S P O T ／ SPOT-206

Okuizumo Tane Natural History Museum (The Sleepover Museum)

奥出雲多根自然博物館おくいずもたねしぜんはくぶつかん

A registered museum widely known throughout Japan as a 'museum where you can spend the night.' It was established in 1987 by Hiroshi Tane, the second-generation head of the eyewear chain 'Megane no Sanjo,' who opened the facility in his founder-ancestor's home region based on his personal fossil collection. The centrepiece of the collection is an Allosaurus complete skeleton nine metres in length, which occupies the entrance hall. Among the experiential programs, the 'Night Museum' (available to overnight guests only) is particularly distinctive: participants explore the museum by torchlight in reduced lighting, answering quiz questions along the way. The facility also offers extensive hands-on access to actual fossil specimens, including an Apatosaurus humerus.