Uozu Buried Forest Museum

Uozu Buried Forest Museum is a natural history museum in Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture, displaying ancient buried forest remains. The forest was uncovered during coastal construction in 1930, revealing tree stumps and root systems preserved for approximately 2,000 years. The trees, primarily Japanese cedars, were buried through sediment deposition and coastal subsidence. Ancient shoreline forests were submerged and covered by sediment, creating anaerobic conditions preventing decomposition. The museum protects these specimens and educates about regional environmental and geological history.

The buried forest documents coastal conditions and forest composition from Japan's Yayoi period, evidencing landscape changes from tectonic activity, sea level shifts, and sedimentation. Two-millennia organic preservation is uncommon, making Uozu's forest valuable for understanding ancient ecosystems, climate, and geological processes. The museum presents the forest as evidence of environmental change in Toyama Bay, where mountain geology, river systems, and coastal processes shaped landscape. The buried trees connect to ancient environments, showing how present landscapes result from long-term processes.

Visitors view preserved tree stumps and roots, including specimens in water tanks for preservation. Exhibits explain discovery, geological context, preservation mechanisms, and scientific significance. Displays include wood cross-sections with growth rings, burial diagrams, and ecosystem information. A diorama recreates the ancient forest and coastal landscape. Exhibits show tree identification and dating methods. The museum covers Toyama Bay geology, coastal geomorphology, and environmental history. A viewing area displays in-situ buried tree remains at original depth beneath protective structure.

Uozu Buried Forest Museum is located in Uozu City on Toyama Bay's coast, accessible from JR Uozu Station on the Ainokaze Toyama Railway (formerly JR Hokuriku Main Line), approximately 10 to 15 minutes walking or a short bus or taxi ride from the station. From Toyama City, Uozu is reachable via local train in approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The museum is positioned near the coast in the area where the buried forest was originally discovered.