When you hear "Hihokan" (Museum of Curiosities), you probably think of those places in hot spring towns that offer cheap thrills with their slightly erotic wax figures, Dōsojin statues, and tacky taxidermy. This time, however, I've gathered some mysterious items that truly live up to the name "Hihokan." I didn't find any erotic dinosaurs, though, thankfully.

First up is the dinosaur next to the entrance (Photo 1). In some towns, wealthy homes might have life-sized German shepherds or Doberman statues next to their front doors, but my dinosaur is in a league of its own; its mysterious aura far surpasses that of any dog. This porcelain dinosaur, which continues to reside here drawing curious glances from neighbors, was a gift from an acquaintance living in Gifu who found it at a Seto ceramics market. I'm very grateful for it. It's apparently made in Vietnam.

Next, two items from China. Photo 2 shows a shellcraft Stegosaurus and Plesiosaurus that I bought at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum during the "Sea and Islands Expo" in Hiroshima in '89. They have a certain charm. And fittingly for China, they even have a seal. Photo 3 is a "magic mirror" of a Mamenchisaurus that I bought at the Yokohama Expo in '89 (a full skeleton of a Mamenchisaurus was exhibited there). They claimed that if you reflected light from this mirror onto a wall, a shadow of the Mamenchisaurus would appear, but it was only noticeable if you were told to look for it. This one is a miniature, about 5cm in diameter, but there was a huge one that I really wanted, but I remember it was prohibitively expensive.

Photo 4 is a wooden Allosaurus that I recently acquired on Yahoo Auctions. Actually, I remember seeing this before; I believe it was displayed at an event commemorating the release of Jurassic Park. The fact that I remembered it means it must have made quite an impact. When I inquired with the seller, they said they obtained it at an antique market in Kobe. If it's the same item, I wonder what route it took to end up in Kobe? It makes me feel a strange affection for it. It's slightly damaged, but I cherish it, believing it to be an item I've been reunited with after over a decade.