Fossa Magna Museum — Itoigawa
Itoigawa is where the Fossa Magna — the geological rift that divides eastern and western Japan — reaches the Japan Sea. The seabed pebble beaches here produce Japan's finest jadeite: the only place in Japan where you can legally collect jade directly from the beach. The Fossa Magna Museum explains the tectonic drama that created Japan.
2–3 hours
Museum ¥700 (children ¥300)
9:00–16:30 (closed 17:00); closed New Year and Mon (Dec–Feb only; open daily Mar–Nov).
Year-round
Itoigawa Station on Hokuriku Shinkansen (90 min from Tokyo)
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Japan's only place to legally collect jade from a public beach — the Oyashirazu coast
- 2
The Fossa Magna is the geological boundary that made Japan geographically and culturally distinct
- 3
Itoigawa jade was traded 5,500 years ago — the oldest known jade culture in the world
Local Tips
Itoigawa is the world's only UNESCO Geopark for jade. The museum explains why local rivers produce gemstone-quality nephrite. The Itoigawa Geosite beach (5 min by car) is where you can legally search for jade pebbles in the river gravel. Finding a small piece of nephrite jade is entirely possible — bring a bag.
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