Experience fossil excavation at the Ammonite Center! [Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture]

Iwaki City is attracting attention as a city where you can come into contact with ancient fossils. At the Ammonite Center, you can actually experience excavation using a chisel and hammer

At the Iwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum Horuru, you can view a giant full-body reconstruction of a dinosaur and try your hand at making an ammonite specimen

Let's go on a journey to encounter fossils in Iwaki City

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Excavation experience at the Ammonite Center

The Iwaki Ammonite Center is located in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. Here, you can experience fossil excavation. Many people visit for this purpose

The excavation site was once underwater, so you'll find shark teeth, ammonites, bivalves, and more

What you need for excavation

The tools necessary for excavation work will generally be loaned to you, but you will need to prepare the following three items

For excavation, you will need a helmet, goggles, chisel and hammer, which can be borrowed from the center

Overview of the excavation experience

The excavation experience is divided into a morning session (10:00-11:30) and an afternoon session (13:30-15:00). It is held on Saturdays and Sundays. Registration opens one hour before the start of the experience. Advance reservations are not possible, so if you wish to participate, you must register beforehand

There is a separate fee for the experience in addition to the admission fee. Viewing only costs 250 yen, but viewing plus excavation experience costs 710 yen

Even beginners can easily excavate

You can freely search for spots within the designated area and enjoy excavation. Staff will teach you tips on excavation, so even those with no experience will be able to find some kind of fossil

It's tempting to drive the chisel straight in, but the trick to excavating well is to drive it diagonally so as to peel away the soil. The staff will also explain these points in an easy-to-understand manner

You can take home the fossils you unearth

You can take home most of the fossils you unearth, except for rare fossils, which are preserved and exhibited at the center and the name of the excavator is published in the newspaper

Excavating for rare fossils is always fun, and it's an experience event that can be enjoyed by both adults and children

Iwaki City Ammonite Center <Information>

• Name: Iwaki City Ammonite Center
• Address: 147-2 Okutsurubo, Okumachi, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, 979-0338
• Phone number: 0246-82-4561
• Official URL: http://www.ammonite-center.jp/

Google Map

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Make your own ammonite specimen at Iwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum Horuru

In Iwaki City, you can also come into contact with dynamic fossils at the Horuru Coal and Fossil Museum, where you can view particularly large dinosaur fossils

There are some very rare exhibits, such as Futabasaurus and a complete dinosaur fossil. On Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 and 13:00, there are workshops where you can create ammonite and amber specimens. This is also an event that can be enjoyed by both adults and children

Iwaki City is famous as a coal town. The old mock mine tunnels are also worth seeing. The coal mining scene has been beautifully recreated

Iwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum Horuru <Information>

• Name: Iwaki City Coal and Fossil Museum Horuru
• Address: 3-1 Mukouda, Tokiwa Yumotocho, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, 972-8321
• Phone number: 0246-42-3155
• Official URL: https://www.sekitankasekikan.or.jp/

Google Map

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A summary of Iwaki City, a city packed with fossil sites

Iwaki City is full of spots where you can experience the charm of fossils. It's fun to actually excavate fossils and make specimens

By touching fossils that have been engraved with ancient history, you can experience emotions that you would not normally experience

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