Country
Fossil hunting in Japan
Japan runs public fossil digs as civic infrastructure. At Iwaki in Fukushima a municipal center stands over a Cretaceous ammonite excavation. It lends you a hammer, and the instructor decides which of the common finds you keep.
The Iwaki City Ammonite Center was built directly on the dig. Sessions run every Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 15:00, but not on weekday public holidays. Heavy rain and extreme heat cancel the field work. The center lends hammers and chisels, and you bring your own work gloves.
What you dig up belongs to the center by default. Common bivalves, shark teeth and ammonites are given to you as souvenirs once the supervising instructor has approved them, and research-grade material stays for study.
Fukui prefecture runs the other well-known route. Its dinosaur museum at Katsuyama sits beside the Kitadani quarry, source of several named Japanese dinosaurs. Its outdoor Field Station runs a public dig in the field season, reachable only on the museum's own bus tour.
2 fossil sites
Updated 12 September 2026
Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum and Katsuyama Dig Fossil Hunting Guide
Fukui Prefecture, Japan
Dinosaurs, Plants, Fish, Turtles
Iwaki City Ammonite Center Fossil Hunting Guide
Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
Ammonites, Bivalves, Shark teeth, Plants
Frequently asked questions
- Can you dig for fossils in Japan as a tourist?
- Yes. The Iwaki City Ammonite Center in Fukushima runs digging sessions every Saturday and Sunday and lends tools at the desk. The Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum at Katsuyama runs a public dig in the field season, on its own bus tour only.
- Can you keep fossils you find in Japan?
- Do not count on it. At Iwaki the finds belong to the center, and the instructor decides which common ones you keep as a souvenir. Ask before you book if keeping a specimen matters to you.