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Trip planner
Chichibu Miocene exposures (Saitama, Japan)
Best windows in the next two weeks, plus a packing list calibrated for river low-water hunting.
Top 5 windows · next 14 days
1
Wednesday, June 3
River site — dry season stage; wade the exposed gravel bars.
68
Good
2
Thursday, June 4
River site — dry season stage; wade the exposed gravel bars.
68
Good
3
Friday, June 5
River site — dry season stage; wade the exposed gravel bars.
68
Good
4
Saturday, June 6
River site — dry season stage; wade the exposed gravel bars.
68
Good
5
Sunday, June 7
River site — dry season stage; wade the exposed gravel bars.
68
Good
Packing checklist
Essentials
- ☐Water (more than you think)
- ☐Hat + polarized sunglasses
- ☐Reef-safe sunscreen
- ☐Phone with offline copy of this dossier
- ☐Snack / electrolytes
- ☐Trash bag — leave it cleaner than you found it
River-specific tools
- ☐Sifter with sturdy handle
- ☐Tall waders or quick-dry shorts + water shoes
- ☐Trekking pole for current
- ☐Dry bag for phone
- ☐Insect repellent
Find care
- ☐Soft toothbrush
- ☐Padded box for any 2″+ tooth
- ☐Cotton or tissue layers between teeth
- ☐Notebook (or open the Toothhound logbook)
Safety
- ☐Tell someone where you'll be
- ☐Watch upstream weather (flash floods)
- ☐Snake awareness in warm months
Tactic refresher
Join a Saitama Museum-led field workshop, or visit the museum's reference exhibit before walking the public outcrops along the Arakawa River. Surface finds only; report significant material.
Don't forget
Japan protects significant fossils as regional cultural property. Surface collecting on public land is generally tolerated; quarry access requires owner permission.