Varve Museum has won the 2nd Japan Museums Association Award!

Lake Suigetsu has the world's longest varves (45m long piled up for 70,000 years!)

The world's first museum of varves opened in Wakasa-cho, Fukui Prefecture. The varves in Lake Suigetsu are a global standard measure for age determination. Sediments with varves piled up continuously in the lake bed for 70,000 years unravel mysteries of ancient history.

 

varves

Varves refer to the sediment with characteristic annually laminated sediment piled up in the lake bed. One new layer made up of light and dark colored stripes is formed each year and this striped pattern is piled up alternately. The color difference arises from different types of sediment depending on the season.

 

  • Exhibitions

    Contents of our permanent exhibits.
     

  • Information for Visitors

    Basic info
    (Admission, contact info, access, etc.)