One of the few Paleolithic sites in Hokkaido！

+1

Even if you are not interested in history or archaeology, admission is free and there is plenty to enjoy. If you answer every question correctly in the orienteering activity (mini quiz) by reading the exhibits inside, you can receive a stone used for stone tools. The stone-tool-making classes scheduled throughout the year cost money, but they offer a valuable opportunity to make stone tools just as the people of Pirika did twenty thousand years ago. Apparently, the stone blades (knives) made by chipping stone are sharp but expendable, and I experienced the hardship of making blade after blade. The town employees also teach kindly and patiently, and it is an excellent facility. Please do visit.

+3

I was able to look around with free admission. At present, the archaeological site itself is just covered in plants and does not seem to be somewhere particularly worth going to see. The exhibition hall explains the lives of people in the Paleolithic period, how stone tools were made and used, and the differences in stone-tool types found across Hokkaido, alongside the exhibits. It is surprising that exchanges and networks with places 300km away already existed at this time. I could sense their wisdom and strength in surviving a harsh natural environment, when they had even fewer tools than in the Jomon period. The timeline showing changes in Hokkaido's distinctive culture, different from Honshu's, is also interesting. The raw stones used for stone tools were very beautiful.

+3

This is a museum I would recommend going “out of your way” to visit. The floor area and scale of the exhibits are small, so honestly I did not expect much before entering. But despite both parking and admission being free, the building is clean and the staff are kind. There is also a game where you answer a quiz called 『Orienteering』 on a single A4 sheet clipped to a clipboard, and receive a natural-stone souvenir if you get every answer right. There is quite a lot of information posted on the walls and available on the touchscreen displays. You need to read through these to answer the quiz mentioned above, and I think even someone efficient would need at least ３０ minutes from entering to leaving on their first visit. ●After leaving the building, go left and up the stairs to reach the 『Pirika Archaeological Site』. ●In the separate Cultural Property Storage and Utilization building, you can also see exhibits of engines and generator panels used around the early Showa period, fossils, farming tools, and so on. Of course, this is free too. Perhaps it is not very well known; judging by the register you fill in when entering, only a few people seemed to have visited over several days. There were people at Lake Pirika and Pirika Dam, but nobody else was inside this museum throughout my visit, so I had it entirely to myself. I think that is a shame in several respects. Apparently it used to charge admission. Now it is not only free, but you even get a souvenir, so why not visit and learn something?

+3

It is easier to understand if you watch the roughly 10-minute video before looking around😊 You can find all kinds of stones in Pirika. The shop also sells them in cute little bottles. I received some as a souvenir after answering the quiz sheet while looking at the materials. Thank you😃 The Paleolithic period is amazing‼️