The National Museum of Nature and Science (Director-General: Makoto Manabe) is holding a NEWS exhibit, "Japan's First Confirmed Lapis Lazuli," from July 14 (Tuesday) to September 6 (Sunday), 2026.
In February 2026, the museum announced in a press release, "Japan's First Lapis Lazuli Confirmed in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture," that lapis lazuli had been confirmed to occur naturally in Japan for the first time, found in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture.
That announcement was picked up by numerous media outlets, and more than ten additional lapis lazuli samples have since been found by people who saw the coverage.
This NEWS exhibit displays the actual specimen of the first lapis lazuli discovered in Japan alongside a well-known specimen from Afghanistan, allowing visitors to compare the two. It also explains the differences between the two specimens revealed through chemical composition analysis.
Exhibit Details
Period: July 14 (Tuesday) to September 6 (Sunday), 2026
Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science (7-20 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo), Japan Gallery, 3rd Floor Corridor
Exhibit Overview
The lapis lazuli specimens were collected in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture, by two individuals who had gathered local rocks — mainly jadeite — as a hobby over many years. After both collectors passed away, their rocks were acquired collectively by Kotaki Bussan (Representative: Kanako Ito), a company dealing in jadeite and similar materials. Because the collection included some blue stones, the National Museum of Nature and Science carried out chemical composition analysis and X-ray diffraction, which confirmed the stones to be lapis lazuli.
This exhibit displays the actual specimen of the first lapis lazuli discovered in Japan alongside a well-known specimen from Afghanistan for comparison, and explains the differences between the two revealed through chemical composition analysis.
