To the Pokémon Fossil Museum in Mie

Pokémon and Mie Prefecture

Pocket Monsters, or Pokémon for short.
As part of the Pokémon Local Acts initiative, Mie Prefecture has designated Oshawott as its 'support Pokémon,' making it a delightful region for Pokémon fans.
Oshawott is the support Pokémon for Mie Prefecture, making it a delightful region for Pokémon fans.
It's a region that Pokémon fans can really appreciate.

And now, the Pokémon Fossil Museum has come to that very Mie Prefecture.

Mie Prefectural Museum

The Pokémon Fossil Museum began in Mikasa City, Hokkaido, in July 2021, and it is being held at the Mie Prefectural Museum (MieMu) as its final tour location.

I bought my ticket right away and snuck in from the morning of the first day 🫡

I arrived about an hour early, but the queue wasn't that long, and Pokémon fans like parents with children, friends, and couples were wearing Pokémon merchandise.
I also lined up with my bag containing a plushie.
The doors opened soon after.

Greeting

In theme parks and similar places, interacting with characters, such as taking photos, is called a 'greeting.'

Since it was the first day of the event, Excavation Pikachu rushed over to see us.
As expected, it's used to events. It was charming everyone.
I snapped a photo and waved goodbye.

Exhibits

From here on, let's take a look at the Pokémon on display.

Aerodactyl with Excavation Pikachu on its back.
The fact that it doesn't look like a Pteranodon despite its name feels very much like a first-generation Pokémon.

Omanyte has a cult following among some overseas fans.
However, I think it generally falls into the 'creepy-cute' category of Pokémon.

Kabutops, the counterpart to the Omanyte I mentioned earlier.
I chose this one when I played Green.
Kabutops really is a creature made of almost nothing but skin and bone.

How did Bastiodon's mouth work again?
Aren't these finger-like protrusions the teeth of the lower jaw? Where is the boundary with the upper jaw?

Its pre-evolution, Cranidos, is not a Pokémon you'd expect to see at the first gym.
The shape of the eyes is already slanted even in the bone structure.
I suppose that's the result of prioritizing the large skull.

As the description says, it seems fins can also become fossils. These fins are quite dynamic and stand out significantly among the exhibits.

When I was a child, I thought the patterns on its body were its eyes.
In reality, the two yellow spots on the black part above are its eyes.
I think it's a pretty cute Pokémon.

Again, the upper and lower jaws are fused together.
Tyrunt feels like a mini-tyrannosaurus, but Tyrantrum feels much more like a monster.

This is just a portion of the exhibits; there are still many more at the Pokémon Fossil Museum.
There are detailed explanations for each exhibit, and the shop sells a catalog that you can read through later.

Of course, I did some shopping at that shop too.
I bought an Excavation Pikachu plush, the catalog, a Tyrantrum T-shirt, and a pin badge.

The Pokémon Fossil Museum is open until April 5, 2026.
If you are a Pokémon fan living in or near Mie Prefecture, I highly recommend you visit and see it.

Pokémon Center Pop-up Store

This has already ended, but I also went to the Pokémon Center Pop-up Store at Suzuka Aeon Bell City.

It was the type where you get a numbered ticket and enter when your time comes.
As expected of a pop-up store, the amount of merchandise was moderate.
Still, it was full of things you can't get in Mie Prefecture, like Pokémon Fit.
Time to shop for February.

By the way, the excavation Pikachu plushie I bought earlier at the Fossil Museum was also sold here.

Poké Lids

Pokémon manhole covers found all over Japan.
Mie Prefecture has many Poké Lids, partly thanks to Oshawott.
Since I happened to be in Suzuka, I decided to head over there as well.

The Poké Lid in Suzuka is located at a place called the Suzuka City Traditional Industry Museum.

There are exhibits of Ise paper stencils and Suzuka ink, and hands-on workshops are also held. Many people were participating in the workshops at the time I visited.

I didn't go this time, but since there is also an Oshawott park in Suzuka City, I would like to visit that next time.