Echigo-Matsunoyama Museum of Natural Science “Kyororo”

photo by ANZA ï
ENDO Katsutoshi, "Water Under Foot (200㎥)", photo by ANZA ï
Jenny Holzer, "Nature Walk"
Hasimoto Norihisa, ”Super high-resolution human-size photographs—life-size”
SHIGA Usuke's Butterfly Collection, photo by ANZA ï
Shono Taiko, "Ting-King-Ping in Kyororo—Sound Source"
Yukiko Kasahara+Haruna Miyamori, "Metamorphosis : The Memory that Dwells in ‘Place’-matsunoyama", photo by ANZA ï
Hasimoto Norihisa, ”ZooMuSee”

Facility Info and Map

This museum was built in the region of Matsunoyama, an area with heavy snowfall, as a centre for education and training focusing on natural science.
In the winter it is completely buried under the snow, submerged like a submarine, and must bear the weight of 2,000 tons of thick snow. The snaking shape of the building reflects the walking trails in the area. The “snake”, made of welded iron plate, changes about 20 centimetres in length between summer and winter due to the temperature and snowfall. The weather-resistant steel plate body will slowly change colour until it ultimately attains a distinctively striped velvety-brown. The beautiful mountain scenery of Echigo-Tsumari can be viewed across the treetops from the 34-meter tower. Visitors in winter will be guided to the entrance between literal walls of snow. There, they will enter the Snow Country’s unique winter world of tunnels. The museum’s thick acrylic windows show visitors cross-sections of the snow whose weight they bear. Through the windows, they will also see how life goes on in the snow. In summer, beech forests and terraced rice paddies fill the windows. Our hope is that this museum will persist, buried in the forest depths, for hundreds and thousands of years.

"Experiencing the satoyama" programme

Kyororo caters many programmes and events for visitors to truly experience the nature and culture of Matsunoyama with all five of their senses. We are even able to offer custom-made programmes if visitors enquire. With the signature “Explore living creatures in Satoyama” workshop, visitors explore the satoyama region with Kyororo staff with a different theme and aim depending on each season to observe the wildlife of Matsunoyama.

An unforgettable stroll around Bijin-bayashi forest

The 90-year old Bijin-bayashi – literally called “Beautiful Forest” in Japanese – was named so due to its naturally beautiful appearance. A beech forest, you can enjoy all its different looks from snowy winter to a lush green summer to the red-hued leaves in autumn. There are also many rare birds that call this forest home.

Facility Info and Map

Open hours 9:00-17:00 (until 16:00 from 1 Dec.- 15 Mar.)
*Last entry 30 minutes before

*Closed on Tuesdays except holidays
Tel 025-595-8311
Admission Individual ticket (Kyororo Fee) Adult 500 yen, Free for children under 15 years old
Official Website http://www.matsunoyama.com/kyororo/
Address 1712-2 Matsuguchi, Matsunoyama, Tokamachi-city, Niigata Prefecture
Stay In Touch

Stay connected with the ETAT official social media to receive the latest news and event information, and the many seasonal faces of Echigo-Tsumari as well as new issue of the ETAT official media, “Art from the Land”.