apologize for thinking from a human perspective, but the shapes of insects are truly bizarre, strange, and mysterious.
No, of course, they are all valuable natural history materials.

As the dinosaurs went extinct, mammals adapted to various environments expanded their influence on Earth. Around 6,500 years ago is "very recent" in the grand scheme of Earth's history.
Here, representative animals from every order of mammals are selected and displayed as taxidermied specimens. The sight of animals that would normally never meet lined up together, seemingly getting along (?), is a little strange when you think about it. That's what sets it apart from a zoo, but what's truly amazing is that you can observe them closely from such a close distance that you're practically nose-to-nose. The sharp teeth of carnivores and the sheer size of grizzly bears can only be truly appreciated up close.

A flock of birds is flying above the hall.
If you look closely, you can see waterfowl flying around.

Looking down at the first-floor hall from the escalator going up to the upper floors, I felt like a bird.
Next to the escalator, you'll find points indicating "the height of a mammoth's eye" and "the height of a Tyrannosaurus's eye," so be sure to check those out as well.
However, please note that the escalator cannot stop at that location.

The first theme on the third floor is "Considering the Nature of Kanagawa."
Let's examine, from a local perspective, how the land we live on was formed and what kinds of plants, animals, and marine life have thrived there. Kanagawa Prefecture is located at the point where three of the four tectonic plates on which the Japanese archipelago sits collide, which is said to result in diverse vegetation. Furthermore, Sagami Bay, famous for its immense depth, is said to be home to an abundance of fish species that far surpasses those found in other regions of Japan.
Rather than being interested in it from a natural history perspective, I was happy imagining the menu at a sushi restaurant.

The final theme is "Considering coexistence with nature: Humanity's present and future."
In nature, a balance has been maintained through the circulation of matter between the atmosphere, water, the Earth's surface, and living organisms. In recent years, however, human activity, which is merely one of many life forms on Earth, has had a significant impact on this balance.
From here on, the focus will be on data presentation rather than easily understandable samples or models. It might be a little difficult, but please take a moment to pause and consider what the data means.

The last stop is the "Jumbo Book Exhibition Room".
Twenty-seven three-dimensional encyclopedias, each 3.2 meters tall and filled with real specimens, are lined up. The unique feature is that each exhibit can be changed individually, allowing for highly flexible displays that adapt to the seasons and current events. The world of science is always full of new discoveries, so such a dynamic exhibit corner is definitely worthwhile.

Going down the stairs to the second floor, you'll find a library filled with books on nature.
During the summer holidays (until August 19th in 2018), learning support staff are stationed at the museum to advise children on their independent research projects in the science field. Once a research topic is decided, museum curators can also help with finding more detailed information and organizing the findings, so feel free to consult them first.
Once you've put together an interesting report, try submitting it to the museum's "Children's Natural Science Exhibition" !