Iwaki City Coal & Fossil Museum (Horuru)

Iwaki City Coal & Fossil Museum (Horuru)

*Please note that the Iwaki City Coal & Fossil Museum (Horuru) remains temporarily closed until 2024.

 

Lovingly referred to as 'Horuru' by locals, Iwaki City Coal & Fossil Museum is home to exhibitions on the city's history of coal mining. Horuru also exhibits a range of fossils, including the locally-excavated Plesiosaur Futabasaurus, which was discovered by a high school student. There are also some hands-on experiences to try out, such as making your own amber accessories. Horuru is accessible on foot from Iwaki Yumoto Onsen town, and is a great addition to any trip to the Iwaki area.

Venue Details

Venue Details
Websitehttp://kankou-iwaki.com/fun/931.html
Contact

Iwaki Tourism and City Planning Bureau

Best SeasonAll Year
Estimated Visit Time1h
Opening Hours

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:30 PM)

Closed the 3rd Tuesday of the month (or the following day if the 3rd Tuesday falls on a national holiday). Closed on January 1.

ParkingAvailable
Entrance FeeAdults 660 yen; Junior High, High School, University Students 440 yen; Elementary School Students 330 yen
Access Details
Access3-1 Mukaida, Joban-Yumoto-machi, Iwaki City, Fukushima Pref. 972-8321
View directions
Getting there

By Car: 10 min drive from the Iwaki Yumoto I.C. exit off the Joban Expressway.

By Train: 10 min walk from JR Yumoto Sta. (JR Joban Line).

Nearby

The World Glassware Hall
Gourmet & Shopping

The Suzuki Brewery in Namie Town

The Suzuki Sake Brewery used to operate a sake brewery in Namie Town's Ukedo district, this building was located steps from the sea and was physically destroyed by the tsunami wave. This left the owner of the brewery without a home or a livelihood.They managed to evacuate with the necessities of the brewery and after the disaster, the brewery was moved to Nagai City to the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture in October 2011 (the same year as the earthquake). Since then, they’ve continued to brew sake with the hope of preserving the traditional sake brewing techniques that had been developed by generations of brewers in Namie Town.Finally, on March 20, 2021, the brewery was able to return to its hometown of Namie with the opening of a new brewery at the Namie Roadside Station. Here, visitors can watch the Suzuki brewers at work making their delicious sake. They even use locally grown rice to make some of their sake, with a focus on maintaining their hometown flavor.At the Namie Roadside Station, you can visit the sake brewery and taste their freshly brewed sake. For visitors who don't drink sake, there is also a sake flavored soft serve ice cream that is absolutely delicious. The soft serve comes in a traditional wooden sake cup!

The World Glassware Hall
Nature & Scenery

Nijuisseiki-no-Mori Park (21st Century Forest Park)

Stretching over more than 80 hectares, Nijuisseiki-no-Mori Park (二十一世紀の森公園) is a true haven for recreation; complete with a tennis court, a baseball stadium, a skateboard park, and a family sports garden, as well as a variety of flower fields, trees and shrubs.21st Century Forest Park is also a popular cherry blossom spot: it has both early-blooming Kawazu-sakura (which mostly bloom mid-February to mid-March) as well as Somei Yoshino cherry blossom trees (which typically bloom sometime between early to mid-April).During winter each year illumination events are held in the park, and, during autumn, the bright colored leaves attract plenty of visitors. During the summer, sunflowers and rapeseed flowers bloom, so the park truly offers ways to enjoy nature all year round.

The World Glassware Hall
History & Culture

Soma Nakamura Shrine

Soma Nakamura Shrine, long revered for enshrining the patron deity of the Soma clan, is built on a small hill in the western area of the Nakamura Castle grounds by Baryo Park.The shrine was erected in 1643 by Soma Yoshitsune, the 18th head of the Soma family.The main shrine is a an example of Gongen Shinto architecture, in which the main hall and worship hall are connected by a passageway, and the lacquer, painting, and metal fixtures are authentic representations of its Kan'ei era construction.The shrine was designated as a national important cultural property in 1984.

You might also like

Shoko Kanazawa Art Museum
Museums & Galleries

Shoko Kanazawa Art Museum

This museum, located in sunny Iwaki City, exhibits the moving calligraphy of Shoko Kanazawa. The whole museum has been constructed while keeping in mind traditional Japanese architectural styles. As well as the calligraphy exhibition, Shoko Kanazawa Art Museum also has a Japanese tea room café on site, where you can take a rest with beautiful Japanese garden viewing. The same building also houses a kimono exhibition, while features one of the world's biggest kimono!

Aquamarine Fukushima
Museums & Galleries

Aquamarine Fukushima

Aquamarine Fukushima is an ‘environmental aquarium’ that exhibits aquatic creatures in environments which closely mimic their natural habitats.As well as being an aquarium, Aquamarine Fukushima is also home to a research center and offers educational information about sustainability and conservation.The main exhibits are two gigantic tanks that extend from the second to the fourth floor, reproducing Shiome no Umi, an area of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture where the Kuroshio (Black Current) and the Oyashio (Kurile Current) meet.Visitors can enjoy walking through a transparent tunnel whilst being surrounded by the wealth of marine life found in Shiome no Umi, which includes vast schools of sardines and bonito. On the fourth floor, visitors can also visit a calming botanical garden which exhibits the various plant life of Fukushima Prefecture.In addition, guests can see over the top of the main tank, a great spot to appreciate the sheer scale of the water and the curious marine life below. There is also a touch tank where interested visitors can try touching starfish and other small sea critters.Since its establishment, Aquamarine Fukushima has conducted research into an ancient species of fish called coelacanths, and its findings are exhibited on the first floor in a corner entitled the World of Coelacanths. Here visitors can view an anatomical specimen of the rarely seen coelacanth and watch exclusive footage of living coelacanths.There are events throughout the year, with many activities for children and families to enjoy together including a fish maze, art festivals, and a fishing experience where you can catch real fish to be fried for lunch!If catching your own lunch doesn’t appeal to you, you are in luck as there is a seafood market selling fresh seafood just a 10-minute walk away!The seafood market is located within Iwaki Lalamew, a shopping center that also includes restaurants where you can dine on locally sourced, freshly caught fish.