Popular with insect fans of all ages (but mostly children), this specialized museum is devoted to the life of French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre (1823-1915), who was famous in Japan as the author of the beautifully written Fabre's Book of Insects. Most of the compact two-story facility is devoted to bugs, both living (housed in terrariums and aquariums) and preserved (neatly arranged in specimen cases lining the walls).
Displays of colorful butterflies, giant moths, dragonflies and stag beetles are some of the highlights here, along with a number of hands-on exhibits. Down in the basement you'll also find a replica of the rural village home in southern France where Fabre was born.
Budding entomologists can purchase preserved insects in individual display boxes from the museum shop, along with insect-themed capsule toys, children's books, insect reference books, and starter kits for collecting and preserving specimens.
The museum is open on weekend afternoons only, and is run by the Henri Fabre Institute, which also conducts educational programs and organizes field trips for children.