Welcome Suchomimus: Fukui Station’s Dinosaur Makeover is Complete
The dinosaur is Fukui Station’s fifth and final animatronic.
Cover photo: An animatronic of Suchomimus tenerensis (スコミムス・テネレンシス) guards Dinosaur Square at the west exit of Fukui Station, Fukui, Japan (2024). Photo by Danny With Love.
Intro
Monday, September 30th — Fukui Station’s latest dinosaur animatronic was activated. Suchomimus completes Fukui’s “Dinosaur Area Expansion Project” (恐竜エリア拡大プロジェクト), celebrating the arrival of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (bullet train) last spring.
The 10-meters-long Suchomimus tenerensis (“crocodile-mimic from Ténéré”) was discovered in Niger, Africa, in 1998. This is the fifth animatronic and the 23rd dinosaur monument installed around Dinosaur Square, first built in 2015. Government officials had promised “a world of dinosaurs that would rival that of any theme park.”
Dinosaur Kingdom
Fukui Prefecture is known as Japan’s Dinosaur Kingdom, where some 80% of the nation’s fossils have been discovered. The area’s top attraction is the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama. The city is now one of Japan’s fastest-growing tourist destinations, attracting over one million visitors since the museum’s renovation last year.
The Suchomimus animatronic was meant to be installed in time for the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension — connecting Tokyo to Fukui — opened on March 16th, but the dinosaur suffered production delays. Construction cost about 100 million yen, or approximately 700 thousand USD.
Echizen Railway train decorated with illustrations of Pokémon ambassador Dragonite, Fukui Station, Fukui, Japan (2024). Photo by Danny With Love.
Tourism Promotion
Additionally, Fukui has enlisted gaming company Nintendo to designate Dragonite (カイリュー) the prefecture’s official Pokémon ambassador, featuring decorated manhole covers and temporary train-wraps. The local government has also partnered with JR West for the world’s first “extended-reality” tour bus. There has never been a better time to visit Fukui!
Author’s Note
As part of the Fukui Reporter program, I am tasked with participating in local events and publicly promoting the prefecture. This is a volunteer position that allows me free entrance to a selection of museums throughout the area. The opinions I share are my own.
