美々貝塚Bi Kurikaesi Kaizuka
Museum
- 758-193 Bibi, Chitose, Hokkaido 066-0012, Japan
- +81 123-24-4210
- city.chitose.lg.jp
Google reviews
Visitor reviews on Google Maps
A ruin near the former Bibi Station (now Bibi Signal Station) on the JR Chitose Line. …That said. Actually, as of November 2025, the building is closed for measures to protect the shell mound, and you can't see inside. (In fact, I could see countless sandbags inside the building) Along with that, the information board at the shell mound entrance (which listed viewing hours and procedures) has been removed, and the public toilet in the parking lot is also closed. The walking path is passable, but please note you can't enter the building. Incidentally… there was no notice about the closure; I only figured out the situation from the website I reached by scanning a QR code quietly posted on the building's exterior wall. Personally… while the closure itself can't be helped, I think there could at least have been a closure notice somewhere easy to see, like the entrance to the walking path. ※It's said to be only a "temporary closure," but the closure period seems to be undecided. Please be aware!
View on GoogleFirst visit on May 15, 2025. A shell mound from the Early Jomon period, about 6000 years ago, remaining on a plateau 21–23 m above sea level, and located the farthest inland in Hokkaido (formed along the coastline that reached this far back then; it's a full 17 km from today's Tomakomai coastline). The preservation facility was built in 1975 (S50) and has been open to the public since 1976 (S51). Designated a Chitose City historic site on April 23, 1977 (S52). The shell mound sample displayed in the Bibi Shell Mound Preservation Facility shows part (about 1/4) of the actual shell mound just as it is. Specifically, a cross-section of the excavated shell mound was cut out intact, given preservation treatment, and installed in the exhibition facility. So you can directly see how the shells accumulated at the time and the state of the strata. Unlike artifacts such as pottery and stone tools taken from the site, this can be called a valuable display method that lets you observe a real shell mound itself (that alone makes it worth a look 🧐). Apparently there's Tarumae tephra (volcanic ash) beneath the shell layer. Just so you know, pamphlets and web info say the way to unlock the facility is to "borrow the key from the Environment Center weighing station," but this is no longer done, so please be careful. I think it's better to contact the "Buried Cultural Properties Center" directly in advance. 🤗 Actually, this time I couldn't get inside 😞.
View on GooglePassing through a lush green wood, there were stairs that somehow got me excited, and as I climbed, a great spotted woodpecker came out to greet me 🤗 The shell mound is inside a building and clearly layered; many people lived here, living together with nature ✨ I felt that each person's actions—being grateful for all the things of that time and cherishing water and food—are what will matter going forward 😌 Let's be thankful to Mr. Nature and Mr. Water ❤️ Because what we take for granted is actually a truly wonderful happiness 🥰
View on GoogleA shame you can't see the site directly. But it can't be helped for preservation. I think in the past you contacted the management office and borrowed a key, but I don't know about now.
View on GoogleIt's located down a small road with signs for a concrete plant and the Chitose City Environment Center along National Route 36; head toward the railway line. Perhaps it's well managed—I got the impression the grounds and facilities are in good shape. The shell mound itself also makes a good impression for learning about the area's past. The fairly spacious, walking-park-like area and the trees give a sense of the seasons, making it a spot I found attractive beyond just the shell mound.
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