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[Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture] “Kuji Amber Museum” brings together amber from the dinosaur era! You can also experience mining and making accessories.

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  • Last updated: 2022.01.28

Kuji City in northern Iwate Prefecture is located on the coast. This place is famous as the land of Ama divers.

However, in NHK's hit drama "Ama-chan," which was set in this area, not only Ama divers were featured, but also Kuji's Kohaku. Since then, Kuji amber has also started to attract attention.

In addition to Ama divers, Kuji is also known as one of the largest amber producing areas in Japan. The Kuji Amber Museum is a symbol of this, and is the only museum in Japan that specializes in amber.

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Not only can you see the amber exhibits that have existed since ancient times, but you can also go inside the mine shafts where amber was mined. You can also try your hand at making accessories using amber, which is becoming a luxury brand.

This time, we will introduce the Amber Museum, which Kuji City is proud of nationwide. Surrounded by a historic forest, there are many old buildings.

1. What is Kuji amber?

Amber is formed from the solidification of sap that fell from trees long ago. Amber can be found in many places in Kuji City, from the coast to the forests.

It is the only region in Japan that can produce quantities that can be sold. Fossils of insects trapped in amber are often found, and are of interest to researchers.

The amber of Kuji is particularly old, dating from the late Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era. The Cretaceous period is the time when dinosaurs roamed the world.

When you think of amber as the sap that flowed in that era, you can feel that the long history is what makes amber so appealing. The oldest amber used in accessories is from the late Cretaceous period.

2. The Kuji Amber Museum has a new building and a main building.The
museum is divided into a new building and a main building.

2-1. New building with many hands-on exhibits

In the new building, there are many pieces of amber on display, and you can also experiment with amber. In a normal museum, the general rule is that you cannot touch the exhibits.

The new building has a lot of amber that you can touch. It is lined up with regular stones, and you can actually feel the difference between amber and stone.

At the Amber Lab, you can conduct experiments such as generating static electricity with amber and floating amber in salt water. By conducting such experiments yourself, you can learn firsthand the characteristics of amber.

(1) Popular exhibits in the new building are the Amber Sanatorium and the Sun Stone.Among
the most popular are the Amber Sanatorium and the Sun Stone.

■Amber Sanatorium

The floors and walls of the sanatorium are evenly covered with amber. You can actually enter that space and walk on amber.

The smell of amber, the feel of it when you step on it, the texture of the walls, etc. make it a truly unique experience.

■Stone of the Sun

The Sun Stone is a large capsule-shaped space. It is domed from wall to ceiling and covered in amber. It is spacious enough to accommodate several people.

It has a solemn atmosphere, surrounded by the gentle glow of amber. You will feel as if you are inside the sun. There are many people taking photos.

(2) The second floor is an art space

On the second floor of the new building, there are museum-like exhibits. There are mosaics made of amber, as well as works of art depicting churches, sailing ships, and humans.

It is very delicately made, and you will notice the artistic nature of amber. Each piece of amber has a different color. It's amazing how well they use it to express themselves.

There's also an amber wall clock that hung in Amachan's cafe Rias. You can see that it is highly artistic and carefully made. It's definitely worth a look, especially if you like dramas.

2-2. Main building where the long history of amber lives on
In the main building, you can mainly learn about the history of amber. Amber is called nature's time capsule, containing records from ancient times.

(1) The centerpiece is amber containing ancient insects.

A typical example is amber, which contains living things such as insects. In recent years, amber containing insects mined in Kuji has attracted attention from paleontology and genetic engineering researchers.

The historical blockbuster movie ``Jurassic Park'' tells the story of a mosquito trapped in amber, which extracts the dinosaur blood it sucked, and uses the DNA information to bring the dinosaurs back to life.

These things are now actually happening. There have been actual successes in extracting DNA from insects and reviving bacteria.

Although it is not a dinosaur like in the movie, amber contains history and has infinite possibilities to influence the present. You can feel the potential of amber in the main building's exhibit ``Messages from Ancient Times.''

■Large amber with a damselfly
in it You can actually see amber with an insect in it. Of particular interest is the fossilized remains of a 45 million-year-old damselfly.

Amber containing large insects is extremely rare, even in the world. You can observe every fiber of the feather in detail.

3. Experiences are the best part of Kuji Amber Museum
Kuji Amber Museum offers three types of amber experiences.

3-1. Amber mining experience

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In the amber mining experience, you will actually go outside and mine the Cretaceous strata using ice picks and other tools. It may seem difficult, but with guidance from staff, even children can do it.

You can take home the actual amber you have harvested.

・Fee
High school students and above…1,500 yen
Elementary and junior high school students…1,000 yen
Under elementary school students…100 yen

3-2. Amber bead making experience

Make magatama from amber. The magatama you made can also be made into a pendant.

・Price starts
from 1000 yen

3-3. Handmade amber accessories experience

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You can make various accessories such as necklaces and mobile phone stripes to suit your budget and time.

・Prices
vary depending on the accessories used. For example, for an amber pendant,

Amber used…2000 yen
Pendant fittings…2000 yen

The budget will be approximately.

4. Summary about Kuji Amber Museum

Amber is a fossil that contains history dating back to the age of dinosaurs. As a natural time capsule, it gives you a sense of mysterious power.

There is a store selling amber goods next to the main building. Amber is collected from all over the world. Many people carry around the amber they buy here as amulets.

The biggest appeal of the Kuji Amber Museum is that you can not only look at it, but also experience the charm of amber by actually experiencing it, such as digging, making amber accessories, and going into the remains of a mine shaft that was once a mining site.

INFORMATION

nameKuji Amber Museum
location156-133 Kokuji-cho 19th, Kuji-shi, Iwate 028-0071
telephone number0194-59-3831
Official URLhttp://www.kuji.co.jp/museum
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