Guidebook for the Permanent Exhibitions of the
Tokushima Prefectural Museum
institutions in Bunka-no-Mori Park. It has 14
curatorial staff members and covers the following seven fields of
natural history and cultural sciences: geology, zoology, botany,
archaeology (including conservation science), history, folklore and
pre-modern art.
The museum holds both permanent and special exhibitions. The
permanent exhibitions consist of a General Exhibition, Departmental
Exhibitions and the exhibition of La Plata Memorial Hall. Special
exhibitions are organized three to four times a year.
GENERAL EXHIBITION
The General Exhibition covers the geologic
history of the Japanese Islands and the island of Shikoku, the human
history and culture of Tokushima, and the current nature of
Tokushima. The exhibition is chronologically organized.
1. Geologic Development of the Japanese Islands and
Shikoku
The basal geologic structure of the Japanese
Islands and Shikoku was formed through the successive accretion of
trench sediments and oceanic plate materials at the eastern margin of
the Asian Continent in the late Paleozoic to Cretaceous periods. Then
the Japanese Islands were reformed as an island-arc with the birth of
the Japan Sea in the Miocene Epoch.
Rocks and fossils from Shikoku, Japan and abroad are displayed to
explain briefly the geologic history of Shikoku.
1-1. History of Life
The world's oldest fossils are of prokaryotes such as bacteria or
blue-green algae which are found in the strata dating to three
billion years ago. Then one billion years after the appearance of
prokaryotes, eucaryotes such as green algae appeared. At the end of
the Precambrian Era (600-700 million years ago), large-sized
multicellular organisms called Ediacara Fauna appeared, but they were
not yet testaceous.
After entering the Paleozoic Era, the number and kind of sea life
increased greatly, and most groups of invertebrates that exist today
appeared. The big event of life forms advancing on land also happened
in the Paleozoic Era. In the Silurian Period, plants were the first
to venture from water to land and were later followed by animals.
<Main Exhibits>
Banded iron ore from Australia
Akasta gneiss - world's oldest known rock with the age of 3.96
billion years
Precambrian fossils from the Ediacara Hills
Characteristic Paleozoic animal fossils
Paleozoic pteridophytes: Psilophyton, Sigillaria,
Lepidodendron, etc.
1-2. Middle Paleozoic Japan
In the Japanese Islands, the older rocks assigning early
Paleozoic age are distributed in the restricted areas such as the
Hida Marginal, Kurosegawa, Southern Kitakami and Abukuma Belts. These
belts are surrounded by accretionary prisms that were formed during
the end of the Paleozoic Era to the Mesozoic Era.
In the Middle Paleozoic Era, there was a large supercontinent called
"Gondwana" in the Southern Hemisphere which was destined to be
separated and become to the present Antarctic, African, American and
Indian Continents. The Asian Continent had not been formed yet, but
was still separated into several parts. The early Paleozoic rocks
which we once thought to be the base of the Japanese Islands were
probably formed at the margin of Gondwana and transported to the
present position by the plate movement.
<Main Exhibits>
Silurian fossils from Tokushima
Middle Paleozoic (Ordovician - Devonian) fossils from Japan
Various rocks with older ages in Japan
1-3. Implication of Ao-ishi (Green Schist)
The majority of the base of the Japanese Islands, including the
Chichibu Belt, is composed of accretionary prisms which were formed
during the end of the Paleozoic Era to the Mesozoic Era. There,
exotic rocks such as limestone, chert and green rocks are enfolded as
blocks in the younger strata of sandstone and mudstone. It is
believed that these accretionary prisms were formed in the trench by
the intermix of sand and mud from the continent with lava, limestone
and chert carried by the oceanic plates.
The Sanbagawa Belt, being distributed to the south of the Yoshino
River, is composed of crystalline schists which were metamorphosed
from an accretionary prism. Awa no Ao-ishi, widely recognized
in this belt, is also a kind of crystalline schist (green schist),
into which submarine volcanic products were metamorphosed.
<Main Exhibits>
Rocks from the Chichibu Belt: green rock, chert, limestone, mudstone,
etc.
Crystalline schists from the Sanbagawa Belt
1-4. Formation of the Shimanto Belt
The Shimanto Belt, being distributed to the south of the Chichibu
Belt, is the southernmost geotectonic unit closest to the Pacific
Ocean. The northern half of this belt is composed of the Cretaceous
accretionary prism, and the southern half of the Paleogene one. On
the sea floor far from the coast of the island of Shikoku, there is a
subducting zone called the Nankai Trough. It is believed that modern
accretionary prisms are being made there.
In the Cretaceous Period, a shallow sea covered the Chichibu Belt
which had turned to the land. The strata with plant and molluscan
fossils in the Katsuura Basin were made in this period. Then this
shallow sea spread to the north, and in the latest Cretaceous strata
of the Izumi Group was accumulated along the Median Tectonic Line
(M.T.L.). There were violent volcanic activities on the land to the
north of the M.T.L.
<Main Exhibits>
Early Cretaceous animal and plant fossils from the Katsuura Basin
Late Cretaceous ammonites from the Izumi Group
Archeozostera - a Late Cretaceous trace fossil
Paleogene trace fossils from the Shimanto Belt
1-5. The Age of Dinosaurs and Ammonites
The Mesozoic Era is also called "The age of dinosaurs and
ammonites". On land, gymnospermous plants grew abundantly and
dinosaurs were at their height. The dinosaurs which appeared first in
the Triassic Period were relatively small, about one meter long.
However, during the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods, dinosaurs over
20 meters long appeared and dominated the land. In the ocean,
ammonites prospered along with reptiles such as ichthyosaurs and
plesiosaurs.
Many living things including dinosaurs and ammonites disappeared
suddenly at the end of the Cretaceous Period. There are various
theories about why this mass-extinction occurred, but the reason are
still not clear.
<Main Exhibits>
Skeletons of Tyrannosaurus and Titanosaurus, Cretaceous
dinosaurs
Various ammonites and related animal fossils
Characteristic Mesozoic fossils
Pravitoceras sigmoidale, a Cretaceous heteromorph
ammonite from the Izumi Group.
General view of the room under the theme "1.Geologic Development
of the Japanese Islands and
Shikoku". Skeletons are of Tyrannosaurus, a Cretaceous
dinosaur, and of Paleoparadoxia,
a Miocene mammal.
1-6. The Birth of Shikoku Island
During the Miocene Epoch, the Japanese Islands, which had been
until then a part of the Asian Continent, were separated from the
continent and reformed as an isolated island-arc. At the beginning of
the Miocene Epoch, a crack occurred at the east end of the Asian
Continent, along which lowland zones spread. At the beginning of the
Middle Miocene (about 16 million years ago), the sea entered the
lowland zones and the Japan Sea started to form. The land which is
the present Northeast and Southwest Japan began to move east,
rotating individually.
In the Middle Miocene Epoch, much of the Japanese Islands were
covered by sea and separated into many islands. A shallow sea called
the "First Paleo-Seto Inland Sea" spread to the north of the Shikoku
Island, covering the belt from the San-in Region to the Tokai Region
through the Chugoku Mountains.
<Main Exhibits>
Skeleton of Paleoparadoxia, a Miocene desmostylid mammal
Mollusks lived in the First Paleo-Seto Inland Sea: Vicarya,
Vicaryella,
Turritella, etc.
Sanukite - a peculiar andesite being distributed in the Setouchi
Region
1-7. Development of the Median Tectonic Line
The Median Tectonic Line (M.T.L.) is the most prominent active
fault running 1,000 km from Kyushu to Kanto through Shikoku. The
M.T.L. makes a geotectonic boundary between the inner zone (northern
part) and the outer zone (southern part) of Southwest Japan. The
M.T.L. began to be active in the Early Cretaceous Period and changed
its nature of movement stage by stage. It is thought that a right
lateral movement prevails at present in Shikoku.
The M.T.L. is not composed of only one fault line, but appears to be
a group of fault systems at the southern foot of the Asan Mountains
in Tokushima Prefecture. Thick alluvial fan deposits represented by
the Dochu Gravel Bed have been accumulated along the M.T.L.
<Main Exhibits>
Cataclastic rocks along the Median Tectonic Line
Aerial photograph of the Median Tectonic Line in Tokushima
2. The age of Man
In the Glacial Age, the Japanese Islands were
repeatedly connected with the Asian Continent by land. It is believed
that ancestors of the Japanese people first came to the Japanese
Islands for hunting game about 500 thousand years BP (Before Present)
or more ago.
About 10,000 years ago, the last glacial stage (W殲m Glacial Stage)
was over. As the sea level began to rose, the Japanese Islands were
finally separated from the Asian Continent, and the bays and coastal
plains were newly formed. With the geographical change, fauna and
flora of the Islands changed accordingly. Ancestors of the Japanese
people began to use earthenware, bows and arrows, and
began to settle down.
2-1. The Quaternary Japanese Islands
The climate of the Japanese Islands in the early Quaternary
Period was rather warm and many subtropical to warm-temperate plants
and animals were living there. As the Japanese Islands were connected
with the Asian Continent by land, animals originating in Southeast
Asia or North China had wide distribution.
Then the climate gradually turned cold. Accordingly, arctic to
subarctic plants and animals began to enter into the Japanese Islands
during and after the Middle Pleistocene Epoch, although animals and
plants which liked warm climate were widely present in the
interglacial stages. In these periods, the Japanese Islands and the
Asian Continent were disjoined and joined repeatedly because the sea
level rose and fell due to glaciers melting and freezing over again
and again, as the climate changed. Cold-temperate animals such as
Naumann's elephant and Yabe's giant fallow deer came to inhabit Japan
abundantly in the Late Pleistocene Epoch.
<Main Exhibits>
Skeletons of Naumann's elephant and Yabe's giant fallow deer
Mammal fossils dredged from the sea bottom of the Naruto Straits
Representative hominid fossils from the world
2-2. Tokushima during the Paleolithic Period
It was about 20,000 years ago in the W殲m Glacial Stage when
people began to live in Tokushima. At this time people made stone
implements by using Sanukite, a kind of volcanic rock, transported
from the present Kagawa Prefecture. Stone tools in this period were
found from about 40 archaeological sites on the northern platforms of
the Yoshino River and from the Hataeda Site in Anan City.
Most tools that are ever found are backed blades. They were made of
Sanukite in the northern side of the Yoshino River and of chart in
the southern Tokushima.
<Main Exhibits>
Stone tools from the Paleolithic sites in Tokushima
Sanukite - a material rock for stone tools
2-3. Humans and Nature during the Jomon Period in Tokushima
About 10,000 years ago, the last glacial stage was over and the
climate became warmer. Sea level rose gradually and the natural
environment had changed remarkably. People broadened their field of
action to mountains and the sea.
The Jomon people lived with newly invented earthenware, used bows and
arrows, and were dependent on the abundant nature. They hunted deer
and wild boars, gathered conkers and acorns, dug for shellfish such
as clams, ark-shells and oysters near the shore, and caught fish such
as black porgies and yellowtails. They lived in rock shelters and
caves. They also made pit dwellings and lived together with groups of
families in one place.
<Main Exhibits>
Excavations from the Jomon sites: stone arrow heads, earthenware,
shells,
etc.
Diorama of an evergreen broad-leaved forest in the Jomon Period
3. Birth of the Nation
In the 4th century BC, rice farming was
introduced to Japan from the Asian Continent. Ironware came to be
widely used for production and processing. Bronze bells, called
dotaku, characterize this period. They were probably used for
rice farming festivals. This period is called the Yayoi Period. Forty
and several number of dotaku were excavated from Tokushima
Prefecture.
By the end of the 3rd century AD, marginal villages became under the
control of the greatest power in Yamato Province. In this period, a
large number of burial mounds called kofun, large tombs for
rulers, were constructed. This period is called the Kofun Period.
3-1. Introduction of Rice Cultivation
In the Yayoi Period, rice farming was introduced to Japan from
the Asian Continent, and it spread rapidly from western Japan to
eastern Japan. Consequently, people came to be able to live a steady
and rich life. The population gradually became larger and bigger
villages appeared. These villages were located on the heights along
the river, and they were surrounded by big moats. There were many pit
dwellings and high-floored storehouses which were stocked with
Imaginary picture of Minami Sho, a rice farming village around
the lower stream of the Akui River,
middle Yayoi Period.
unhulled rice. The high-floored houses were centered in the village.
There was a general cemetery outside the moat. When people developed
new rice fields or waterways, they cooperated with one another.
<Main Exhibits>
Wooden tools for rice farming from the Sho Site
Stone tools and pottery from the Minami Sho Site
Stone tools for cinnabar mining from the Wakasugiyama Site
3-2. Dotaku
Dotaku is the Japanese name for bronze bells which were
probably used at rice farming festivals in the Yayoi Period. We
imagine that they were usually buried under the ground and dug out
for use at festivals. At present over 430 bells have been found
mainly from the Kinki Region, of which about 40 were found in
Tokushima Prefecture.
The Korean-type small-sized bell was probably the root of typical
dotaku with the characteristic shape. Early bells were hung
and jingled. Then they changed to the "dotaku seen only" with
a larger size and many decorations, losing their original function.
Before long, dotaku mystically disappeared all at once from
Japan, at roughly the same time when people started to construct
kofun .
<Main Exhibits>
Representative dotaku excavated from Tokushima
Outer cast of a dotaku
Bronze swords with broad blades
Exhibition of
dotaku
excavated from
Tokushima Prefecture.
3-3. Appearance of Kofun
In the Yayoi Period, people made public cemeteries. Then people
of the elite class began to make their family cemeteries bigger and
bigger, and shortly they came to make a single large one only for the
local ruler. These burial mounds are called kofun .
At the end of the 3rd century, keyhole-shaped kofun appeared
in Yamato Province. After that, similarly shaped burial mounds became
to be constructed in the other regions. Kofun were mounded
high, roofed with stones and encircled by haniwa figures. In
the inside of kofun, a stone room was provided to contain a
coffin, and valuable things such as Chinese mirrors, weapons, tools
and trinkets were buried with the dead.
There were various types of kofun besides the keyhole-shaped
one, depending on the age and the region.
<Main Exhibits>
Haniwa figures from the Maeyama Site
Excavations from various burial mounds in Tokushima: bronze
mirrors,
stone bracelets, iron swords, iron arrow heads, Sue pottery,
etc.
Model of the Sibunomaruyama Kofun
Model of the Dan no Tsuka-ana Kofun
4. Awa in the Ancient and the Middle Ages
Until about the 10-11th century, the political
and social systems were based on a statute called ritsuryo,
which was constituted by the Imperial Court. In the 12th century, the
Shogunate (feudal warrior government) was established and gained
political power. Both the Court and the Shogunate governed Japan in
the Middle Ages. In this period, many wars occurred, while
agricultural productivity became higher and domestic trades were
developed.
The political systems, life and religion of the people in Awa
Province (modern day Tokushima Prefecture) are given attention in the
exhibition.
4-1. The Emergence of Ritsuryo Government
After the Taika Reform (645), the Imperial Court compiled the
Ritsuryo Statute, and became to play politics under the
leadership of the Emperor. From the end of the 7th century to the
beginning of the 8th century, two capital cities, Fujiwarakyo and
Heijokyo, were successively constructed in Nara Province.
The areas outside the capital were gathered into the governmental
system, and divided into kuni (provinces), gun
(districts) and go (villages). Kokufu, local government
offices, were established in the provinces.
Buddhism was introduced and used as a method to prevent the nation
from disaster. In the capital city, huge temples such as Todaiji and
Hokkeji were constructed, while the temples named Kokubunji and
Kokubunniji were constructed around kokufu in the
provinces.
<Main Exhibits>
Roofing tiles from the ancient temple sites
Stone coffin for secondary burial
Map of the Niijima no Sho, an estate of the Todaiji Temple
4-2. Ancient Messages Written on Tablets
By the 8th century, the Imperial Court divided the land among
farmers, took a family registration and began collecting various
kinds of tax. The Imperial Court also improved roads between the
capital and the provinces.
In these years, wooden tablets called mokkan were popularly
used to issue directives, to keep records, to practice calligraphy
and also as tags. A large number of wooden tablets have been
excavated from the Heijokyo and Fujiwarakyo Sites. Of these, many
were labels on taxed goods sent from Awa to the capital. We can tell
many things from mokkan about the tax system, taxed goods,
place names, names of people, and so on, in addition to general
knowledge about the life of people in ancient times.
<Main Exhibits>
Tombstone memorializing an official
Wooden tablets taken from the sites in ancient capitals
Pottery with letters from the Awa Kokufu Site
4-3. Awa in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, shoen and koryo, both Japanese
names for manors, were units of control and were at the same time
places for people to live. Manors belonged to the Imperial family,
nobility, temples and shrines, but it was the local warriors who were
actually in charge.
In the Kamakura Period, shugo and jito were nominated
to govern by the Kamakura Shogunate, and started ruling. After the
start of the Muromachi Period, some rulers such as the Hosokawa and
Miyoshi Families began to have more power. Rival lords fought one
another and many wars broke out one after another.
Under their control, people formed villages and worked hard to
increase productivity. Trading of products became very popular. In
those days, warriors and farmers believed in Buddhism and
Shinto. We can know about a part of their religious life by
reading itabi, stone boards which were erected to memorialize
Buddhists.
<Main Exhibits>
Itabi - stone boards memorializing Buddhists
Documents on Tanenoyama, an example of mountainous area in Awa
Daily necessaries from the medieval sites
Portraits of Hosokawa Yoriyuki and Miyoshi Nagateru
5. Awa in the Edo Period
In the Edo Period (1603-1868), people and lands
were governed by feudal clans that were subordinated to the Tokugawa
Shogunate. Hachisuka, the biggest clan in Shikoku, governed Awa
(modern day Tokushima Prefecture).
Some traditional culture and industries of Tokushima were born and
matured in the Edo Period. Ai (indigo dye) was a special
product of Awa, and a large amount of it was produced and traded all
over Japan. A pilgrimage that people
Model of Shitokumaru,
a state boat of the
Tokushima Han.
went around the 88 temples in Shikoku became very popular also in
this period.
5-1. The Hachisuka Clan and Tokushima Castle
In 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful warlord, conquered
Shikoku and put Awa under the charge of Hachisuka Iemasa, one of his
subordinates. The Hachisuka Clan reinforced castles at nine important
places in preparation for emergencies. Furthermore they built
Tokushima Castle and consolidated the castle town as a base to rule
their territory. Tokushima Castle had its honmaru
(a donjon) and higashi ninomaru at the top of Shiroyama, and
the palace at the foot of the mountain. It provided various devices
for defense.
In 1615, Awaji (modern day Awaji Island), was also given to the
Hachisuka Clan by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Since then, Hachisuka
continued to rule both Awa and Awaji as the feudal lord with the
largest domain in Shikoku until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
<Main Exhibits>
Models of Tokushima Castle
Model of Shitokumaru, a state boat of the Tokushima Han
Gohanmotsu - a document addressed to Hachisuka Yoshishige
from
Tokugawa Hidetada
Folding screen depicting the voyage for the alternate-year residence
in Edo
5-2. Organization of the Tokushima Han
Han means the territory of a feudal lord and the system by
which it is ruled. The Tokushima Han set up various posts conforming
to the system of the Tokugawa Shogunate, while it took a different
direction from the other han in controlling the territory. It
kept the Jikata Chigyo System that gave land to main vassals
for a long time. It also established Okabegaki and
Uragaki that were the laws for controlling the territory, and
made them the guide for politics.
The revenue of the Han depended mainly on nengu that was the
basic tax paid by farmers, but the Han began to secure revenue by
monopolizing special products. Although the lives of farmers were
strictly controlled by the Han, they lived together in unity, holding
village meetings, festivals and so on.
<Main Exhibits>
List of retainers of the Hachisuka Clan
Reports of religious inquisition
Model of a scene of Munetsuke aratame, census by the Tokushima
Han
Various necessities for peasant village life
5-3. Ai (Indigo) and Awa Merchants
In the Edo Period, ai (indigo) was a staple product in
Awa. In almost fields around the lower stream of the Yoshino River,
indigo plants were cultivated.
Indigo plants were processed into indigo dyes called sukumo or
ai dama. These products were distributed all over Japan and
sold by Awa merchants. Some of the most influential merchants did
everything from processing to selling. The Kujime, Miki, Nishino,
Tanaka and Okumura Families were well known as wealthy merchants,
holding counter stocks in Osaka or Kanto Region with a lot of
consumers.
As the profits from indigo became larger, the Tokushima Han started a
monopoly policy to protect the production and marketing of indigo in
1625. As a result, the production of indigo increased more and more,
and Awa indigo became to monopolize the Japan market.
<Main Exhibits>
Indigo plant (replica)
Tools for cultivating and processing indigo plants: mushitori
otama, ai suri,
etc.
Indigo dye products: ai dama (indigo balls) and
seitaiboku (pure indigo
sticks)
Model of the shop-front of a ai merchant
5-4. Awa Ningyo Joruri (Puppet Show)
It is thought that Awa Ningyo Joruri originated in a
puppet show performed on Awaji Island, and was introduced to Awa
during the Edo Period. The playing group in Awa and Awaji, called
Ningyo Za, made provincial tours, being protected by the
Tokushima Han and getting financial support from indigo merchants.
They introduced new performances played in Edo (now Tokyo) and Osaka,
and established their own style of performing on outside stages. They
could perform nearly 800 kinds of stories, of which Keisei Awa no
Naruto was most popular.
Ningyo Za used to visit villages during the farmers' leisure
seasons. They were ardently welcomed by the villagers, because people
had only a little amusement in that age. They also did puppet shows
on stages built on the grounds of shrines with their heart of
dedication. The villagers supported production of puppet shows.
<Main Exhibits>
Awa puppet heads: musume-gashira, marume-gashira,
sanbaso, etc.
Costume of the Awaji Puppet Show
Model of the studio of Tenguhisa, a famous puppet maker in Awa
5-5. Shikoku Henro (The Shikoku Pilgrimage)
Shikoku Henro (The Shikoku Pilgrimage) began in the Heian
Period. At that time, priests trained themselves by walking around
very dangerous places along the coast. Then these places became
popular among mountain ascetics, and later came to be linked with the
religion of Kobo Daishi, a famous Buddhist. At the end
of the 17th century, the basic style of the pilgrimage going around
88 temples in Shikoku was established. Then in the 19th century,
guidebooks and maps about these 88 temples were published. After that
the number of pilgrims increased rapidly.
The pilgrims wore white and hung white bags from their necks. Their
outfits were similar to those placed on the dead. They believed that
they were traveling with Kobo Daishi all the time.
<Main Exhibits>
Pilgrims' notebooks
Guideposts for pilgrims
Map of 88 temples in Shikoku
6. Tokushima in the Modern Age
In the modern age, the economy of Tokushima has
declined gradually. In the Meiji Period (1868-1912), traditional
indigo dye was replaced by artificial ones. Labor disputes in the
Taisho Period (1912-1926) accelerated the decline.
For about 15 years in the early Showa Period, Japan waged successive
wars of aggression in Asia, which were called the Manchurian
Incident, China -Japanese War and Pacific War stage by stage. In the
last year of the Pacific War (1945), Tokushima City was razed in an
air raid by American warplanes.
Despite these difficult circumstances, the tradition of the Awa Dance
Carnival in August was continued with some modifications.
6-1. Tokushima Air Raid
With the progress of the war in the early Showa Period, the
livelihoods of the Japanese people became adverse. Most healthy men
were sent to battlefields as soldiers, and even school girls were
trained to fight. Shortage of food lead to the creation of a
government distribution system.
Lastly Japan started the Pacific War in 1941. Gradually the war
intensified and major cities were bombed by the US military.
Tokushima City also received an air raid on July 4, 1945 with many
casualties.
Nevertheless, people vigorously started to restore their native
Tokushima after the war.
A view of the center of Tokushima City just after the Tokushima Air
Raid in 1945 (adopted from
"Photographic Atlas of the Tokushima Air Raid").
<Main Exhibits>
Bottles deformed by the Tokushima Air Raid
Incendiary bomb dropped by US warplanes
Tools used during wartime
6-2. Awa Odori (Awa Dance Carnival)
Awa odori (Awa Dance Carnival) is said to originate in
Bon dance, which were performed in various places in Awa to
welcome and console the returning spirits of ancestors. It used to be
held for three days beginning on July 14th of the lunar calendar.
Dancing styles of Awa odori have been transformed with the
times from the Edo to Meiji, Taisho and Showa Periods. In recent
years, Awa odori is well known throughout the nation for its
spectacular dancing.
<Main Exhibits>
Paintings showing transitions of Awa odori
Documents concerning Awa odori
7. Nature and Life in Tokushima
From the 1960s onward, lifestyles of people
changed drastically with the explosive development of the economy.
Many environmental problems have occurred because of the
economy-oriented development.
Fortunately, forests, rivers and the sea have remained in good
condition in certain parts of Tokushima Prefecture, and wildlife has
been preserved. Several traditional techniques for using nature, that
were born from the deep knowledge of the properties of wildlife and
the land, have also remained.
The exhibition seeks a harmonious coexistence with wildlife by
knowing the nature and techniques well.
7-1. Nature and Life in Mountains
The terrain of Tokushima Prefecture is predominated by
mountainous areas, 80% of the total land mass being covered with
mountains. Being influenced by this topography, the Prefecture
contains climatically varied areas ranging from warm- and
cool-temperate to subarctic ones, and has variety in fauna and
flora.
Low mountain areas are covered by secondary forests because people
have cut plant materials in forests and used them as fuels,
fertilizers for agriculture and so on. In these areas, Japanese red
pine trees and some kinds of oak such as konara and
kunugi are dominant. Oak forests are a storehouse of insects
such as beetles. In high mountain areas, on the other hand, natural
forests such as beech and shirabiso fir ones have remained,
due to the lack of use by people. Northern plants and animals can be
seen in these areas.
With much knowledge on the nature and living things in their own
locale, rural people have learned to live in harmony with the nature,
making a reasonable use of natural resources, not so as to destroy
them completely.
<Main Exhibits>
Various animals in the mountains: mammals, birds, reptiles,
amphibians and
insects
Wild flowers on high mountains
Tools for making wooden products and material woods
Diorama of a beech forest on Mt. Tsurugi
7-2. Nature and Life of the Yoshino River
The Yoshino River, which is also called the Shikoku
Saburo, starts at Kamegamori in Kochi Prefecture and has a total
length of 194 km. The Yoshino River and its tributaries drain more
than half the area of Tokushima Prefecture. It provides a diversity
of landscapes along its course, i.e. gorges (including the famous
Oboke and Koboke Gorges) upstream, wide riverbeds at the middle and
tidal flats at the estuary.
The Yoshino River also provides a habitat for wildlife. Many kinds of
living things inhabit the waterside. The species and number of living
things such as fish, aquatic insects and waterfowls vary according to
the difference in temperature, velocity and nutrients in the
water.
This river has greatly sustained our life through fishing and
agriculture.
<Main Exhibits>
Familiar animals and plants of the Tokushima Plain
Freshwater fish in the Yoshino River
Tools for catching freshwater fishes: ayukake,
hakomegane, unagimoji, etc.
Tidal flat organisms of the Yoshino River estuary
Unagimoji (left) and
tsutsumoji (right),
tools for catching unagi
(eel) used in the
Yoshino River.
7-3. Nature and Life of the Coastal Areas
The sea surrounding Tokushima Prefecture is divided into three
parts, where living things such as fish, seashells and seaweed vary
according to the differences in current, temperature and salinity of
the water.
In the southern sea facing the Pacific Ocean, living things
preferring warm temperature can be found, being influenced by the
Kuroshio Current. Off the coast, ocean fishes such as bonitos and
tunas are present.
In the northern sea facing the Harimanada, a part of the Seto Inland
Sea, both water temperature and salinity vary seasonally. There the
sea has long shallow beaches and offers good places for red
seabreams, Spanish mackerels and so on to lay eggs.
In the middle sea facing the Kii Channel, extending from the Naruto
Straits to the Gamouda Cape, mixed characteristics of the other two
are presented. The shirasu fishery, catching larvae of
Japanese anchovy by a seine, is popular there all the year round.
<Main Exhibits>
Diorama of a underwater view of the southern sea in Tokushima
Edible fish of the sea around Tokushima
Tools for diving fishery: sun (abalone gauge), taru
(float barrel), etc.
7-4. Precious Natural Monuments in Tokushima
The nature surrounding us has been gradually formed over many
years. It would be difficult to recover once it is destroyed.
However, human activities such as land developments have actually
destroyed the nature, and the number and the diversity of wildlife
have rapidly decreased.
For these circumstances, precious animals, plants and geologic
outcrops are conserved as natural monuments, and hunting them or
damaging their environment is strictly prohibited.
There are more than 70 natural monuments in Tokushima Prefecture.
<Main Exhibits>
Oh-unagi (Anguila marmorata) - giant long-finned eel
with the length over
2 meters
Oyanirami (Coreoperca kawamebari) - beautiful colored
Japanese aucha
perch
Tanuki-no-shokudai (Glaziocharis abei) - a curious
saprophyte with isolated
distributions
Yakko-so (Mitrastemon yamamotoi) - a lovely parasitic
plant with the
northernmost distribution in Tokushima
DEPARTMENTAL EXHIBITION
1. Culture and History Section
This section covers the fields of archaeology,
history, pre-modern art and folklore. In the exhibition room, objects
are frequently replaced in accordance with the change of the
themes.
Archaeological and historical fields focus on technical changes in
making ceramics in relation to the change of kilns. The works of some
famous painters, applied arts and other arts in Tokushima are
displayed from the collection of pre-modern art. Folk tools which
were widely used in Tokushima are displayed in the field of
folklore.
2. Natural History Section
This section covers the fields of geology,
zoology and botany. Rocks with various origins and beautiful minerals
are displayed in the geologic field. In the fields of zoology and
botany, basic concepts on taxonomy, evolution and its mechanisms, and
ecological interactions of living things are displayed.
2-1. Various Rocks
Rocks are usually composed of some kinds of minerals, and can be
roughly divided into three groups based to their origin. Firstly,
igneous rocks are formed when magmas are cooled and hardened.
Secondly, sedimentary rocks are formed by the accumulation of clastic
materials such as sand, mud and fragments of dead creatures. Thirdly,
metamorphic rocks are formed when the original rocks are reformed to
ones with different mineral composition by heat and/or pressure. The
crust of the earth is mainly composed of igneous and metamorphic
rocks, but sedimentary rocks have rather wide distribution near the
surface.
The distribution of rocks is not uniform in each area, reflecting the
different geologic events happened there. Therefore we can know the
geologic history of a certain area, by studying rocks there.
<Main Exhibits>
Meteorites - materials derived from the space
Various igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
Microscopic view of rocks in thin section
2-2. Minerals
The particles that constitute rocks are called minerals, and
most minerals are crystallized. Varieties of minerals are not so many
as animals or plants. Thus far only a few more than 3,000 kinds of
minerals have been found from all over the world. Among them, 900 are
known from Japan. This number is rather large considering the small
land area of Japan.
Minerals form regularly shaped crystals with crystal surface
according to their kind, if there are not any obstacles around them
when they are growing. Garnet, for instance, forms a short and thick
crystal, while quartz (rock crystal) grows into a hexagonal pillar
with pointed head.
<Main Exhibits>
Amazonite - a variety of microcline feldspar
Mesolite - a kind of zeolite, showing radially arranged
needle-shaped
crystals
Lazurite - ultramarine colored feldspathoid well known as jewelry
stone
(lapis lazuli)
2-3. Species - Elements of Evolution
There are so many kinds of living things on the earth, and every
living thing belongs to a species. What is a species, and how are new
species formed ?
In 1859, Charles Darwin, the famous English biologist, published "The
Origin of Species", and he suggested that living things have all
evolved from the ancestors by a process of gradual change. He
referred to his theory as to how this is possible as "natural
selection". His theory of natural selection has been discussed by
scientists, theorists and philosophers, with discussions still
continuing.
All species living now are the result of evolution covering three
billion years. At the same time, they are also the mothers of new
species to be created in the future.
<Main Exhibits>
Toy animals and plants arranged to show a concept of
classification
Pierid butterflies and satyrid butterflies - examples of "two species
that look
like one"
Lucanid beetles - a example of "one species that looks like two or
more"
Color variations of scallop shells and orange oakleaf
Geographic cline recognized in the size of beech leaves
Great eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina) - a example showing
female
polymorphism of subspecies by isolation
2-4. Various Animals
Until now, more than one million species of animals have been
identified. Moreover, it is believed that several times as many more
species remain undiscovered.
Insects are the most abundant group, and account for over 70 % of
total species of living things. Mollusks such as shellfish are the
second, and the third are chordates, which include human beings.
Animals originated in the sea. Therefore, the more primitive species
still live in the water. The number of animals living on dry land is
very small, because the first thing they need is water. Most animals
are smaller than human beings and are unfamiliar to us.
<Main Exhibits>
Model of a phylogenetic tree of animals
The ratio of the number of species
in major groups of animals.
(modified from Barnes,
Calow and Olive, 1988)
Major groups of invertebrates: jellyfishes, shells, crabs,
starfishes, etc.
Insects: beetles, butterflies and moths, grasshoppers, mimicry of
insects, etc.
Living and fossil vertebrates arranged to show the phylogeny of
chordates
2-5. Ecological Interactions of Life
Living things can not live alone. They live in a physically and
biologically interactive system called the ecosystem, interacting
with each other and being influenced by climates and soils.
There are various recognized biological interactions such as "prey -
predator", "competition" for nutrients, water and light,
"parasitism", "symbiosis", and so on. These interactions are kept in
well balanced conditions to maintain the ecosystem.
We, human beings, have to live without disturbing the balance of the
ecosystem, because we are only a member of this life system.
<Main Exhibits>
Rafflesia (Rafflesia arnoldii) - a parasitic plant with the
largest flower in the
world
Various parasitic plants and saprophytes
Mechanisms of pollination and seed dispersal
Native and naturalized plants: dandelions, golden rods, etc.
Nihon-kawauso (Lutra lutra whiteleyi) - a endangered
Japanese otter
LA PLATA MEMORIAL HALL
In 1985, Tokushima Prefecture and La Plata
National University of Argentina established an exchange system, with
the purpose of exchanging materials between their museums. In this
hall, extinct mammal fossils of South America donated by La Plata
Museum are exhibited as the benefits of this cultural
exchange.
<Main Exhibits>
Skeleton of Megatherium americanum, a South American giant
sloth
Carapace and skeleton of Panochthus tuberculatus, a giant
fossil armadillo
Skeletons of Toxodon platensis, Macrauchenia
patachonica, etc.
Tokushima Prefectural Museum
Bunka-no-Mori Park
Hachiman-cho, Tokushima 770
Tel. 0886-68-3636
Fax. 0886-68-7197
Opening Hours
9.00 - 17.00
Closed
Mondays (except national holidays), December 28 - January 4
When a national holiday falls on Monday, the Museum is closed on
Tuesday.
Admission Charges
Permanent exhibition:
Adult ￥200 (￥160*)
Student (university & senior-high school)
￥100 (￥ 80*)
Child (junior-high & elementary school)
￥ 50 (￥ 40*)
* Charges for groups (20 persons or more)
Special exhibitions:
Different charges are applied for special exhibitions.
c Tokushima Prefectural Museum, 1996
First edition: April l, 1996
Printed by Education Publishing Center Ltd., Tokushima