Horseshoe Crab Museum

The Kasaoka Horseshoe Crab Museum in Okayama Prefecture is the only museum in the world dedicated to horseshoe crabs. Located in Yokoshima in the city of Kasaoka, the museum overlooks the Konoshima Channel, which has been designated a nationally protected natural monument as a horseshoe crab breeding ground. The distinctive building is architecturally shaped to resemble a horseshoe crab itself, making it instantly recognizable.

Horseshoe crabs are often called "living fossils" because they have survived relatively unchanged for approximately 200 million years. The museum plays a crucial role in conservation efforts, breeding and releasing larvae to protect the declining horseshoe crab population in the Gulf of Kasaoka. In 1978, the Japan Horseshoe Crab Conservation Association was established with its general office in Kasaoka city, and has since grown to over 700 registered members working to conserve the species and protect mudflat habitats.

Visitors can observe live adult horseshoe crabs in a large aquarium and view eight different kinds of living fossils displayed throughout the museum. The breeding exhibition room showcases the artificial breeding process and allows close-up observation of larvae at various developmental stages. The museum also features horseshoe crab fossils discovered in Solnhofen, Germany, and includes an 80-seat theater where the museum's mascot character presents educational content about the species. Beyond horseshoe crabs, the museum displays dinosaur skeleton exhibits that complement its natural history focus.

Adjacent to the main museum building is Dinosaur Park, which features life-sized dinosaur models across three themed zones—forest, desert, and ocean. The complex also includes an athletic field and a nature observation park with an active horseshoe crab breeding ground where visitors can see conservation efforts in action.

Admission costs 520 yen for adults, 310 yen for high school students, and 210 yen for elementary and junior high school students. The museum is accessible by taking the Konoshima line bus from JR Kasaoka Station to the "Kabutogani Hakubutukan Mae" stop, approximately 20 minutes away. By car, the museum is located 9.7 kilometers from Kasaoka Interchange on the Sanyo Highway, about 30 minutes by road. The facility offers 50 regular parking spaces and 10 spaces for large vehicles.