If you want to learn more about the natural history of the Oki Islands, the Oki Nature Museum is a must-visit. Catering to all visitors but with a special appeal to children, the exhibits are eye-catching. Museum staff will enthusiastically demonstrate how obsidian, a glasslike volcanic rock formed from the rapid solification of lava and common in the islands, can be as sharp as your regular cutter knife and was probably one of the earliest tools. Take your time exploring the biodiversity of the islands with the vast collection of taxidermy birds, small mammals, reptiles and fish. Aside from the obsidian, there is another exhibit that you can touch and smell: a chunk off the 2000 year old cedar tree from the Tamawaku-Mikoto Shrine that broke off in a storm. The hole in the trunk makes a natural frame for a photo. Have fun with hte 3D photo spot of a crocodile with its mouth wide open.
Getting there
The Oki Nature Museum is a 1-2 minute walk from the Saigo Port Ferry Terminal. The Oki Geopark Vistory Center is right next to the museum.
