Observe celestial bodies at night, and during the day enjoy the landscapes, wild birds, and plants of Tainai, or observe the sun with the solar telescope. Experience irreplaceable beauty within a fully equipped environment and facility.

“Look, Enjoy, and Understand” is the theme of the Insect Museum. Insect specimens collected from around the world are displayed, crammed into the space. Observe the ecology of insects in the live butterfly room.

The Tainai City Mineral Pavilion has specimen exhibits, experimental tools, texts, and more. There are plenty of learning materials that just increase children’s interest. Enjoy the wonder, discovery, and fun of minerals. Participants can even try a pottery class and get closer with dirt.

Learn about the nature, history, and culture of Tainai through displays of tools and documents. Children can enjoy learning about the local history through fun dioramas and audio-visual materials.

Historical documents from Okuyamanosho and artifacts from places like Egami Yakata are on display, allowing visitors to encounter the history and culture from the glory days of the Nakajo family in the middle ages.

This museum has 86 funaema (ship votive plaques) from the end of the Tokugawa period to the early Meiji era, and has displays about the history of the Kitamae fleet and the flourishing Kaisen-donya port wholesalers.
Contact the Lifelong Learning Division in advance to view the museum.

This statue was erected in 1967 to pray for stability of the country and rest for the souls lost in the Uetsu Flood. The grounds feature other buildings including Kirin Hall, Yakushi Hall, Nio Hall, and Bell Tower.

This ancient temple, one of Niigata’s best, was opened in 736. It makes an appearance in Basho’s “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”. A three-storied pagoda (a nationally-designated important cultural property) was built on the grounds in 1614, and it stands proudly with approximately 400 years of history.