The Forest Beneath the Ground Museum

An Extraordinary “Excavation Site Preserved as It Was Found”

The museum’s greatest attraction is its unusual approach to archaeological preservation. Rather than removing all of the remains and displaying them elsewhere, the excavation site itself has been preserved and exhibited in place.

There are very few places in the world where visitors can see both a Paleolithic forest and evidence of human activity preserved together at the original archaeological site.

Ancient tree roots and traces of fireplaces remain in positions close to those in which they were discovered. Seeing these remains directly provides a sense of scale and immediacy that photographs or textbook illustrations cannot reproduce.

The Story of the Tomizawa Site Discovery

A Major Discovery on a Planned School Site

The land originally had a very different future. It was planned as the site of Nagamachi-Minami Elementary School in Sendai.

In 1988, before construction began, an archaeological preliminary investigation known as the 30th excavation of the Tomizawa Site was conducted. During the excavation, researchers discovered an ancient forest and a campsite used by Paleolithic people approximately 20,000 years ago, about three meters below the modern ground surface.

The discoveries included various stone tools, such as blade-shaped stone tools, hammerstones, and stone cores. Traces of ancient fireplaces were also found.

Even more remarkable were the natural remains preserved in the soil, including tree roots, leaves, cones, insect wings, and deer droppings. Together, these materials provided an unusually detailed picture of the environment in which Paleolithic people lived.

From Discovery to Preservation

The discovery attracted considerable attention because it preserved evidence of the relationship between early humans and their natural environment in an exceptionally detailed form.

The plan to construct the elementary school was changed, and the decision was made to preserve the archaeological site and make it accessible to the public.

In 1989, a planning committee was established to develop the concept of a comprehensive archaeological museum that could serve as a center for lifelong learning. Construction began in 1994, and the museum officially opened on November 2, 1996.

Museum Facilities and Architecture

The Site and Building

The museum occupies an area of approximately 14,263 square meters. It consists of indoor exhibition facilities and an outdoor area known as the Ice Age Forest, which recreates the vegetation of the ancient environment.

The building is a reinforced steel-framed concrete structure with one floor above ground and one basement level. It has a total floor area of approximately 2,743 square meters.

Inside, visitors will find a permanent exhibition gallery, a special exhibition room, an observation lounge, and a training room.

Special Technology for Preserving the Archaeological Site

Because the museum was designed to preserve the excavation site in its original location, the underground exhibition area required specialized construction techniques.

Instead of installing a conventional floor over the archaeological remains, the site was carefully protected in place. To prevent groundwater from entering the preserved area, underground exterior walls approximately 80 centimeters thick extend to a depth of around 20 meters.

Special preservation treatments were also applied to protect the archaeological surface. Two types of a colorless and odorless preservation agent known as polysiloxane were used, with different applications for the wood and soil.

Indoor Exhibitions

The indoor exhibitions introduce visitors to the daily life and natural environment of the Paleolithic period in an accessible way.

Displays include stone tools and other excavated materials, evidence relating to ancient plants and animals, models recreating the excavation process, and videos that help visitors imagine how people lived in the Ice Age.

Although the exhibits are based on important archaeological research, they are presented in a way that makes the subject approachable for visitors of different ages. Children in particular can gain a more vivid understanding of prehistoric life by seeing the actual archaeological evidence rather than relying solely on written explanations.

The Ice Age Forest: A Recreation of a 20,000-Year-Old Landscape

Outside the museum is the Ice Age Forest, a recreated landscape based on scientific analysis of the ancient forest remains discovered at the Tomizawa Site.

The vegetation includes trees such as Jezo spruce, Japanese larch, white birch, alder, and hazel. Seasonal plants include various wildflowers and grasses, such as Thalictrum, Sanguisorba, sedges, and skunk cabbage.

The appearance of the forest changes throughout the year. Fresh greenery in spring, summer vegetation, and the changing colors of autumn provide different experiences for visitors in each season.

Walking through the grounds while imagining the landscape of 20,000 years ago offers a fascinating connection between the modern city of Sendai and the much older natural world that once existed here.

The Tomizawa Archaeological Site

The Tomizawa Site is a large, multi-period archaeological site located on an alluvial plain between the Hirose River and Natori River.

Excavations carried out since 1982 have uncovered evidence from a wide range of periods, from the Late Paleolithic period through the early modern era.

The discoveries include the Paleolithic forest and human activity preserved at the museum, as well as rice paddy remains from the Yayoi period.

The Yayoi-period paddy fields extend across an area of more than 20 hectares. They provide valuable evidence of the spread of ancient rice cultivation in the Tohoku region of northeastern Japan.

This means that the Tomizawa Site is important not only for understanding life during the Ice Age but also for tracing how people and landscapes changed over thousands of years.

Access to the Forest Beneath the Ground Museum

By Public Transportation

From Nagamachi-Minami Station: Approximately 5 minutes on foot. The station is served by the Sendai Subway Nanboku Line.

From JR Nagamachi Station: Approximately 20 minutes on foot.

By Car

A free parking area for approximately 25 vehicles is available, making the museum convenient for visitors traveling by car.

Why Visit the Forest Beneath the Ground Museum?

The Forest Beneath the Ground Museum offers a rare opportunity to encounter a world that existed approximately 20,000 years ago. Instead of viewing prehistoric artifacts only in glass cases, visitors can see an ancient forest and traces of human activity preserved at the original archaeological site.

The combination of archaeology, reconstructed nature, and modern preservation technology makes the museum particularly distinctive. The Ice Age Forest outside also provides a relaxing way to explore the environment that once surrounded Paleolithic people.

For international visitors, the museum offers an especially interesting perspective on Japan’s ancient history. Long before the development of cities, temples, castles, and modern culture, people were already living in and adapting to the landscapes of the Japanese archipelago.

Whether you are interested in archaeology, prehistoric life, natural history, or family-friendly educational experiences, the Forest Beneath the Ground Museum provides a memorable journey through time.

When visiting Sendai, take the opportunity to step below the modern city and discover the traces of a world that existed thousands of generations ago.