Meguro Parasitological Museum
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Meguro Parasitological Museum
| native_name = 目黒寄生虫館
| native_name_lang= jpn
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| image = Laika ac Meguro Parasitological Museum (7482791412).jpg
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| alt = Glass jars with parasite specimens suspended in fluid
| caption = Parasite specimens on display at the museum
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| coordinates = {{coord|35.631667|139.706667|region:JP-13_type:landmark|format=dms|display=it}}
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| established = {{start date|1953}}
| type = Science museum
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| collections =
| collection_size = 60,000 specimens, 300 on exhibit
| founder = Dr. Satoru Kamegai
| director = Dr. Toshiaki Kuramochi
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| publictransit = Meguro Station
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| website = {{Official URL}}
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The {{Nihongo|Meguro Parasitological Museum|目黒寄生虫館|Meguro kiseichūkan|lead=yes}} is a small science museum in the Meguro Ward in central Tokyo, Japan. The museum is devoted to parasites and the science of parasitology, and was founded in 1953 by Dr. Satoru Kamegai.{{cite web |last1=Uranaka |first1=Taiga |title=Strange world of parasites on display |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2001/03/11/national/strange-world-of-parasites-on-display |publisher=The Japan Times |accessdate=13 November 2018 |language=en |date=11 March 2001}}
History
The museum rebuilt to its present location in 1993. Dr. Kamegai died in 2002 and Professor Akihiko Uchida took over operations of the museum adding the gift shop to help fund operations.{{cite news |last1=Belson |first1=Ken |title=For Youth in Japan, Love Is a Many Segmented Thing |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/students/pop/articles/belson5.html |accessdate=13 November 2018 |work=The New York Times |date=1 September 2002 |language=en}}
Museum
The two-story exhibition space provides an educational overview of the diversity of parasites in the natural world and their life cycles. The second floor exhibition space has an emphasis on parasites in humans and their effects (including the nematode, the trematode, and the tapeworm). On display are 300 preserved specimens, including an {{convert|8.8|m|feet}}-long Diphyllobothrium nihonkaiense tapeworm.{{cite web |last1=Phro |first1=Preston |title=From protozoa to tapeworms: Visiting the Meguro Parasitological Museum |url=https://soranews24.com/2014/03/01/from-protozoa-to-tapeworms-visiting-the-meguro-parasitological-museum/ |website=SoraNews24 |accessdate=13 November 2018 |language=en |date=1 March 2014}} The research library contains 60,000 parasite specimens, as well as 50,000 papers and 5,000 books on parasitology.{{cite web |title=Meguro Parasitological Museum |url=https://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-museums/meguro-parasitological-museum |website=japanvisitor.com |accessdate=13 November 2018 |language=en |date=2018}}
The museum has a gift counter on the second floor, where visitors can purchase a museum guidebook, postcards, T-shirts, or mobile-phone straps with actual parasites embedded in acrylic (either Nybelinia surmenicola or Oncomelania nosophora).{{cite web |last1=Irving |first1=India |title=Tokyo’s Museum of Parasites Will Make Your Skin Crawl |url=https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/tokyos-museum-of-parasites-will-make-your-skin-crawl/ |website=Culture Trip |accessdate=13 November 2018 |language=en |date=26 September 2018}} The museum is free to visitors and relies on donations because it is private and does not receive government funds.{{cite web |author1=Tomo |title=The only one in the world! Meguro Parasitological Museum is slowly taking over... |url=http://www.jnize.com/article/100000426 |website=Japanize |accessdate=13 November 2018 |language=en |date=5 October 2015}}
References
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External links
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- {{Official website}} {{in lang|ja}}
- [https://www.kiseichu.org/e-top Official site] {{in lang|en}}
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Category:Medical museums in Japan
Category:Buildings and structures in Meguro
Category:Museums established in 1953
Category:1953 establishments in Japan
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