Saitama Museum of Natural History

It is a museum that exhibits and explains the 300 million years of history of nature in Saitama intelligibly, using precious fossils, a large diorama, and taxidermied creatures that you can touch. Among them, the fossil of a mysterious sea monster, Paleoparadoxia, designated as a National Nature Treasure in 2016 and the world's largest model of a giant shark, Carcharodon megalodon, are the top recommendations. There is also a large 8-meter-high diorama that replicated the prefecture's forests and the animals inhabiting there, so you can learn all about the nature of Saitama from the past to present. You are allowed to touch the animals in the taxidermied creatures area because they were created without using dangerous chemicals or materials. On the second floor, different themed exhibitions are held every several months. Almost all species of maple trees that are naturally grown in Saitama can be seen in the Maple Forest outside the building. The maple trees are mystically lit up at night in fall. It is a museum blessed with a natural bounty such as the clear strem of the River Arakawa and the seasonal views. It is located at a 5-minute walk from the Kami-nagatoro Station or a 15-minute walk from the Nagatoro Station on the Chichibu Railway.