Excavation site with multiple dinosaur footprints (Image courtesy of Minamisoma City)

Dinosaur footprints measuring approximately 70 cm discovered in Minamisoma City! Largest Jurassic footprint fossil found in Japan [Fukushima Prefecture]

NEFT Editorial Department
2026.10.22
Last updated: 2026.10.22

A dinosaur footprint fossil measuring approximately 70 cm in length has been discovered in a geological layer dating back about 160 million years in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture

According to an announcement by Minamisoma City, this is the largest Jurassic dinosaur footprint fossil ever confirmed in Japan. In this survey, more than 10 footprint fossils were newly discovered, including this large one

The footprints were most likely left by large herbivorous dinosaurs such as sauropods, and are attracting attention as clues to understanding the ecology and habitat of dinosaurs at that time

A dinosaur footprint fossil measuring approximately 70 cm in length was discovered (Image courtesy of Minamisoma City)

More than 10 artifacts discovered in the Tochikubo Formation, dating back approximately 160 million years

The footprint fossils were found in theTochikubo Formation.

The investigation was conducted by a team from the Minamisoma City Museum, the Fukushima Prefectural Museum, and researchers from within and outside the city. Of the more than 10 newly discovered footprint fossils, the largest measures approximately 70 cm in length

The "largest in Japan" discovery, announced this time,is based on Jurassic dinosaur footprint fossils found within Japan. Minamisoma City believes it will provide important clues to understanding the ecology and habitat of Jurassic dinosaurs, which are rare in Japan.

Discovered on the fifth day after the start of full-scale excavation

Minamisoma City is an area where fossils from various eras, from the Paleozoic to the Cenozoic, can be found. Plant fossils and footprints of small dinosaurs have been discovered in the Tochikubo Formation

Based on this accumulated research, the Minamisoma City Museumthe "Dinosaur Fossil Exploration Survey and Educational Outreach Project"They have been conducting research with experts, with a target timeframe of approximately 10 years.

In the project overview released by the museum in April 2026, it was explained that on-site surveys would be conducted in fiscal year 2025, and full-scale archaeological excavations were planned for fiscal year 2026

Then, in July 2026, after a preliminary survey, full-scale excavation began. On the fifth day of excavation, the footprint fossil group was discovered

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Reference:Minamisoma City Museum, "Regarding Dinosaur Fossil Exploration Survey and Educational Outreach Project"

Dinosaur footprint fossils have been discovered in Minamisoma before

Prior to this discovery, dinosaur footprint fossils had been found in multiple locations in Minamisoma City

According to a column published by the Minamisoma City Museum in October 2025,dinosaur footprint fossils have been found in the Tochikubo Formation in the Oyamada district of Kashima Ward, and the site is protected as a city-designated natural monument. Footprint fossils have also been discovered in Shinodazawa, Haramachi Ward.

Unlike fossils, which are remnants of body parts such as bones, footprints also serve as evidence that dinosaurs inhabited the area, and this discovery adds new data to the accumulation of previous discoveries and research

The Soma-Nakamura Formation has also yielded new species of plants and ammonites

The area stretching from Minamisoma City to Soma City"Soma-Nakamura Group," a geological formation dating from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous period, and the Tochikubo Formation is part of it.

The museum's column mentions that based on specimens found in this group of strata,12 new species of prehistoric organisms, including plants and ammonites, have been announced since the Heisei era. *Information as of the column's publication in October 2025.

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Reference:Minamisoma City Museum, "Search for Dinosaur Fossils in Minamisoma!"

Possible large herbivorous dinosaurs such as "sauropods"

According to an announcement by Minamisoma City, the dinosaur that left the footprints is most likely a large herbivorous dinosaur such as a sauropod

However, the specific type of dinosaur has not yet been identified, and it is hoped that future research will deepen our understanding of the dinosaurs that left footprints and the environment in which they lived at the time

Can you identify the type of dinosaur just from its footprints?

So, to what extent can we actually determine the identity of a dinosaur from its footprints?

According to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, the shape and size of footprints can be used to estimate the general group of dinosaurs. For example, footprints with three sharply pointed toes or large, rounded footprints, as well as differences in bipedalism (bipedal or quadrupedal), can be clues to determining the group

On the other hand, some dinosaurs have feet of similar shape and size, so it is generallyextremely difficult to identify the specific species of dinosaur based solely on footprints.