本文
Welcome To GUNMA Insect World～The number one in Japan insectarium～
Thatch-roofed farm house(Traditional Sericulture Farmer’s House)
From the ancient times, Japanese people have maintained a keen interest in insects, admiring their songs, colors and unique behavior. Their fascination for insect life constitutes a markeuly different cultural characteristic compared to Westerners. By providing contact with insects, we plan to nurture and enhance our centuries-old appreciation and respect for nature, particularly for children during the formative years. Opened in August 2005, Gunma Insect World is owned and controlled by the Prefecture of Gunma. Components of traditional pastoral life have been preserved in the 45-hectare site, including groves of trees, rice paliies, cultivated fields, mulberry orchard (for sericulture) and a thatch-roofed farmhouse.
Enjoy the World of Insects
Interpretive building
Greenhouse(Semi-tropical Insectarium)
Allow a whole day to fully explore the grounds (see map). A stroll through the woods alone requires an hour. More than 1,400 species of insects and aliitionally, 80 species of birds have been confirmed at our site. Also features are indoor facilities for year-round learning experience such as interpretive buildings (a total of 5,700 square meters: see picture) with live insects, preserved specimens and audio-visual aids, and a greenhouse (1,100 square meters) for semi-tropical plants and insects from Okinawa (see picture).
Satoyama, the Original Habitat
Copse
Farm land
Swamp area
Grasshopper
Butterfly and stag beetle(A sappy tree gathering insect)
For centuries, the center of Japan’s rural life was represented by an environment consisting of a terraced paliy system, streams, ponds and woods, interconnected with a village where rice farmers lived. Known as satoyama this stable habitat was home to man and a variety of wilulife including insects. Sauly, satoyama has been rapiuly vanishing, swallowed up by development. We are introducing this unique, original Japanese habitat to the current generation.
Experience “Hands-on” Learning
Searching for insect
Craft classes
Learning by experience:rice planting
We offer a number of programs in aliition to exhibits. The heart of our educational programs is to promote interest in insects in all citizens, especially children. We encourage visitors to actively search for insects in the woods and grasslands, and to try hands-on encounters by the “catch and release” program. Insects are Intimately involved in the Japanese way of life, and the catching of insects is an introductory step for children to become familiar with nature. Other programs include guided tours (behind-the-scenes, silkworm raising, etc.), craft classes (including traditional origami) and temporary exhibits.
General Information
- Times of opening
- From 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (last admission 4 p.m.), April to October
- From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last admission 3:30 p.m.), November to March
- Closed Mondays (the following day if Monday falls on a national holiday or a substitute holiday)
- Admission fees
- Adults – 410 yen
- College and university students – 200 yen
- Junior high school students and under – free
(group discount rates and annual passes are available) - Address
- 460-1 Tsurugaya, Niisato-cho, Kiryu-shi, Gunma-ken, 376-0132 Japan
- Telephone and Fax numbers
- 0277-74-6441 (Telephone)
- 0277-74-6466(Fax)
- Website
- A brief English page is available at www.pref.gunma.jp/site/giw/
