A special exhibition titled “Super Dangerous Creatures Exhibition” showcasing the ultimate techniques of creatures surviving in a dog-eat-dog world is being held in Ueno, Tokyo. It is bustling with families and has attracted over 170,000 visitors since its opening on the 14th of last month.

The exhibition focuses on skills honed through evolution. It is divided into areas for “physical attack” creatures, which use their bodies as weapons, and “special attack” creatures, which use poison or gas as weapons. Furthermore, based on the characteristics of these ultimate techniques, the creatures are categorized into eight types, such as “power fighter type” and “chemical attack type,” and explained from a scientific perspective.

In the “physical attack” area, highlights include displays of large specimens such as the full skeleton of an African elephant and a taxidermied polar bear. Haru Kojima (7), a second-grade elementary school student visiting from the city with a parent, loves creatures and always reads picture books about them. She said with a smile, “I thought polar bears were small, but it was huge—I was amazed.”

Small creatures feature “special attacks”

In the “special attack” area, many small creatures are featured, and visitors were seen deeply reading the explanations. The Blarina brevicauda, a shrew less than 10 centimeters in body length, paralyzes its prey with poisonous saliva. Mihoko Sato (66), a homemaker visiting from the city, said, “Not just the types of poison, but the various ways of delivering it, like biting or spraying, were cool.”

At the venue, visitors were also seen walking while taking photos of their favorite creatures and attack explanations with their cameras. Kana Yamakawa (40), a company employee living in Meguro Ward, said about her 5-year-old eldest son, whose eyes lit up at the exhibits, “Children remember things they’ve seen once more than we expect. I want to value experiences where they can see real objects and videos.”

Exhibition runs until June 14

The exhibition runs until June 14. Closed on Mondays (except April 27, May 4, and June 8) and May 7. Open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. From April 25 to May 6, it is open until 6:00 p.m. (last entry 30 minutes before closing).

Admission is 2,300 yen for general adults and university students, and 600 yen for elementary to high school students. Preschool children are free.

Ueno

Ueno is a vibrant district in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its expansive Ueno Park, which was established in 1873 on land that once belonged to the Kaneiji Temple. The area is rich in history, having served as a major cultural hub since the Edo period, and it survived significant damage during World War II. Today, Ueno is famous for its museums, zoo, and seasonal cherry blossoms, attracting millions of visitors annually.

Tokyo

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a bustling metropolis that seamlessly blends ultramodern innovation with deep historical roots. Originally a small fishing village named Edo, it became the political center of Japan in the early 17th century under the Tokugawa shogunate, and was renamed Tokyo (“Eastern Capital”) when the imperial court moved from Kyoto in 1868. Today, it is a global hub for culture, technology, and cuisine, preserving landmarks like the Imperial Palace and historic temples alongside towering skyscrapers and vibrant districts.

African elephant

The African elephant, the largest land animal on Earth, has roamed the African continent for millions of years, playing a vital role in its ecosystems as a keystone species. Historically, these majestic creatures have been revered in African cultures and mythology, but they have also faced severe threats from ivory poaching and habitat loss, leading to a dramatic population decline over the past century. Today, conservation efforts are underway to protect the remaining populations, which are divided into the forest and savanna elephant species.

polar bear

The polar bear, a majestic marine mammal native to the Arctic, is not a man-made cultural site but an iconic symbol of the region’s wildlife and the impacts of climate change. Historically, polar bears have been central to the cultures of Indigenous Arctic peoples, such as the Inuit, who have hunted them for food, clothing, and tools for thousands of years. Today, they are a global emblem of conservation efforts, as their sea-ice habitat shrinks due to rising temperatures.