Free museum in and out of Mombetsu city, Hokkaido

Travel Reports by momta

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June 1, 2018 - Free museum in and out of Mombetsu city, Hokkaido

Mombetsu city in Hokkaido has a few museums, both of them introduced in this report are free of charge.
Firstly I dropped in Mombetsu city museum.

Mombetsu, around 20,000 populated small city now used to flourish due to whale fishery and gold mining, both are dying industries in this country nowadays.
In main hall of this museum exhibits materials related to life in ancient times, at coastal area since previous century, and at mountainous area during the same period.

Food suffiency in ancient times in Hokkaido was enough, so they needed not cultivate rices unlike rest of Japan

In the ice age over ten thousand years ago, Hokkaido was connected to Karafuto island and ex-Russian continent due to general lowering of sea level. On the other hand, the straits of Tsugaru between ex-Honshu and Hokkaido was alreday there because it has been deepwater. So the culture of Hokkaido and rest of Japan at that era was quite different.
Of course I did not know above story. Staffs of this museum kindly taught me without any charge.

BION, all the exhibits here are touchable. Of course you can take a nap on the floor of Ban-ya mentioned as follow, and using real furs of bears when you feel cold. Nobody complains about it.

restored Ban-ya (fishermen's temporary hut)

Konomai Gold Mine in the ouskirts of Mombestu was previously the biggest producer of gold in the East

If you are a wild animal enthusiast, please proceed to the next room. All the creatures that can be seen (or could be seen) around Mombetsu are stuffed and exhibited as well as the samples of mineral and wood, sundries used in old days. They are also touchable.

Mombetsu was once the largest producer of wooden clogs (geta) in Japan

After taking time this museum, please take a local bus for Okoppe, Oumu. Mombetsu bus terminal is not far from the museum.
10-15 minutes ride takes you "Kawamukai Yon(meaning of 4)" busstop, where you are supposed to get off.
10 minutes walk from the busstop along the sea of Okhotsk, you will arrive at "Omusaro relics"

There are ancient huts for ten thousand years in this relics. If you learn about the details of these huts at above museum in advance, you can enjoy walking the park more.
If you are lucky, another staff is there and she/he tells you the related history or how to find eatable wild leaves.

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List of Posts:
2018/06/01 - Free museum in and out of Mombetsu city, Hokkaido
2018/05/30 - Circuit cycling trail around Mombetsu
2018/05/30 - Komuke lake in Mombetsu, Hokkaido