If you were to ask what the most popular dinosaur model in Japan is, there would be no doubt that it's the skeletal kit assembled from cut wooden boards, commonly known as "white wood dinosaurs." It was first released in the mid-1970s by a manufacturer called "Dom Space Design," and since then, it has spawned various copies and offshoots. Today, it can even be found in 100-yen stores, becoming a part of the everyday landscape. However, it rarely comes up in conversations among dinosaur enthusiasts. I myself own a few of them, but most are tucked away in my closet. I'm the type of person who isn't satisfied until I collect everything, yet these items are so commonplace and unappreciated that they even discourage me. There's no end to similar items: ones made of fluorescent plastic, cardboard, or metal plates; ones with bobble-head mechanisms; ones that came as freebies with gum (there were two types, perhaps because they were also flat, board-like objects); wind-up walking ones; electric walking ones that roar, and so on. Among them, the modern reconstructions released by the American company Safari Co. in recent years are quite well-made. Come to think of it, there was an imported life-sized Deinonychus model... With so many variations, some rare items can appeal to collectors. Photo 1 shows a knock-off from about 20 years ago, proudly bearing a Shizuoka specialty certification sticker. Photo 2 is a miniature Korean food toy, with the box measuring a mere 9cm.

Now for this month's Secret Treasure Museum scene. Photos 3 and 4 show the first-generation Triceratops by Dom (the frills, etc., differ from those currently on the market) placed on the windowsill of the washroom, and a large Plesiosaurus hanging from the ceiling of the dinosaur room. Although they are usually overlooked, when photographed, they look quite good!