[Interview Report] “Ice Age Exhibition: The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago” is currently being held at the National Museum of Nature and Science. Take a journey to explore the mysteries of the Ice Age that determined the fate of extinction or survival.

National Museum of Nature and Science

When you hear the word "ice age," some people may imagine a harsh world covered in ice and snow, completely different from the present. However, academically, an ice age refers to a period when ice sheets, thick masses of ice covering the land, existed widely on a continental scale.

Ice ages, when the climate is cold and ice sheets grow large, are alternated with interglacial periods, when the climate is relatively warm and the ice sheets retreat, in cycles of about 100,000 years, so ice ages are not always cold. Even though we live in a year 2025, when ice sheets exist in Greenland and Antarctica, the year may look a little different if you understand that we are in the middle of an interglacial period, or in other words, a glacial period, and are suffering from extreme heat every day.

The special exhibition currently being held at the National Museum of Nature and Science, "Ice Age Exhibition – The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago" (July 12th to October 13th, 2025), focuses on the state of the Earth around 40,000 years ago, during the last ice age.

The exhibition will showcase the lives of humans and animals who lived in environments completely different from those of modern times, as well as changes in their environments, using the latest scientific knowledge and powerful exhibits, including the actual skulls of Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, which will be on display in Japan for the first time, as well as skeletal specimens of extinct animals, ecological reconstruction models, and archaeological materials.

Entrance to the "Ice Age Exhibition"

Kenichi Shinoda, director of the National Museum of Nature and Science, who supervised the exhibition, said the following at the press preview:

"There are 8 billion human beings living in the world, but in reality we are all one species: Homo sapiens. There once were other species of humans in Europe and Asia, but by 12,000 years ago, only Homo sapiens remained. What kind of people and animals did our ancestors encounter after they left Africa 60,000 years ago? The main purpose of this exhibition is for visitors to experience where the animals that have become extinct lived and what they looked like. We hope that this exhibition will not only encourage visitors to reflect on our journey so far, but also give them an opportunity to think about how we should live as the environment changes due to global warming."

Long mammoth (living reconstruction model, skeletal specimen), Reiss Engelhorn Museum collection

Visitors are greeted at the venue by the majestic appearance of a woolly mammoth, which is said to have survived on the islands of Siberia and Alaska until thousands of years ago and is owned by the Reiss-Engelhorn Museum in Germany. This is one of the highlights of the exhibition and will catch your eye with its power, but don't forget to check out the cave lion rib with spear wounds, which is casually displayed just before it.

Cave lion rib with spear wounds [original], Mammoth Museum Siegsdorf
This 48,000-year-old fossil rib was excavated in southern Germany. Cave lions, a close relative of modern lions, often appear in murals and sculptures, and are known to have been a common prey for Neanderthals and Homo sapiens (Cro-Magnons). The spear marks indicate that our human ancestors faced off against animals roaming the frigid ice age, and lived tough lives, making this a fitting opening for the exhibition, overflowing with romance.

At its coldest point 30,000 to 20,000 years ago, the high latitudes of Eurasia experienced cooling and the formation of vast steppe tundra (areas of cold grassland and permafrost). In this environment, grassland-dwelling mammoth fauna, including woolly mammoths, cave lions, woolly rhinoceroses, and steppe pythons, thrived. These fauna, along with the giant deer and cave bear that had survived in forests since the interglacial period, and many other extant species, formed the megafauna of the last glacial period.

Exhibition view. On the left is a giant elk (biological reconstruction model, full skeleton), from the Reiss Engelhorn Museum collection.

"Chapter 1: The Animals of Europe in the Ice Age" displays fossils, full-body skeletal specimens, and reconstructed models of megafauna, and explores the mystery of their rise and fall while explaining the ecology of extinct and living species. The animals, with their impressive bodies and long fur to withstand the cold, give an idea of the harsh environment of the time.

Steppe python (fossil skull [real]), owned by the Reiss Engelhorn Museum
Cave bear (biological reconstruction model, full skeleton), Reiss Engelhorn Museum
Woolly rhinoceros (biological reconstruction model, full skeleton), Reiss Engelhorn Museum

Characterized by their long fur that looks as if they are covered in cloth and their large hooves, the musk ox is a surviving member of the mammoth group and a member of the goat subfamily. 20,000 years ago, a sudden warming of the Earth caused the steppe tundra to shrink, and species adapted to cold climates and grassland-dwelling species gradually disappeared. However, the musk ox and the Arctic fox were able to move their habitats into the Arctic Circle, and so they continue to survive to this day.

From left: Musk ox (stuffed specimen), Saiga antelope (reconstructed ecological model), Reiss Engelhorn Museum collection

The ancestors of Cro-Magnons originated in Africa about 300,000 years ago and spread across Eurasia about 60,000 years ago. At the time, another human species called Neanderthals lived in Europe, but they disappeared about 40,000 years ago.

Reconstruction of a Neanderthal, National Museum of Natural History, Paris ©2019 Sculpture ELISABETH DAYNES, France
Reconstruction of Cro-Magnon man, National Museum of Natural History, Paris @2025 Sculpture ELISABETH DAYNES, France

Neanderthals had sturdy physiques and strong muscles, while Cro-Magnons had relatively slender builds and long limbs. At first glance, it seems that the former was better suited to surviving the harsh Ice Age, but what was it that determined the fates of the two? "Chapter 2: Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons" unravels this mystery with archaeological remains such as stone tools and ornaments, and the actual "La Ferrassie 1" and "Cro-Magnon 1," said to be the "world's most famous skulls" of two human species that lived in the same era, are on display in Japan for the first time.

Exhibition view, second from the left: La Ferrassie 1 (Neanderthal) © MNHN National Museum of Natural History, Paris. third from the left: Cro-Magnon 1 (Cro-Magnon man) © MNHN – JCDomenech National Museum of Natural History, Paris.

"La Ferrassie 1" was discovered in 1909 at the La Ferrassie rock shelter in France, and is a nearly complete skeleton of a Neanderthal man who lived between 45,000 and 43,000 years ago. "Cro-Magnon 1" was also discovered in the Cro-Magnon rock shelter in France during road construction and is thought to be a man who lived between 28,000 and 27,000 years ago. Even a quick glance at the skulls on display reveals significant differences in the length of the skull, the width of the cheekbones, and the prominence of the brow bones, making this a luxurious opportunity to compare the two in person.

La Ferrassie 1 (Neanderthal) © MNHN National Museum of Natural History, Paris
Cro-Magnon 1 (Cro-Magnon man) © MNHN – JCDomenech National Museum of Natural History, Paris

The discovery of La Ferrassie 1, bent over in the ground, is said to have provided evidence that Neanderthals, who were traditionally considered barbaric and culturally inferior to Cro-Magnons, had the practice of burying their dead.

Exhibition view

The corridor connecting Chapters 2 and 3 has a video exhibit that explains basic information about the Ice Age, which will be of great interest to beginners, as well as a corner where you can touch fossilized animal hair and teeth. It's fun to trace the unique contours of the teeth of woolly mammoths and aurochs and imagine what they ate and why they were shaped that way.

Chapter 3, "The Japanese Archipelago in the Ice Age," introduces the lives of humans who are believed to have arrived in Japan by approximately 38,000 years ago, and the lives of animals that lived at that time, including the Naumann's elephant, the Yabe giant deer, and the Japanese long-eared tiger ox, the three most extinct animals in Japan.

Exhibition view. In the foreground is a Naumann's elephant (full skeleton [replica]), Tochigi Prefectural Museum collection / (right incisor, left mandibular third molar, right femur fossil [original]), Lake Nojiri Naumann's Elephant Museum collection
Minatogawajin [original], University Museum, The University of Tokyo
During the last glacial period, when the climate cooled significantly between 70,000 and 20,000 years ago, the development of ice sheets and glaciers fixed most of the Earth's water, causing sea levels in the Japanese archipelago to drop by more than 60 meters. The Japanese archipelago's appearance was said to be very different from today, with Hokkaido connected to the Eurasian continent and Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu forming a huge island known as Old Honshu Island. With such diverse environments stretching north and south across the Japanese archipelago as a backdrop, modern humans acquired a rich range of regional characteristics.

The comparative exhibit, showcasing the regional characteristics of stone tools from the middle of the Late Paleolithic period on the island of ancient Honshu, features items excavated from sites in Iwate, Osaka, and Kagoshima, but one item that particularly caught our eye was a stone blade excavated from the Suichoen site in Osaka.

The actual material, owned by the Habikino City Board of Education, shows the connection between the Kokufu-type knife-shaped stone tool and the Setouchi technique.
In the Setouchi region, a technique called the "Setouchi technique" was developed to mass-produce flakes with strange shapes that spread out like wings from the point of impact when breaking a stone, unlike the stone blades used around the world. From spear tips produced using this Setouchi technique, distinctive stone tools known as "Kokufu-type knife-shaped stone tools" were made. The reason for their emergence is not clear, but it appears to have been a rare technique even on a global scale.

The second venue continued with the exhibit "Glacial-Interglacial Cycles and Vegetation," which included an enlarged model of a cute (?) heart-shaped pollen fossil, making it an exhibition with plenty to see right to the end.

Exhibition view. On the left is an enlarged model of cold-season pollen (Japanese white pine), owned by Lake Biwa Museum, Shiga Prefecture.
Ambassador Abareru-kun appeared at the press preview

Abareru-kun, a history-loving entertainer who serves as the ambassador for the exhibition, also gave it high praise, saying, "If you look carefully from the entrance to the exit, you'll probably learn as much as 50 hours of science class." "There's nothing to waste! Everything is worth seeing!"

"It would also be great for independent research or learning during summer vacation. The Earth is currently facing various challenges, but I think the animals of the Ice Age who survived such harsh times have something in common with us today," he said enthusiastically, and promoted the audio guide he provided, saying, "If you watch it with my fun narration and explanations, you will learn 100 times more and it will be 100 times easier to understand."

The special exhibition "Ice Age: The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago" will be held until Monday, October 13th (national holiday).

Overview of the special exhibition "Ice Age: The World as Seen by Humanity 40,000 Years Ago"

venue National Museum of Nature and Science (Ueno Park, Tokyo)
Dates July 12, 2025 (Sat) – October 13, 2025 (Monday/holiday)
Opening hours 9:00 – 17:00 (last admission at 16:30)
Open at night The museum will close at 7pm from August 8th (Friday) to 17th (Sunday) and October 10th (Friday) to 13th (Monday, national holiday) (last admission at 6:30pm).
*The permanent exhibition will be open until 6:00 PM from August 9th (Sat) to August 15th (Fri). At other times, the permanent exhibition will be open until 5:00 PM (admission until 30 minutes before closing time).
Closed days September 1st (Monday), 8th (Monday), 16th (Tuesday), 22nd (Monday), 29th (Monday)
ticket Adults/university students: 2,300 yen, elementary, junior high, and high school students: 600 yen

*Free for preschool children.
*Free admission for those with a disability certificate and one caregiver.
*If you have a student ID or other certificate, please present it when entering the venue.
For further details, please check the official website .

Organizer National Museum of Nature and Science, TBS, TBS Gloudia, Tokyo Shimbun
inquiry 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial)
Official exhibition website https://hyogakiten.jp/

*The content of this article is current as of the date of coverage. Please check the official exhibition website for the latest information.

Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno


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[Friday, August 15th – Sunday, September 28th] Geisai x Inoichi x Blue Period ~ A double collaboration event between the shopping district and Tokyo University of the Arts in Ueno, the setting of the popular manga “Blue Period”! ~

"Blue Period Exhibition" and "Blue Period Digital Stamp Rally" to be held in Ueno! Get original goods drawn by Tsubasa Yamaguchi!

The Ueno Nakadori Shopping District Promotion Association will be holding an event called "Geisai x Inoichi x Blue Period" in collaboration with Tokyo University of the Arts' school festival "Geisai" and the popular manga "Blue Period" (by Yamaguchi Tsubasa), which is currently being serialized in "Monthly Afternoon." The event will run for 45 days from August 15th (Friday) to September 28th (Sunday).
This event will be packed with content, including the "Blue Period Exhibition" and "Blue Period Digital Stamp Rally" held in Ueno, where Tokyo University of the Arts, the setting for Blue Period, is located. Tsubasa Yamaguchi has also created a key visual for the event, featuring characters having fun in the Ueno shopping arcade. Prizes for the stamp rally and limited edition original goods will be sold using this original illustration. The "Blue Period Exhibition" will also feature an exhibition of works created by current Tokyo University of the Arts students.

[Event Information]
■ "Blue Period Exhibition in Ueno"
・Dates: Friday, August 15th to Sunday, September 28th, 2025
・Event time: 11:00-18:00
・Venue: NIGIWAI Base Ueno
Shiratorisha Building 3rd Floor, 4-6-7 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
・Contents: Panel exhibition, exhibition of works by Tokyo University of the Arts students, etc.
*Free admission
*Depending on the time of day, we may issue numbered admission tickets to reduce congestion.

Blue Period Exhibition in Ueno ©Yamaguchi Tsubasa/Kodansha *Image is for illustrative purposes only

■ "Blue Period Digital Stamp Rally"
Visit six locations and get your hands on original goods featuring original illustrations by Tsubasa Yamaguchi!
・Dates: Friday, August 15th to Sunday, September 28th, 2025
・Event time: 11:00-18:00
*Prize exchange times are the same (Prize exchange office: Marishiten Tokudaiji Temple)
・Participation fee: Free
・How to participate: Access the official website and download the smartphone app "furari" to participate.

・Stamp rally prize information
〇Prize 1
Original postcard *Available only to the first 2,000 people, while supplies last
A postcard featuring an original illustration of the characters and the background of Ueno Nakadori Shopping Street

Original postcard ©Yamaguchi Tsubasa/Kodansha *Image is for illustrative purposes only
©Yamaguchi Tsubasa/Kodansha

Prize 2
Original acrylic stand
An acrylic stand featuring four newly drawn characters. *300 people will be selected by lottery.

Acrylic stand ©Yamaguchi Tsubasa/Kodansha *Image is for illustrative purposes only

■ Original amulets for sale
Acrylic charms featuring four original characters on sale
*This is an amulet that has been blessed by Marishiten Tokudaiji Temple, which is said to bring good fortune in "improvement in performing arts and the arts."
Sales period: From Friday, August 15th *Ends while supplies last
Sales location: Marishiten Tokudaiji Temple (4-6-2, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
NIGIWAI Base Ueno (3rd floor, Shiratorisha Building, 4-6-7 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo)

Acrylic amulet ©Yamaguchi Tsubasa/Kodansha *Image is for illustrative purposes only

"Art Festival x Inoichi x Blue Period"
Date and time: August 15th (Friday) – September 28th (Sunday) 11:00-18:00
Organized by: Ueno Nakadori Shopping District Promotion Association
Official website: https://www.ueno-nakadoori.or.jp/geisaiinoichi2025/

[Daiichi Tsushinsha Co., Ltd.] Press release


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“Resol Gallery Ueno” – Japan’s largest open exhibition, artworks by artists exhibited at the National Exhibition. Special exhibition in August 2025. Four works by artist Kyoko Ito will be on display at this exhibition.

Tourist hotel "Hotel Resol Ueno" Art gallery in the living lobby "Resol Gallery Ueno"
Dates: Friday, August 1st to Sunday, August 31st, 2025. Free admission.

Hotel Resol Ueno (7-2-9 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo), a tourist hotel under the Resol Hotels brand operated by Resol Co., Ltd., will be holding a special exhibition of four works by artist Kyoko Ito in the art gallery in the living lobby, Resol Gallery Ueno, from Friday, August 1st to Sunday, August 31st, 2025.

As part of Hotel Resol Ueno's efforts to create a hotel rooted in the Ueno area, where art and the downtown area blend in harmony, the hotel launched an initiative in February last year to utilize the art gallery in the living lobby, "Resol Gallery Ueno," as a place to create encounters between up-and-coming artists who will disseminate the culture of the future and traveling guests. Since its launch, the gallery has featured artists who have been active in the art scene for many years, as well as up-and-coming artists. So far, the gallery has exhibited works from a variety of genres, including oil paintings and prints, and has become a place where travelers (tourists) can casually experience art, enjoyed not only by guests but also by the general public.

The tenth artist, Kyoko Ito, graduated from the Department of Oil Painting at Musashino Art University, and is based in Tokyo. She has been actively presenting her work in solo exhibitions, group exhibitions, and public exhibitions. She is currently a member of the Kokugakai and the Japan Artists Association.

This exhibition will feature four oil paintings based on the theme of "The Will to Live," which Ito has been working on for many years, that express the inner energy of humans, such as "the power to take action" and "the capacity to embrace." Please come and see these works that express the strength that resides in people and the preciousness of life.

At Resol Hotels, we will continue to weave irreplaceable travel stories through hotel operations that thoroughly meet the needs of all travelers (tourists).

Event Overview
Date: August 1st (Friday) – August 31st (Sunday), 2025
Venue: "Resol Gallery Ueno" art gallery in the living lobby of "Hotel Resol Ueno"
Artist: Kyoko Ito
Admission fee: Free *Non-guests are welcome to drop in as well.
Opening hours: [Hotel guests] Open 24 hours. / [Non-hotel guests] 10:00-20:00

Exhibited works:

"Execution Power" (2014, oil on canvas, size S30)

This is one of four works in the "Power to Live" series (power of execution, power of concentration, perseverance, tolerance).
Instead of just waiting, you can move forward by taking action one step at a time.
The ability to live and the ability to execute are very important in life.
This work is conscious of the dynamism of the brushstrokes, as if to appeal to the viewer about the strength of the will to live.

"Tolerance" (2014, oil on canvas, size S30)

This is one of four works in the "Wisdom for Life" series (ability to execute, ability to concentrate, perseverance, tolerance).
Caring for others, being supportive, and accepting in society.
This is also a vitality and tolerance that is very important in life.
The large U-shape envelops you in warmth.
This work emphasizes its intention by deliberately using a simple composition.

"Voice of the Earth" (2024, oil on canvas, size F4)

The motif is an abstract image of a large tree that has taken root in the earth and has been around for a long time.
This piece expresses this vitality through monochrome tones and accents of vermilion.

"Existence" (2025, oil on canvas, size F3)

This work uses abstract expression to express the significance of the existence of objects and people.
I hope that each person who sees the work will appreciate it in their own way.

Profile: Kyoko Ito
After graduating from the Department of Oil Painting, Faculty of Art and Design, Musashino Art University, he has continued to exhibit his works as an oil painter through solo and group exhibitions, mainly in Tokyo. In recent years, he has been creating works with the theme of "the will to live." He is currently a member of the Kokugakai and the Japan Artists Association.

■ Biography
1992 Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University, Faculty of Letters
1996 Graduated from Musashino Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Oil Painting

1997 to present
<Solo Exhibition>
Nihonbashi Takashimaya 6th Floor Art Gallery (2006)
Ichibanboshi Gallery (Nihonbashi) ('98, '99, '00, '01, '05, '11, '14, '20)
Museum Nagatoro Ichibanboshi (2003)
Saegusa Gallery (Ginza) (1997)
Rei Gallery (Ginza) (2007)
Shirota Gallery (Ginza) (2012)
Gallery Azuma (Ginza) ('16'19'23) and others

<Group Exhibition>
KOKU 10/TEN (Ginza Gallery Himawari) ('11, '12, '13)
Kokugakai New Members Exhibition (Ginza Inoue Gallery) (2015)
Winter Aoi Exhibition (Exhibition by three members of the National Exhibition) (Gallery Himawari) ('21), etc.

<Exhibition>
National Exhibition (National Art Center, Tokyo) Exhibited every year since 1996 (except '98)
Showakai Exhibition (Nichido Gallery) ('97, '99)
Field of Now Exhibition (Japan Art Dealers Association) ('00, '01, '02)
The Rite of Spring (Foreign Art Dealers Association) ('17, '18, '20)
Ueno Royal Museum Grand Prize Exhibition ('98,'02)
EU JAPON Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition (Paris, Luxembourg, etc.) (1998)
Kyoko Ito Exhibition (Homma Museum of Art, Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture) (2002)
Three Women Artists Exhibition (Homma Museum of Art) (2005)
Tokyo Art Fair (Tokyo International Forum) ('08, '09, '11) and others
Evening Star Exhibition (Ichibanboshi Gallery, Memorial to Tadanobu Hoshi) ('20)
Currently a member of the Kokugakai and the Japan Artists Association

<Collection of works>
Exhibition "Lafre Saitama" (Saitama New Urban Center, Saitama Prefecture)
"Homma Museum of Art" (Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture)
"Ichibanboshi Gallery" (Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
"Seikogaoka Hospital" (Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture)
Asahi Neurological Rehabilitation Hospital (Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture)
"Le Japon" (Restaurant, Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo)
"Granduo Kyodo II" (apartment in Kyodo, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo)
"Aoyama Gakuin High School" (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo)
"Yachiyo Wakaba Kindergarten" (Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture)
"Tamagawa Seigakuin" (Setagaya Ward, Tokyo)
"Hotel de L'Arpage" (Tateshina Plateau, Nagano Prefecture)
Marusan Heavy Machinery Construction Co., Ltd. (Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture)

About Resol Gallery Ueno
Resol Gallery Ueno, an art gallery located in the living lobby of Hotel Resol Ueno, exhibits a variety of artworks by up-and-coming artists that embody their passion and techniques.
The artistic experience unique to Ueno, a city of academia, offers travelers a spice that is different from a simple hotel stay.
The gallery alternates between special and permanent exhibitions every other month, providing new discoveries and opportunities for growth with every visit.

[About the special exhibition]
Resol Gallery Ueno provides a free gallery space for up-and-coming artists, including those who have been active in the art scene for many years, to exhibit their works.
As a base for travel where the city of Ueno meets art, we will create opportunities for visitors to encounter a variety of artworks, including "artworks that evoke images of travel, travelers, or travel destinations," "artworks that evoke images of downtown culture, climate, and history," "artworks that evoke a sense of academia," and "artworks that soothe the viewer's soul and inspire new discoveries and inspiration."

<Contact for inquiries from exhibitors>
Tel: 03-5325-9269 (Contact: Ito)
Email: ka.ito@resol.jp

[About the permanent exhibition]

(From left in the image)
The Sun and the Moon (2020, Keita Shimizu, acrylic paint on wooden panel, set of 2)
Panda (2020 Masaru Ishikawa and Keita Shimizu, acrylic paint on resin figure)
EDO, rotated 90° (2020 Keita Shimizu, printed on canvas)
Ueno (2020 Shimizu Keita, acrylic paint on wooden panel)

Profile: Keita Shimizu
Designer, design consultant
Born in Tokyo in 1974.
After completing a Master's degree at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts, he began working as a designer based in Milan.
His inclusive designs, born from the global values he developed during his childhood in the United States and his life as a designer in Italy, have been highly praised both at home and abroad.Recently, he has not only worked on product design, but also on hotel concept development and corporate design.

Overview of Hotel Resol Ueno

◇Address: 7-2-9 Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Access: 1 minute walk from JR Ueno Station, Asakusa Exit or Iriya Exit
◇Structure: Steel frame [10 floors above ground]
Number of rooms: 115 [107 Modernette (semi-double) rooms / 8 Twin rooms]
◇Official website: https://www.resol-hotel.jp/ueno/

[Resol Co., Ltd.] Press Release


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