Special Historic Site Toro Archaeological Site & Toro Museum

One of Shizuoka’s leading historical attractions, where you can experience life in the Yayoi period with all five senses. At the Toro Museum, located next to the Special Historic Site Toro Archaeological Site, you can learn about daily life centered on rice cultivation through excavated artifacts designated as Important Cultural Properties and hands-on Yayoi exhibits.

The museum’s galleries feature authentic materials such as wooden farming tools, pottery, and house components designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, making it easy to understand the full picture of a Yayoi village. On the first floor, the Yayoi hands-on exhibition room lets visitors wear a kantoi robe and try activities such as simulated rice planting and harvesting with a stone knife, making it fun for both children and adults to learn. The rooftop terrace is another highlight, offering sweeping views of Toro’s scenery as well as Mt. Fuji. Special exhibitions are also held four times a year, and the museum shop sells related books and original goods.

Outside, restored pit dwellings, raised-floor storehouses, and rice paddies recreate the look of a Yayoi-period village brought back to life in the present day. Seasonal rice-farming programs such as rice planting and harvesting are also offered. Another attraction is the chance to join hands-on outdoor activities like fire-making and cooking rice in earthenware pots. It’s a rare opportunity to feel the living presence of ancient times in a way that everyday life cannot offer.