Why is Fukui called the Dinosaur Kingdom? | Fukui Station Dinosaur Area Portal Site

Fukui Prefecture is the place where the most of the dinosaur fossils in Japan has been found.
Let's explore the origin of the Dinosaur Kingdom Fukui together.

1980s: Excavation of dinosaur fossils begins

For a long time it was said that there were no dinosaur fossils in Japan.
Then an Early Cretaceous crocodile fossil was discovered on a cliff of the Kitadani Formation, Tetori Group in Kitadani-cho, Katsuyama-shi in Fukui. In 1989, this discovery initiated the large-scale excavation of dinosaur fossils, which continues to this day.
This largest dinosaur excavation site in Japan has yielded a series of globally important dinosaur fossils.

1990s: The Japanese dinosaur skeleton was restored for the first time.

The excavations had yielded a wide variety of bones and teeth of dinosaurs belonging to iguanodontians, sauropods, and others. Remains belonging to iguanodontians have been especially numerous, and in 1995 the first complete skeleton of a dinosaur discovered in Japan (named Fukuisaurus in 2003) was restored.

2000s: Opening of one of the largest dinosaur museums in the world, the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum

The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum was opened in July 2000. The mission of the museum is to utilize the valuable dinosaur resources of the prefecture for scientific research and regional development, and to promote these resources in Japan and abroad. With several complete skeletons on display, it is one of the world's leading museums. It is now considered one of the three great dinosaur museums in the world.
In the same year, Fukuiraptor became the first carnivorous dinosaur to be named in Japan, and with the naming of Fukuisaurus in 2003, the museum captured the attention of dinosaur enthusiasts.

2010s: The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum continues to grow in popularity and discover new dinosaur species

The museum has been widely reported in the mass media. It's become widely known thanks to its extensive exhibitions, the continuous research achievements of its researchers, public relations in major metropolitan areas, and other initiatives. What's more, with the opening of the field station at the excavation site in July 2014, the number of visitors increased from about 250,000 after the museum opened in 2000 to about 930,000 in 2015. The number of visitors remained at this level until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the museum continued to discover and name new species of dinosaurs, including Fukuitan in 2010, Koshisaurus in 2015, and Fukuivenator in 2016. In 2017, five types of dinosaur fossils - these three new species, along with Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus - and their excavation site were designated as a national natural monument, which is the first case in Japan for dinosaur fossils.

2020s: Dinosaur Kingdom Fukui becomes a household name with more dinosaur research achievements

In July 2023, the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum completed a renewal and reopened with new attractions, including a hands-on fossil cleaning experience and Dino Theater comprised of three-large projection screens. In addition, thanks to a string of major news events, including the announcement of the new dinosaur species, Tyrannomimus, in September 2023, Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum cumulative visitors had exceeded 13 million. (As of March 2024)
With the announcement of this new species, six of the 11 species of dinosaurs with scientific names in Japan have been discovered in Fukui Prefecture, confirming that "Fukui is associated with dinosaurs" in both name and reality.

In conjunction with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen Line in Fukui and Tsuruga in March 2024, efforts to promote "Dinosaur Kingdom Fukui" will be further accelerated, including the enrichment of dinosaur content in the city.
We hope you will visit "Dinosaur Kingdom Fukui" and see for yourself.

COLUMN

Why are there so many dinosaur fossils in Fukui?

The Kitadani Formation, Tetori Group, where dinosaur fossils are found, was formed during the age of dinosaurs. At that time, the Japanese archipelago was part of mainland Asia, and a large river flowed through the region. The dinosaurs that lived there could be buried and fossilized in geological layers when, for example, the river flooded.
There are four main reasons for the abundance of dinosaur fossils in Fukui.
The first reason is the discovery of a bonebed - a geological layer containing numerous bone fossils and the like - in the Kitadani Formation. In addition, the stratum is well exposed in cliffs along the river, which makes it easier to collect specimens because the excavation site is easily accessible.
Second, the upper portion of the bonebed was thoroughly excavated by cutting away the entire mountain to fully expose the bone bed.
Third, the excavation has been going on continuously for more than 30 years, mainly led by researchers associated with the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.
Fourth, on the basis of excavation surveys, researchers in each field have steadily conducted research by demonstrating their expertise and continuing to publish their findings.
For these reasons, the discovery of numerous dinosaur fossils in Fukui can be attributed to favorable geological conditions and large-scale, continuous excavation, accompanied by the steady research achievements of researchers at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.