A new summer exhibition at the National Museum of Nature and Science (Kahaku) in Ueno takes you back 40,000 years to the last glacial period. The show runs July 12–October 13, 2025, and presents life during a colder world — from mammoths and giant deer to the humans who lived then.

The headline draw is rare human remains: actual Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon skulls appear in Japan for the first time. Seeing real skulls side-by-side with reconstructed models gives a direct sense of how different human species lived and looked.

You’ll also find skeletons and large reconstructed mammals — mammoths, giant deer, and other megafauna that shared the landscape with early humans. Large-scale displays aim to convey scale and environment rather than just bones in cabinets.

The exhibition mixes hard science (fossils and skulls) with visual reconstructions and ecological context. If you like natural history, archaeology, or clear museum storytelling, this one is worth an afternoon in Ueno.

Book tickets ahead to avoid lines and time your visit for weekday mornings if you want quieter galleries. The exhibition allows viewing of the museum’s permanent collections on the same day, so you can make a full Ueno museum day of it.

Exhibition Details

Date: July 12, 2025(Sat.)- October 13, 2025(Mon., Holiday)

Hours: 9:00 – 17:00 (Last admission 16:30)
August 8 – August 17, October 10 – October 13 9:00-19:00 (Last admission 18:30)
Permanent Exhibition closes at 17:00. August 9 – August 15 closes at 18:00.
(Last admission 30 min. before closing time)

※Opening days, hours etc. are subject to alteration. Please check the website before your visit.

Days Closed: July 14, September 1, September 8, September 16, September 22, September 29

Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo/7-20 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo