Explore the World of Butterflies and Insects
The adjacent World Insect Museum exhibits butterflies collected from around the globe. Highlights include the Gifu butterfly, a rare species discovered in Gifu Prefecture.
A Unique Underground Exhibition Space
The museum houses beautiful artifacts associated with the Takayama Festival, including elaborate festival floats and folding screens, inside a special underground space known as the Geo Dome. The collection is displayed within the mountain’s bedrock, an approach designed to protect delicate works of art, particularly wooden crafts and lacquerware.
The underground environment helps shield the exhibits from harmful external factors, including ultraviolet rays, electromagnetic waves, radiation, and significant fluctuations in temperature and humidity. As a result, the displays do not require glass cases, allowing visitors to admire the intricate craftsmanship up close.
The dome-shaped space also offers structural advantages, including protection for visitors during major earthquakes comparable in scale to the Great Kanto Earthquake and the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
Visitor Information
Address: 1111 Chishima-machi, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Telephone: 0577-37-1000
Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Closed: Open year-round
Admission: Adults: ¥1,000; Children: ¥600
Parking: Space for 200 vehicles
Access
By car: Approximately 10 minutes from Takayama Station on the JR Takayama Main Line.
By bus: From Takayama Station, walk to the Takayama Nohi Bus Center and take the Sarubobo sightseeing bus. Get off at the Takayama Matsuri no Mori stop; the ride takes approximately 24 minutes.