Embark on the Journey of Life by admiring over 4,500 items in the Natural History zone. Then move into the age of the human and see ancient texts, earthenware and festive scenery. The Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History is the combination of three previously separate municipal museums, and therefore vast. Visit early in your trip to Kitakyushu to get a better appreciation of your surroundings.
Start in the History of the Earth and Life zone where you will be whisked 3.8 billion years into the past. Discover how species appeared and evolved and see real Palaeozoic fossils. In the Mesozoic Era you’ll find the skeletons of a tyrannosaurus, a stegosaurus and a triceratops. From here, travel into the Cenozoic Era and meet a 50-million-year-old animal called a brontotherium.
Step inside the Time Travelling Room, and see Kitakyushu as it was millions of years ago. Witness long-extinct species like fish, insects and dinosaurs brought back to life with CGI and animatronics. Next, visit the Diversity of Life room to see stuffed birds, turtles and the biggest basking shark in Japan.
Take a break outside in the museum's Eco-Garden. Explore the garden's three areas: forest, grassland and rock garden. Here look for seasonal plants and insects before heading back inside for the second half of the museum.
Upstairs is the Local Festival Lobby. Learn about the city's history of natural disasters and the Gods traditionally believed to have the power to stop them. Find out about Kitakyushu's three major summer festivals: Kokura Gion, Kurosaki Gion and Tobata Gion.
Step inside a replica farmhouse from the Meiji period and inspect the tools that would have been used back then. In the Discovering History section are mock-up houses from various eras in Japanese history. Finish up in the History of Kitakyushu area and see ancient artifacts, including a decorated tomb and statues taken from a 13th-century temple.
The Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History is open daily. It's a 2-minute walk from Space World Station, on the JR Kagoshima Main Line.
