{"id":4608,"date":"2026-02-23T08:36:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fujieda-life-trip.com\/?post_type=show&p=4608"},"modified":"2026-02-23T08:36:40","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:36:40","slug":"asahina-ryusei-insect-museum","status":"publish","type":"show","link":"https:\/\/fujieda-life-trip.com\/en\/show\/asahina-ryusei-insect-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"Asahina Ryusei Insect Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Asahina District, northern Fujieda City. On June 24, 2023, I visited the \u201cAsahina Ryusei & Insect Museum,\u201d which was renovated from the \u201cFurusato World Insect Museum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nestled amidst peaceful scenery surrounded by tea fields and mountains lies the Asahina Ryusei Insect Museum. It’s located just past the entrance to Roadside Station Gyokuro no Sato.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be honest, it’s not that large in scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that’s precisely why it’s good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can get up close to the glass-case specimens and even hold live rhinoceros beetles in your hands. You can also see insect specimens from countries around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The museum is divided into a \u201cRyusei Zone\u201d and an \u201cInsect Zone.\u201d There’s a booth where you can learn about the Asahina Great Ryusei Festival, not just insects. You can also watch powerful videos of the Ryusei.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can fully enjoy both insects and the Great Ryusei Festival\u2014Asahina’s representative cultural resources!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hercules Beetle, truly \u201chuge\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’d heard the name \u201cHercules Beetle\u201d back in elementary school,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

but this was my first time seeing the real thing!! You just can’t grasp that size without seeing it in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hercules Beetle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing it move right before your eyes makes you involuntarily go, \u201cWhoa…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The length of its horns, the thickness of its body, its slow-moving legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It truly has the presence of a \u201cking.\u201d It’s probably about 1\/100th my size, but… a little scary \ud83d\udca6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2193This is the real thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shimmering colors. Rainbow Stag Beetle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And another one that personally moved me was the Rainbow Stag Beetle. True to its name, its colors are like jewels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mysterious sheen that’s neither green, nor blue, nor purple… Oh, a rainbow! lol<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sparkles even more in real life than in photos. It seems to glow under the light. Apparently, it doesn’t shine this brightly in nature. Makes sense\u2014it’d be a dead giveaway to predators. \ud83d\udca6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way its colors shift with the angle makes you want to snap photo after photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you’re not into insects, you might find yourself thinking, \u201cThis one’s kinda pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2193This one’s real too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Insects from Around the World<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of course, rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles are featured, but butterflies, longhorn beetles, and many others are also abundantly displayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Other Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the exhibits, you’ll find services like creating insect specimens from deceased specimens, selling items like \u201cinsect stamps\u201d (a play on the traditional temple stamp \u201cgoshuin\u201d) lol, and insect jelly. There’s so much to see that time just flies by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I never knew about insect jelly. Back in my day, watermelon jelly was the only choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And when it comes to Asahina, there’s the \u201cGreat Dragon Rocket.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Asahina district, home to the Insect Museum, holds another great source of pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the \u201cAsahina Great Dragon Rocket.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Great Dragon Rocket is a traditional event where handmade rockets crafted from bamboo are launched into the sky. It is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not just any event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a genuine Ryusei, where local people spend months preparing, passing down techniques, and launching their prayers into the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moment it blasts off from the launch pad with a thunderous roar is truly spectacular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sound echoing through the mountains, the white smoke trail drawn across the sky. It gives me goosebumps every single time, no matter how many times I see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, you can watch videos of the launches projected on a large screen. The museum also displays models of the Great Dragon Fireworks and various photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy both \u201cInsects\u201d and \u201cGreat Dragon Fireworks\u201d in one visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Asahina: A Town Connecting History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The history of the Great Dragon Festival is said to date back to the Warring States period. The technology for handling gunpowder took root in the region, intertwining with faith and rituals, and has been passed down to its present form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s not just about spectacle; there lies a time preserved as the \u201cpride of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Touch the \u201clife of nature\u201d at the Insect Museum, and touch the \u201chistory and skill of people\u201d at the Great Dragon Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asahina may seem quiet, but it’s actually a place of profound depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sip tea in the land of gyokuro, immerse yourself in history and culture at the Asahina Ryusei and Insect Museum, soak in the hot springs, and toast with beer\u2014isn’t that just the best?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facility Information<\/span><\/div>
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Name<\/strong>: Asahina Ryusei Insect Museum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening Hours<\/strong>: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closed<\/strong>: Mondays and Thursdays (Open on holidays) Please note the museum may close irregularly; please confirm in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admission<\/strong>: Adults 300 yen, Children 200 yen (ages 3 to junior high school students)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phone<\/strong>: 054-668-1780<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addres<\/strong>s: 1214-5 Nifune, Okabe-cho, Fujieda City, Shizuoka 421-1115<\/p>\n\n\n\n