Between 1992 and 1996, "Dinosaur Science Frontline," the first dinosaur specialty magazine in Japan published by Gakken, was truly a bible for us dinosaur fans who were hungry for the latest dinosaur information. The editor-in-chief, Masaaki Inoue, unfortunately passed away due to illness in June 2002, in the midst of his work (while publishing "Dinopress," which succeeded "Frontline"). However, the influence these magazines had on the Japanese dinosaur community, especially on young researchers who would lead future dinosaur research, was immense.
On a personal note (though it goes without saying that this entire section is personal), Editor-in-Chief Inoue once visited my dinosaur room. He came for an interview for an article about me that was to be published in Frontline Issue 11. When he found a sticker from the Makuhari Great Dinosaur Exhibition ('90), which he was involved in, stuck to the window, and I confessed that I had "stolen it from a train door with desperate resolve," he happily praised me, saying, "Splendid!" It's a good memory. As a souvenir, I received the legendary "Gakken - 6th Grade Science - May '88 Appendix: Brachiosaurus Skeleton Model." It's too precious for me to assemble (photo above).

Now to the main topic. In late summer 1995, I participated in the second "Dinosaur Science Frontline Staff North American Continent Tour to Visit the Home of Dinosaurs," organized by "Frontline." It was a fulfilling 10-day trip visiting only dinosaur spots in Alberta, Colorado, South Dakota, and Utah (no sightseeing whatsoever). The details of the tour are thoroughly covered in Frontline Issue 13, so if you don't have it, please look for it in used bookstores or online. Here, I would like to report on how I went on a dinosaur merchandise shopping spree.

Our first destination was Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. Needless to say, the purpose was to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the surrounding excavation sites. We arrived in the evening, but after dinner, I immediately asked for directions to a fossil shop and went there. The shop was located across the Red Deer River (photo above), where Barnum Brown once floated a raft (photo below left). It was a nice shop with various dinosaur-related items, including fossils. There were things I wanted (such as the Triceratops horn in the photo), but considering their price and size, they weren't something I could buy on the first day, so I managed to resist. However, my resistance was short-lived, as the next day at the Tyrrell Museum shop, I ended up buying fragile-looking figures and a heavy, poorly made plaster replica of the Eichstätt Archaeopteryx specimen (photo below right). To be continued.