Dinos Roar to Life at Tokyo National Museum; Taiko Drummers Join Ancient Creatures at Grand Night Parade

By Kenneth Valencich / The Japan News

18:00 JST, September 27, 2024

Dinosaur handlers marched in single file into the grounds of the Tokyo National Museum in Taito Ward to the beat of taiko drums. This signaled the start of the Dino-a-Live Dinosaur Grand Night Parade’s Thursday rehearsal.

The rehearsal was held in preparation for performances on Friday and Saturday. The dinosaurs, lifelike moving suits patented by On-Art Corp., then entered, getting up close and personal with the audience. They snapped their jaws at people, swung their tails and roared while they paraded around.

Kazuya Kanemaru, president of On-Art, discussed the level of detail in the suits.

“Following the latest theories on their appearance based on actual fossils … we were able to pin down a fairly realistic design,” he said.

The company hopes that even people with a keen interest in studying dinosaurs will be deeply impressed, Kanemaru added.

The rehearsal featured 12 types of dinosaurs making a circuit, lively drumming by Ha Ya To Project and a fairy, the spirit of the museum’s giant tulip tree, which brought the dinosaurs back to life for a short time. Narration was provided in Japanese and English.

When a raptor got within a few centimeters of a person’s face, swaying and reacting to movements like a living animal, it was hard not to get swept up in the moment.

The Stegosaurus lumbering by made people want to reach out and touch it.

Of course, the Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus, the last dinosaurs to appear, were the real stars of the show. They gave a fearsome roar together in front of the museum’s Honkan main building, showing off their fangs.

In the end, the fairy guided the dinosaurs back to where they belong, away from the busyness of modern Tokyo.

The parade is being held on Friday and Saturday from 8:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. In the event of heavy rain or heavy wind, the event may be shortened.

For those unable to make it to the site, there are also streaming tickets available on TwitCasting with links on the event’s website.