The first dinosaur museum in Hokkaido opens with a ceremony in Hobetsu, Mukawa Town.

The Mukawa Town Hobeetsu Dinosaur Museum, located in Hokkaido, Japan, is a paleontological museum dedicated to the region’s rich fossil history, particularly the discovery of the Kamuysaurus japonicus, a hadrosaurid dinosaur uncovered nearby in 2013. The museum features life-sized reconstructions, interactive exhibits, and a large collection of fossils, including the nearly complete skeleton of the “Mukawaryu” dinosaur. It opened in 2021 to showcase this significant find and promote scientific education about the area’s Cretaceous-era ecosystems.

Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, was originally inhabited by the Ainu people before large-scale Japanese settlement began in the late 19th century during the Meiji era. Unlike the rest of Japan, it developed as a frontier region focused on agriculture, mining, and later tourism, with its capital Sapporo hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics. Today, Hokkaido is known for its stunning natural landscapes, national parks, ski resorts, and unique cuisine like fresh seafood and dairy products.

The Mukawa Town Hobeetsu Dinosaur Museum, located in Hokkaido, Japan, is a renowned paleontological site where the nearly complete skeleton of the *Kamuysaurus japonicus*—the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Japan—was discovered in 2013. The museum showcases this remarkable fossil, along with other local finds, and provides interactive exhibits about the region’s Cretaceous-era history. Opened in 2019, it serves as both a research facility and an educational attraction, highlighting the area’s rich prehistoric past.

Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, was historically known as Ezochi and inhabited by the indigenous Ainu people before large-scale Japanese settlement began in the late 19th century during the Meiji era. Today, it is famous for its stunning natural landscapes, including national parks, hot springs, and ski resorts, as well as its unique culture and cuisine like fresh seafood and dairy products. The island’s history of development and its distinct climate have shaped a region that blends frontier spirit with modern tourism.

The Mukawa Town Hobeetsu Dinosaur Museum, located in Hokkaido, Japan, is a paleontological museum built near the site where the nearly complete skeleton of *Kamuysaurus japonicus*, a new species of hadrosaurid dinosaur, was discovered in 2013. The museum opened in 2019 to showcase this significant find, known as “Mukawaryu,” along with other local fossils and exhibits on dinosaur