It is not famous enough to be included in textbooks, and the excavated items are generally plain and lacking in content, but it is a historical site of unexplored Okhotsk culture that deviates from the mainstream of Japanese history, so it is of great interest. The Okhotsk culture is a culture of northern maritime people living on the coast of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk that flourished from the 3rd to the 13th century, and its anthropological origins are said to be in the Amur River basin, which runs along the current Sino-Russian border. The southern Jomon culture spread all the way to Hokkaido, and from Honshu to Kyushu it passed through the Yayoi, Kofun, Asuka, Nara, Heian, and Kamakura eras, and in Hokkaido, it passed through the Jomon and Satsumon eras and reached the Ainu culture era. Anthropologically, the Ainu are considered to be closely related to the Jomon people, but culturally they are influenced by northern peoples. There is also a theory that the Ainu culture was the result of the fusion of the Satsumon culture, which was created by the descendants of the Jomon people and spread throughout Hokkaido, with the foreign Okhotsk culture. The ruins of the Okhotsk culture are scattered not only in Japan but also in China and Russia, so systematic research has not progressed very well. Although their place in Japanese history has not been established, and therefore it is difficult to understand the historical context, the individual exhibits themselves are careful and easy to understand, and the more you look at them, the more your thoughts and imagination grow. The ruins and exhibition hall are located near the mouth of the Abashiri River, and on the opposite bank is the boarding point for the tourist icebreaker Aurora. When it comes to sightseeing in Abashiri in winter, the first is the Aurora, and the second is the Abashiri Prison.Three are controversial, but I highly recommend them. Since most of the excavation site has been backfilled, it is said that it remains spectacular even in the snow-covered winter and from spring to autumn, so it is also recommended for those who visit Abashiri for drift ice. In addition, when Moyoro Shell Mound is written in kanji, it means "Nearest Shell Mound," but perhaps because it feels so much like a neighborhood, recent signboards and other markings seem to have unified the name "Moyoro Shell Mound."

A good facility to learn about Okhotsk culture. Although the exhibit is compact, it is worth seeing, and the admission fee of 300 yen per person seems cheap. There are many mechanisms that you can learn from experience, such as recreating houses. You can get to know more about Abashiri than just drift ice and prisons.

I visited this place because it had surprisingly good reviews, but I like visiting museums, but overall it wasn't that great. After about 20 minutes, the excavated areas appear to have not been well-maintained.

This is a history museum in Abashiri city. Admission fee is 300 yen for adults, 270 yen with 10% discount if you present your Abashiri Free Pass. The nearest bus stop is Moyoro Iriguchi, but it is also within walking distance from Abashiri Bus Terminal. Buses going to and from Memanbetsu Airport also stop here, so I think it's a good place to wait for the bus. This facility introduces the unique culture that developed in the Okhotsk region through remains such as shell mounds. Hokkaido's history is generally referred to as the Post-Jomon culture, which did not transition from the Jomon period to the Yayoi period, but it is also said that there was a different Okhotsk culture. Until recently, shell middens were considered to be mere garbage dumps, but they are said to have also been used as ceremonial sites, with valuable items buried there. There is a culture that worships bears as gods, and stone statues of bear heads are on display. It seems that a unique funeral ritual was performed in which an urn was placed over the corpse's head. There is a corner that recreates a pit dwelling, and you can actually go inside, and the bear skulls piled up in the corner are quite impressive. Overall, the facility is compact and easy to see, and it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to look around. It's a lower priority compared to places like Abashiri Prison, but it's worth seeing and worth your time for sightseeing.

Moyoro Shell Midden is a representative ruin of Okhotsk culture. The discoverer, Mr. Kioei Mura, was called an ``amateur haircutter'' by a great scholar in Tokyo, while Mr. Kyosuke Kindaichi said, ``Ishiyoshinobi, you and Tatsukana, in the middle of the night's sleep.'' sing.

埋葬時に頭の上に土器を被せる。住居内に熊の頭骨を積み重ねた塚を作る信仰。独特の文化を持つ人々の住居、貝塚、墓が残ります。施設はとても綺麗で展示も充実しており訪れる価値大です。道の駅流氷砕氷船乗り場から歩いて10分ほど。川を隔てた対岸です。バスの待ち時間にオススメ！入場料300円は破格だと思います！

古代海洋狩猟民族モヨロ人の暮しぶり等、遺跡出土品を展示。アイヌ文化とは違うオホーツク文化の存在がわかります。

A place where you can get a glimpse of the past life of the area. The spatial presentation also gave a good impression. To travel back in time to the feeling of the past, I think a museum like this is a great place. Just imagining what happened in that place long ago made me feel excited. The building was nice and it was a museum that I wanted to stop by for a while.

It was a pretty neat museum with interesting displays! But is small and has little english (?- see below). •Bottom line: if you have extra time in Abashiri (I'd say 90 minutes to include getting there), you should go. If you have to choose between this museum or the other 3 on the bus route (prison, northern peoples, drift ice), I'd say go to the other 3 (especially if you'll go to the northern peoples museum, the content is fairly similar and there's more to see there). I spent about 30 minutes in this museum (not including getting there). 🌐Another reviewer said there was an English audio guide included, but it was not offered to me, I only got the pamphlet with a small bit of information. That said, it was a pretty visual museum, so I think it would still be enjoyable to someone who doesn't understand Japanese, but being able to read some Japanese does help. 📖I was able to gather: the Moyoro people inhabited this area before the Ainu many centuries ago. They worshipped bears as gods, and buried their deceased with pots on their head. ❄️The archaeological grounds outside (free) are covered in snow in winter, so you can't walk to see them.

A small but interesting local museum. Nice that they have outdoor exhibits too. I learned a lot about Okhotsk culture and practices. They have audio tours in various languages too, if you don’t read Japanese.

Admission fee is 300 yen. You can fully enjoy Okhotsk culture. The layout of the building was good and it was worth seeing. Venus of Okhotsk is a must-see❗️

A small but very interesting museum. An English audio guide is included, which has a concise explanation of each exhibit. The short introductory video had an English option as well. Friendly staff too.

1300年位昔の村のあと、ただ、現在も発展途上国の田舎の方だとこんな暮らししてる人々はいる。中は丁寧に解説してくれました。

入場料300円ですが、展示内容が濃くて充分楽しめました 20分ほどで見終わりますし、思ったより良かったです