福井県ふくいけんにおける恐竜きょうりゅうブランドぶらんど戦略せんりゃくの成功せいこう要因よういん

When it comes to Fukui Prefecture, traditional tourist attractions such as Echizen crab, Tojinbo cliffs, Eiheiji Temple, and Shakudani stone, which has been recognized as a Japan Heritage site, are very well-known. However, in recent years, dinosaurs have gradually become a symbolic keyword representing this prefecture.

At the center of this trend is the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, which achieved a record-breaking 1.26 million visitors in fiscal year 2024, an exceptional accomplishment for a cultural facility operated by a local government.

So, why has Fukui Prefecture been able to develop such a powerful dinosaur brand?

The beginning of this success was the series of discoveries of crocodile fossils from the dinosaur era in the early 1980s.

At that time, it was believed that there are no dinosaur fossils in Japan, but in 1989, a large-scale excavation was conducted, and research has been continuously built up since then.

In 1995, for the first time in Japan, the complete skeleton later named Fukuiraptor was successfully reconstructed, marking a major turning point in dinosaur research in Fukui.

After that, the prefecture considered whether to renovate or rebuild the old, cramped prefectural museum, and ultimately decided to construct a Dinosaur Research Center.

Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum opened in 2000, and from the beginning, it has focused on academic research, aiming to become a center for international joint research. This forms the foundation of Fukuis authentic dinosaur brand.

Of the 13 newly discovered dinosaur species in Japan, six have been found in Fukui Prefecture, all in Katsuyama City, thanks to ongoing research and the efforts of a dedicated team of experts over many years.

Currently, there are 16 researchers at the museum, including dinosaur specialists, and in collaboration with the University of Fukui, they hold high-quality special exhibitions every year.

In 2024, the Dinosaurs of the Badlands: 100 Million Years of North America exhibition will be held, and in 2025, the worlds first full skeleton of Tyrannomimus fukuiensis and Japans first display of a Spinosaurus skeleton are scheduled to be exhibited at Theropod Dinosaurs 2025: Exploring Dinosaur Evolution from Fukui.

The reason we were able to reach over one million visitors was because of two major turning points.

First of all, with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2024, access to Fukui has greatly improved, attracting many tourists from the Kanto and Koshinetsu regions.

Secondly, with the large-scale renovation in July 2023, the number of complete skeleton specimens on display increased to 50, and hands-on content such as the Fossil Research Experience, where visitors can actively participate, was also added.

Thanks to that, dinosaurs have become not just something to look at, but a theme to understand and interact with, attracting visitors from various backgrounds.

Furthermore, Fukui Prefecture does not keep dinosaurs as their own exclusive asset, but instead expands participation to private companies and the general public, aiming to increase the recognition of the dinosaur brand.

Free provision of design materials, subsidies for dinosaur hotels, and the hosting of dinosaur events in front of train stations have led the prefecture to establish regulations that allow anyone to use dinosaur imagery, making it possible for dinosaurs to spread throughout all commercial and service facilities in the prefecture.

In March 2024, a large dinosaur-themed amusement park called Dinosaur Forest opened at Shibamasa World. Dinosaur statues have also been displayed and merchandise sold at supermarkets, hotels, and car dealerships, making dinosaurs a part of Fukuis landscape.

Furthermore, the prefecture will hold the Dino Action Award for the first time in 2025, focusing on themes such as regional development, tourism, education, and product development. They are currently accepting public votes for 80 creative ideas that have been submitted.

Furthermore, this year, the University of Fukui established Japans first Department of Dinosaur Studies, and the entrance exam competition rate reached as high as 10 to 1. As a result, unique regional development based on dinosaurs is being promoted in both education and research.

In this way, the case of Fukui Prefecture shows that, rather than focusing on what you have at hand, it is more important in the medium to long term to focus on what you concentrate on.

Based on the clear theme of dinosaurs in Fukui Prefecture, the tourism brand strategy that leverages its unique research achievements is a representative example of a sustainable and easily recognizable success.