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Visting the third best dinosaur museum in the world! -Bhutanese Family Visiting Fukui-

2018.04.26

Places to visit

I visited FPDM (Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum) and Seidaiji Temple to see Echizen Daibutsu (the great Buddha of Echizen) with Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his family.

 

 

Mr. Ugyen Dorji he is studying as a teacher trainee from Bhutan at University of Fukui since around October of 2017. And at the end of March of 2018, his family arrived in Japan as well.

 

First, we went to FPDM (Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum). There are not many museums that specializes in dinosaurs in the world and this museum is one of them. And this is the third best dinosaur museum in the world. 80% of the dinosaur fossils found in Japan are from Fukui Prefecture.

 

There are 44 complete dinosaur skeletons exhibited in the museum and it would you feel as if you are enjoying a dinosaur dictionary in real life. Explanations in Japanese and English are available for the exhibitions, so it can be a good educative experience for you as well.

 

 

a long escalator near the entrance of museum

When you enter the museum, you go down to the basement by taking a 35 meters long escalator.

There are only a few escalators in Bhutan, so Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his family were very excited to take that long escalator.

 

 

Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his family walking through Dino Street

After reaching the basement, we went through “Dino Street”. There were fossils exhibited beautifully on both side of the wall.

 

 

inside of the museum is very large
Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his son are amazed by the large museum and its exhibitions

Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his son were amazed by “Dinosaur World” which is a huge oval-shaped space without pillars (84 meters long, 55 meters wide and 35.7 meters height).

 

 

inside of the museum
powerful-looking dinosaur
inside of the museum is very large
Mr. Ugyen Dorji's son and a Japanese young girl in front of the large screen

In “Dinosaur World”, there are 44 complete dinosaur skeletons. You can also enjoy “Biology of Dinosaurs”, “Dino Theater” with 200-inch screen, “Forests during the dinosaur age” with moving dinosaurs, and “Dinosaurs of Japan and Asia”. They all look extremely powerful. How the museums was built with a great sound system, somehow you can hear the echo of your voice and dinosaur howling. You would feel as if you are in the Jurassic period.

 

 

Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his son and wife

Mr.Ugyen’s son was getting a bit scared but more than that, he was having fun.

 

 

natural stones which are very beautiful

There are also rocks, minerals and gemstones exhibited.
You can see how they conduct researches strata.

 

 

Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his family, his son was still very excited after getting out of the museum

Everyone seemed to have fun. Even after we went out of the museum, Mr. Ugyen Dorji’s son was still excited. He is usually quiet and shy but he was laughing and running alot.

 

How about visiting FDPM ((Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum) when you have a chance?

 

Next, we headed to Seidaiji Temple to see Echizen Daibutsu (the Great Buddha of Echizen) which is 10 minutes away from the museum by a car.
Stay tuned for more blogs about Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his family’s experiences in Japan.

 

T.F

 

 

Official Website of Bhutan Museum Fukui

Official Website of Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum

Recommendation of a trip to a remote island | Miyako Island #2

2018.04.25

Travel

Miyako Island is connected with surrounding Ikema Island, Irabu Island, Shimoji Island and Kurima Island by bridges. Irabu-ohashi Bridge was opened three years ago. It boasts its total length of 3,540 meters and it is the longest bridge in Japan as a toll-free one.
This time, I crossed the Irabu-ohashi Bridge and Kurima-ohashi Bridge.

 


Tori-ike Pond
Tori-ike Pond are actually two ponds located in Shimoji Island next to Irabu Island.
The two ponds are connected underground, and furthermore connected to the sea. In fact,
I have heard that a diver sometimes emerges from the water. I can see its deepness as the water color is dark. Looking at the pond, I feel a little fear, and it’s a really mysterious pond. By the way, the red antennas in the distance of the photo shows there is an airport there.
It is Shimoji Island Airport which is used exclusively for touch-and-go training of civilian pilots. Recently, it seems the training has rarely done but on that day, I could see a plane circling many times. I realized that pilot’s training was hard work. As it turned out afterwards, it was a Vanilla Air’s plane. Indeed, the Shimoji Island Airport plans to have flights of low-cost carriers. Come to think of it, I saw some hotels under construction. Many cruise ships already made a stop at Miyako Island, but frankly I don’t want the island to be crowded with tourists.

 


Hibiscuses in a farm shop “Utopia Farm Miyakojima”
Hibiscus has more than 250 species.
Many kinds of hibiscuses were in bloom beautifully in the farm.

 


Bougainvaillea in the farm was spectacular!
When you visit Miyako Island, please stop by the farm.
And fruit desserts at the parlor in the farm are delicious.

 


Live show at an izakaya
The yellow kimono made in Miyako Island is brilliant.

 

Finally, please enjoy spectacular view of Miyako Island by drone. (H.S)

Landscapes of the alleys

2018.04.23

Random thoughts

 

When walking in the downtown I sometimes get attracted by the ordinary landscapes of the alleys.
There are various interesting things such as the unexpectedly exposed walls where the next house was demolished or the arrangement of outdoor units of the air conditioners mounted randomly on the back of the building.

 

As for this picture where you can see the hotel's emergency staircase,
I like the accent color of the central staircase that fits perfectly with a part of the wall seen on the left, and also the unity of the total color in the scenery.
T.S

Recommendation of a trip to a remote island | Miyako Island #1

2018.04.19

Travel

Last weekend, I went to the Miyako Island for the first time in a year.
It was my fourth visit to the island.
So, it was something of a homecoming, I fit into the atmosphere of the island and became familiar with the town.

 

Of course, I like other islands of Okinawa, but I think that the Miyako Island Sea is the most beautiful. And, if you stay in a hotel in the city center, many izakayas with live Okinawan music are accessible by foot, which is very convenient.

 

If you want to get away from your busy daily life and relax in an island somewhere,
how about going to Miyako Island? (H.S)

 


Yonaha Maehama beach is well known as the most beautiful beach in the orient.
All Japan Trialthon Miyakojima is going to be held on April 22nd and it starts from the beach.
In the hotel lobby I stayed, big cartons that look like with bikes inside of the participants had started to arrive.

 


When I come to Okinawan islands, Orion beer first anyway!

 


Peanut tofu, which I like very much.

 


Water basin with hibiscus
Only southern islands could this.

 

Miyako Island’s folk song live by Miwa Yonashiro at an izakaya in Miyako Island
（taken on April 13th)

First Hanami in Japan! -Bhutanese Family-

2018.04.18

Bhutan

I went to Hanami with Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his family. Hanami is a Japanese flower viewing tradition. In Japan, during the cherry blossom season, we enjoy and appreciating the blooming of cherry blossoms. We celebrate it by having picnic parties under the cherry blossom trees.

 

Mr. Ugyen Dorji is from Bhutan and he’s studying as a teacher trainee at University of Fukui since around October of 2017.

 

 

Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his family

His family arrived in Japan at the end of March. It had been 6 months since the last time they saw each other. They seemed very happy to see each other. He said that he was worried that his son would not remember him at all. But his son smiled at Mr. Ugyen Dorji as soon as his son saw him. Mr. Ugyen Dorji was very happy about it.

 

It was interesting for them to see the moving dinosaurs in front of Fukui station.

 

 

Mr. Ugyen Dorji's family is listening to Mr. Tsukihara who is a chairman of Bhutan Museum Fukui about dinosaurs
moving dinosaurs in front of Fukui Station

 

 

cherry blossoms near Asuwa river

They said that it was their first time seeing cherry blossoms in real life and they were amazed by them. It was such a beautiful day so we all felt nice walking under the cherry blossoms.

 

 

We all enjoyed with Mr. Ugyen Dorji and his family viewing the cherry blossoms and having lunch

It was also their first time to have Hanami (a Japanese flower viewing tradition), they seemed to enjoy it. They brought some homemade Bhutanese food. I tried it and it was spicy and I liked it very much. It was such a great and interesting experience for me to have Hanami eating Bhutanese food, hearing Dzongkha (Bhutanese) and communicating people from outside of Japan.

 

 

T.F

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