In recent years, so-called "battle encyclopedias," which introduce and discuss the strengths of animals, dinosaurs, and mythical creatures in a battle format, have become very popular. "What is the strongest animal in the world?" "It's the African elephant, obviously." "No, after all, the hippo is strong." Such discussions are a fun topic that can get both curious children and adults excited.
Immense power, sharp fangs, deadly venom, electric shocks. The astonishing abilities of dangerous creatures that humans cannot match. These are abilities that can be called "ultimate techniques" that they have acquired through evolution to hunt prey and defend themselves.
Focusing on such deadly techniques, the special exhibition "Super Dangerous Creatures Exhibition: Science Takes on the True Power of Living Things," which explores everything from the astonishing ecology of dangerous creatures to the hidden dangers of familiar organisms from a scientific perspective, is currently being held at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno, Tokyo. It may offer a new perspective on the debate surrounding "the strongest." (The exhibition runs until June 14, 2026)
Venue entrance
Exhibition view
Exhibition view
The venue's design concept is a "forbidden laboratory exploring the astonishing abilities of dangerous creatures." Instead of using existing taxonomic groups, dangerous creatures are classified into eight types based on their signature moves. They are presented using a variety of methods, including valuable specimens, sophisticated CGI, educational models, and impressive documentary footage.
■Exhibition composition
Area A: "Dangerous creatures that use melee attacks"
Lab 1. Power Fighter Type
Lab 2. Killer bite type
Lab 3. Armed Type
Lab 4. Large Swarm Type
Area B: "Dangerous creatures with special attack capabilities"
Lab 5. Highly venomous type
Lab 6. Chemical Attack Type
Lab 7. Electric Shock Type
Lab 8. Vampire type
The dangerous creatures research institute has an underground atmosphere, with "KEEP OUT" tape stretched all over it.
Basically, each exhibit showcases one special move for each species, and apparently, the names of each move were created specifically for this exhibition by the curators in charge of each field. From cool move names that you'll want to say out loud, to puns, and even some that are just too straightforward, the individuality of the curators shines through.
The giant anteater's signature move is called "Death Embrace," which is quite poetic.
Also noteworthy are the exhibits that will appeal to children, such as "Animal Newspaper: The Case Files of Extremely Dangerous Creatures," which presents real-life incidents involving dangerous creatures both domestically and internationally in a newspaper-style format, and card game-style icons categorized by type.
Animal Newspaper Exhibition
The "Power Fighter" exhibits are particularly impressive. Featuring African elephants, as well as green anacondas and cassowaries, these creatures possess overwhelming size and power that poses a formidable threat without needing any tricks.
A complete skeleton specimen of a "power fighter" type African elephant (belonging to "Tamao," who was kept at Tama Zoological Park) / Collection of the National Museum of Nature and Science
For example, African elephants can deliver a devastating blow with a simple yet powerful move called the "nose powerbomb," which involves simply flicking their trunk. The trunk, which is key to this move, can reach 2 meters in length and weigh 150 kg, and is unique in that it has no bones and is composed entirely of muscle. It is made up of bundles of approximately 90,000 muscle fibers, equivalent to the number of fibers in a human body, which allows for complex contractions and extensions. Furthermore, it is said that the hardness and shape of the trunk can be freely changed by adjusting the pressure by changing the amount of fluid inside, similar to a hydraulic system. Therefore, they possess not only brute strength but also dexterity, such as being able to pick up a chicken egg.
Using 3D holograms, we delve into the secrets of the African elephant's trunk, which generates incredible power.
A taxidermied specimen of a "power fighter" type southern elephant seal / Collection of the National Museum of Nature and Science
The next exhibit features a massive stuffed southern elephant seal, comparable in size to an African elephant. While many people may picture seals as laid-back, round, and calming animals, male southern elephant seals boast an impressive size of 5 meters in length and weigh 3 tons.
Even when bitten by sharks or orcas, elephant seals can sometimes survive by using a thick layer of subcutaneous fat up to 10 cm thick to block the teeth and regenerate their skin, demonstrating their remarkable survival abilities. Here, they show documentary footage of a southern elephant seal that wandered into the city and tried to crush a car with its deadly "body press" move while crawling, giving you a real sense of the threat they pose.
An exhibit of a "power fighter" type giraffe (stuffed neck). Although giraffes are generally thought to be gentle, their signature move, "necking," involves whipping their necks like a whip to deliver powerful blows, making them truly power fighters.
A stuffed specimen of a "power fighter" cassowary, housed at the Abiko City Bird Museum. It holds the Guinness World Record for being the "world's most dangerous bird," and its "spike kick," delivered with its long, sharp, ice-pick-like claws, can shatter a watermelon in a single blow.
"Killer Bite" type exhibit
Another appealing aspect of this exhibition is that, starting with the theme "Orca vs. Great White Shark: Who is the strongest in the ocean?", the columns displayed throughout the venue offer various pieces of information to help you make informed decisions about the topic of strength .
For example, in the "Killer Bite" exhibit, which features dangerous creatures that excel at biting, we explain not only the structure of teeth, which are covered with enamel, the hardest tissue in living organisms, but also the force of biting, or "occlusal force."
When comparing the Bite Force Quotient (BFQ), a metric used to compare relative bite force independent of body size, among carnivores, an interesting result was found: the least weasel (164), a small species of weasel weighing around 100g, significantly surpasses the lion (123) and spotted hyena (99.6). Furthermore, the giant panda (151), a carnivore that is also a herbivore, also ranks highly, demonstrating that small size or herbivorous diets should not be underestimated.
"Killer bite" type least weasel and marsupial cat on display.
The weasel family is comprised of extremely ferocious hunters, known for using their sharp canine teeth to take down prey larger than themselves, such as least weasels and wolverines. In particular, the honey badger, the largest species of weasel found on the African continent, is said to fearlessly confront lions that weigh more than 10 times its own weight, and its fierce fighting spirit is truly remarkable.
"Killer bite" type exhibit featuring wolverines, honey badgers, and other members of the weasel family.
The honey badger's signature move (ability) isn't biting, but rather an "impenetrable body and anti-poison." Surprisingly, its thick, flexible skin makes it resistant to damage from animal bites, porcupine stings, and bee stings, and it's even resistant to the blows of venomous snakes like cobras. It can be said to be a well-balanced fighter with high levels of attack, defense, and survival ability.
Furthermore, the "Killer Bite" exhibit features the first-ever public display in Japan of a life-size replica of the world's largest saltwater crocodile, nicknamed "Roron," which measures over 6 meters in length .
A life-size replica of a "killer bite" type rolong (saltwater crocodile) / The original specimen is housed in the National Museum of Natural History of the Philippines.
Saltwater crocodiles, sometimes called "man-eating crocodiles" due to the numerous reported fatalities, are a popular subject of interest. Among them, Lolong holds the Guinness World Record for the "largest crocodile in captivity," with an astonishing length of 6.17m and a weight of 1,075kg. A life-size replica of Lolong, faithfully reproduced from scans of its data taken in the Philippines, is on display at the venue. Its impressive size makes the story of how it took 100 people to pull it out of the sea quite believable. Another highlight is the video explanation of the "death roll," where the crocodile bites its prey and twists its massive body underwater to tear it apart.
This is an exhibit featuring "armed" animals. The sight of the stylish horns of bovine and deer species lined up is spectacular.
An exhibit of an "armed" giant sawfish. The unusual "giant saw" that it swings around at lightning speed during hunting is truly impressive.
Among the exhibits featuring "swarming" creatures that pose a threat in groups, such as grasshoppers and piranhas, the army ant section is a must-see.
The army ant, which inhabits Southeast Asia and Africa, is known for its ecology of devouring surrounding prey in swarms of tens of millions of individuals before moving on. With its needle-sharp mandibles, it not only attacks small lizards and grasshoppers, but there have also been reports of attacks on baby goats and even elderly people who are unable to move due to illness, resulting in their deaths. The sheer power of its predatory abilities is enough to send chills down your spine just thinking about it.
Exhibit of "large-group" army ants
The queen ant, the center of the colony, has long been considered an elusive and almost mythical creature, difficult to even confirm despite years of research by researchers both in Japan and abroad. However, Munetoshi Maruyama, associate professor at the Kyushu University Museum and one of the exhibition's supervisors, and Taku Shimada, an insect explorer and photographer, conducted research in the Republic of Kenya. They reportedly encountered and photographed a queen ant while filming for the TBS program "Crazy Journey." One of these precious queen ant specimens is being exhibited in Japan for the first time at the venue.
Area B in the second half, "Special Attack Dangerous Creatures," is exciting because of the variety of tricky special moves.
The exhibition begins with a "highly venomous" section analyzing the toxins of diverse creatures such as wasps, baby monitor lizards, and blue-ringed octopuses. This is followed by a "chemical attack" section featuring bizarre special moves such as the striped skunk's powerful stinging liquid, 100°C high-temperature gas, and self-destructive defenses. The "electric shock" section explores the power generation mechanisms of creatures like electric eels, which can generate voltages of up to 850 volts. Finally, the "blood-sucking" section focuses on blood-sucking creatures such as vampire bats and ticks, and also touches upon the dangers of infectious diseases.
Taxidermied specimen of a highly venomous juvenile monitor lizard / Collection of the National Museum of Nature and Science
Area B features many creatures with visuals that may evoke a sense of physiological revulsion, such as tarantulas and giant centipedes, so those who are squeamish should be cautious. If you're okay with that, please do take the time to observe their appearances in detail.
In the section dedicated to scorpions, a prime example of "highly venomous" scorpions, you'll find the Deathstalker (meaning "the one that creeps towards death"), a medium-sized, slender scorpion with one of the most potent neurotoxins in the scorpion world, alongside the Emperor Scorpion, whose venom is surprisingly weak despite its imposing appearance, often resulting in pain comparable to a bee sting. An interesting point about scorpion venom is the tendency that "the smaller the claws, the stronger the venom, and conversely, the larger the claws, the weaker the venom," which clearly demonstrates the fact that "the level of danger is not always what it seems."
Exhibit of "highly venomous" scorpions
Exhibit of "highly venomous" sun spiders
Speaking of creatures that are all show and no substance, the "highly venomous" sun spider, described as "one of the most frightening in the arthropod kingdom based on first impressions alone," is a prime example. Its enormous chelicerae are impressive, but it poses no real threat beyond that. Although it may appear to charge towards humans, it is actually just seeking shade to escape the sun, which it dislikes, and is quite timid. It possesses neither venom nor a venomous stinger, so it's a mystery why it was included in this exhibition, but that's part of its charm. Its "dangerousness" based on its appearance is certainly on par with the main attraction.
A liquid-preserved specimen of the highly venomous Portuguese man-of-war, owned by the Enoshima Aquarium. In Japan, they appear around springtime. Within milliseconds of contact with the stinger, the stinger extends and injects venom that causes convulsions and sharp pain.
A stuffed specimen of a "scientific attack" type of turtle vulture / National Museum of Nature and Science collection. They launch a very unpleasant attack by vomiting undigested food (so-called "vomit") from their stomachs.
Another highlight is the use of transparent specimens created with the latest technology for the "electric shock" type of electric eel, electric catfish, and electric ray.
Transparent specimens are a method of making biological specimens transparent through chemical treatment, allowing observation of internal structures without dissection. Conventional methods involved dissolving muscles and internal organs with strong chemicals, making it difficult to observe structures other than bone. However, in recent years, clearing techniques that allow observation of cells and genes within specimens without using strong chemicals have been developed one after another. This exhibition also uses an improved version of the CUBIC method, one of these techniques, making it possible to observe the structure of power-generating organs, which were previously difficult to visualize, in three dimensions.
An exhibit of the "electric shock" electric ray. It has a pair of leaf-shaped power-generating organs on the left and right sides of the front half of its body, and there are apparently instances where it has repelled even great white sharks with electric attacks.
An exhibit featuring the "blood-sucking" tsetse fly. Not only does it cause excruciating pain through blood-sucking, but it also transmits African sleeping sickness, which can lead to fever, headache, mental confusion, coma, and eventually death…
This exhibition focuses on the deadly techniques of living creatures, aiming to unravel their amazing ecology and the hidden dangers of familiar organisms from a scientific perspective. However, reading the comments made by Shinichiro Kawada of the Department of Zoology at the National Museum of Nature and Science, who serves as the overall supervisor of the exhibition, it seems that behind the planning is a desire to convey the importance of "fearing correctly" based on scientific understanding.
Kawada warns against the mass media that sensationalizes the uncertain dangers of dangerous creatures, and against modern society surrounded by the internet overflowing with fake images and videos. Humans are creatures that feel not only fear but also admiration for those who possess abilities they lack, and they want to know more about them, imitate them, and surpass them. This thirst for knowledge has greatly driven the development of science, from anatomy to cutting-edge biochemistry and genetics. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the abilities of dangerous creatures are a "treasure trove of scientific knowledge," and that much of it can be used for materials and technologies necessary for our lives.
As you explore this exhibition, you will come to realize that the knowledge needed to "fear appropriately" is a survival strategy for humanity that will lead to a better tomorrow.
Akira Kawashima
At the press preview held prior to the exhibition, Akira Kawashima of the comedy duo Kirin, who serves as the exhibition's ambassador and audio guide narrator, made an appearance.
Regarding his impressions of the exhibition, he commented, "There are many globally valuable materials, and the exhibition unfolds in a laboratory-like world in each area, so it felt like an attraction. As I went further in, I became more immersed, and I felt like I was part of the research team." He said that the most noteworthy dangerous animal was the giraffe, and he said, "They are herbivores, and judging from their eyes, I thought they were gentle and cute, but when I saw the video, I learned that they can fight with necking, which is powerful enough to kill a person with their own neck. I felt bad for casually saying, 'It's a giraffe'," which drew laughter from the audience.
Finally, they promoted the exhibition as follows:
"There was an exhibit showing that the weaker the scorpion's venom, the larger its claws. It's a lesson in how the weaker you are, the more likely you are to put on a brave face and pick a fight—a trait common to humans. After seeing the exhibit, you can reconsider what your own strengths are. You might find that it's a compassionate heart, or the kindness to prioritize others—a strength unique to humans. I think it's an exhibition where you can make such wonderful discoveries."
The special exhibition "Exhibition of Extremely Dangerous Creatures: Science Takes on the Serious Challenges of Living Things" will run until June 14, 2026.
■ Special Exhibition "Exhibition of Extremely Dangerous Creatures: Science Takes on the Serious Challenges of Living Things" Overview
Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science
Dates: March 14 (Sat) – June 14 (Sun), 2026
Opening hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:30 PM)
Evening hours: From April 25th (Sat) to May 6th (Wed, holiday), the museum will be open until 6:00 PM (last entry at 5:30 PM).
Closed on: Mondays and Thursday, May 7th.
*However, the museum will be open on April 27th (Monday), May 4th (Monday/National Holiday), and June 8th (Monday).
Admission fees (tax included): General admission/University students 2,300 yen, Elementary/Junior high/High school students 600 yen (Tickets purchased on the day)
Organizers: National Museum of Nature and Science, TBS, TBS Growdia, Asahi Shimbun
For inquiries: 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial), 03-5814-9898 (FAX)
Exhibition official website: https://chokikenseibutsuten.jp/
*Please note that the exhibition period, opening hours, and closing days may be subject to change.
*Please note that this information may not be up-to-date. For details, please check the exhibition's official website.
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