Explorer The Wonderland. Eastern Hokkaido

Churui Museum of Naumann's Elephant

In 1969, fossilized bones from a Naumann's elephant were discovered by chance during the construction of an agricultural road in Churui. Further archaeological excavations recovered the bones of nearly the entire elephant's skeleton. To commemorate this remarkable discovery, a museum was built, featuring numerous displays about the Naumann's elephant, including a restoration of the full skeleton, replicas of partial skeletons, and newspaper articles from the time of discovery. The building is even designed in the shape of a Naumann's elephant when viewed from above.