【Chiba City Science Museum】 Chiba City Science Museum is popular as a participatory science museum that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. In particular, the dome-shaped planetarium has a reputation for being a place where you can realistically experience the beauty of the starry sky and the mystery of the universe, and there are plenty of programs for a wide range of ages. And 140 hands-on devices on the permanent exhibition floor, Workshops and Events are held in, mainly on weekends. This facilities is the perfect Spot for family outings and school trips, available as well as a place to nurture future scientists. 〇 Introduction of Events currently Held in Science de Mysterious Summer Festival "Kagaku Expedition Sama~School" "Science Classes for Adults" "Science at Home" * For details, search "Chiba City Science Museum"! ■ Access: ・About a 5-minute walk from Chiba Monorail Yoshikawa Park Station ・About 6 minutes on foot from Keisei Chiba Chuo Station ■Address: 4-5-1 Chuo, Chuo-ku, Chiba City Kiboru 7F ■ Admission: Paid ■ Parking lot: available (charged) The Chiba City Science Museum is surrounded by attractive Spots such as Chiba Shrine, Chiba City Museum of Art, and Chiba Castle (Chiba City Township Museums) within walking distance. Enjoy a stroll through these facilities after visiting the Science Museum.

【Special Historic Site Kasori Shell Mound】 At the Kasori Shell Mound Special Historic Site, there are museums, field exterior viewing facilities where you can see the remains of dwellings and shell layer cross-sections, and a restored village, and it is popularly known as the "Kasori Shell Mound Jomon Ruins Park". Heldin various hands-on courses and events where you can learn about the culture of the Jomon period, and many people Visit here. It is said that there are about 2,400 shell mounds from the Jomon period in Japan, of which about 120 are concentrated in Chiba City. One of them, the Kasori Shell Mound, was inhabited by the Jomon people about 7,000 years ago. It is known that the formation of shell mounds began in the middle of the Jomon period, about 5,000 years ago. The Kasori Shell Mound is one of the largest in Japan, and is extremely valuable for elucidating the life and culture of the "Mura" of the Jomon period, and about 15.1 hectares are currently designated as National Special Historic Site. [Chiba City Kasori Shell Mound Museum] It opened in 1966 Showa 41. Focusing on Jomon Earthenware, Stoneware, and animal, fish, and human bones found in the Kasori Shell Mound, the exhibition explains the lives of the Jomon period people who lived around Tokyo Bay. The "Kasori E-type Earthenware" and "Kasori B-type Earthenware" bearing the name of Kasori are also on display. ■ Business hours: 9:00-17:00 Admission until 16:30 ■ Access: 15 minutes on foot from Chiba Monorail Sakuragi Station ■Address: 8-33-1 Sakuragi, Wakaba-ku, Chiba City

Melting Milk Cartons The other day I happened upon an experimental setup. Many milk cartons sat submerged in a pot. A staff member promoting wood education was peeling them off. At first I wondered what they were peeling. They were removing only the plastic film from the outside of the milk cartons so they could use the inner fibers. They silently peeled the warmed, water-soaked cartons and tore them into small pieces. The torn paper fibers went into a blender with water to be broken down even further. It looked a bit like porridge... Then, they took a handful of the pulpy fibers soaked in plenty of water and scooped them up with a poi net like those used for goldfish scooping. After scooping, they removed the excess water and gave the poi a sharp shake, causing the pulp to come away cleanly from the net. Once dried, the result is a perfectly round piece. You can also press in yarn, leaves, or other materials to create an original work.

On October 22, a briefing session for Hokkaido stone townspeople was held at a brewery in Aibetsu Town, and more than 100 visitors visited. Hokkaido stone, a natural crystal of the organic compound benzoperylene, is a rare mineral that fluoresces beautifully when irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and was registered with the International Mineralogical Union in January this year. At this briefing session, which was open to the townspeople for the first time, a member of the research group that discovered Hokkaido stone talked about its rarity and characteristics, and visitors actually confirmed the fluorescence of Hokkaido stone while shining ultraviolet light. Hokkaido stones discovered in Aibetsu Town and Shikaoi Town are currently open to the public at Aibetsu Town Hall. It will be a very valuable exhibition, so please take this opportunity to take a look. ■Exhibition location: Aibetsu Town Hall 1F ■Exhibition Hours: 8:30 a.m. ~ 5:15 p.m. weekdays only

🌳 A forest bathing spot close to the station: Hokkaido University Tomakomai Research Forest 🐿️ Located about a 15-minute drive from Tomakomai Station, Hokkaido University Tomakomai Research Forest was established in 1904 as the research forest for Hokkaido University’s Faculty of Agriculture. Many wild birds live here, including black woodpeckers, long-tailed tit, belted kingfisher, and mallards, making it an ideal spot for birdwatching 🦆💦 The research forest also houses the Forest Reference Museum and Memorial Hall, where taxidermy animals and forestry-related materials are on display! 💁‍♀️ The Forest Reference Museum and Memorial Hall used to open only on the last Friday of the month, but starting Saturday, June 24, it will be open every Saturday!! 🎉✨ Why not enjoy some forest bathing at the nature-rich Hokkaido University Tomakomai Research Forest? 🌳 [ Hokkaido University Tomakomai Research Forest ] ≪ Address ≫ Takaoaka, Tomakomai City, Hokkaido 053-0035 ≪ Contact ≫ 0144-33-2171 ≪ Hours ≫ Forest Reference Museum and Memorial Hall: Saturdays from April through October, 9:00–15:30 ※ Hours and closed days may change, so please check before visiting.