Gensou Hyouhon Hakubutsukan (”Museum of Fantastic Specimens”) is an online collection of creatures “curated” by Hajime Emoto. The three-story virtual museum consists of 9 rooms chock full of water- and land-dwelling monstrosities from all corners of the globe. Each specimen has a clickable thumbnail that links to additional photos and historical and background information (in Japanese). The basement contains a bookshop and a cafeteria serving dishes prepared with some of the beasts featured in the museum (such as umiushi sashimi, served fresh from the tank and wriggling on your plate, with a balsamic vinegar sauce).
All of the creatures showcased in the museum are sculpted from paper, modeling paste and bamboo and are completely imaginary, claims Emoto — perhaps a disappointment for hunters of the legendary tsuchinoko (center-right in the photo above) in search of an actual specimen, but an amazing collection of critters nonetheless.
Navigating the virtual museum may be a bit difficult if you cannot read Japanese, so try the links below if you get lost.
1st Floor: Room 1, Room 2, Room 3
2nd Floor: Room 4, Room 5, Room 6, Room 7
You can see some of Emoto’s specimens in Tokyo at the “Augen 2006″ exhibit at Aoki Gallery from July 10 – 22, along with works by 27 other artists. “Augen 2006″ is being held to commemorate Aoki Gallery’s 45th year in operation.
[Link: Museum of Fantastic Specimens]