The “Wakuwaku Aira Dinosaur Museum Exhibition” was held from December 20 to 27 at “Aira Square” on the first floor of Aira City Hall Main Building in Aira City, Kagoshima Prefecture. The exhibition was presented as part of a collaborative initiative between Aira City and Okayama University of Science (OUS), with OUS providing full support. As a hands-on program that allowed visitors to experience dinosaur science up close, the event drew approximately 1,600 visitors on the first day, Dec. 20 and about 1,800 on the second day, Dec. 21, totaling 3,400 visitors over the first two days.
 
At the venue, about 20 specimens were displayed, including a tyrannosaur skeleton measuring approximately 6.5 meters in length and 2.5 meters in height, as well as fossil specimens of skulls and other body parts. The city hall lobby was transformed into a museum-like space, and visitors were able to observe the impressive specimens from close range. A particularly notable feature was the ability to view specimens at close distance—items that are often seen only through museum display cases—drawing keen interest from both children and adults.
 
The exhibition also featured a display recreating an excavation site in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, along with panel and video exhibits introducing excavation work and field research. Rather than focusing solely on specimen display, the overall program was designed to help visitors learn about dinosaur science as an academic field—exploring where dinosaurs are found and how they are discovered and studied.
 
In addition, the exhibition offered interactive programs, including a public lecture by Associate Professor Shoji Hayashi of OUS’s Department of Dinosaur Paleontology, Faculty of Biosphere-Geosphere Science, opportunities to touch fossils, a hands-on corner simulating fossil-cleaning work, and activities such as making fossil replicas. The programs aimed to help children build interest in science while having fun, and participating children and parents shared comments such as, “It was a rare chance to touch the real thing,” and “It made me want to study dinosaurs in the future.”
 
The exhibition was open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 27).