Kurate Town Historical and Folk Museum, Coal Materials displays Room

Kurate Town, located in the northwestern part of Fukuoka Prefecture, once flourished as part of the Kyushu-Chikuhō coalfield. This facility is a museum where visitors can learn about the history of Kurate Town's coal mines through "experiences." displays is divided into four main zones: an introductory "timeline," a "mine tunnel recreation" using darkness for dramatic effect, a "diorama recreation" of a coal mining site, and "storytellers," which are recordings and edited interviews with workers and record-keepers from that time. While making the most of the limited displays space of 260 square meters, each zone has its own unique characteristics, designed to appeal to visitors in various ways and pique their interest.

To allow visitors to experience what the actual mine tunnels were like, there was a need to create an interactive displays where they could explore the darkness while using the light-equipped helmets (commonly known as "cap lamps") and flashlights that the workers at the time used.

A major challenge was that in the darkness, graphic text and photographs were difficult to see, and physical operations such as pressing buttons were also difficult. Therefore, we focused on the cap lamps/flashlights given to visitors upon entry and developed a new switch that reacts when light is shone on it, playing video and audio explanations. This allows visitors to experience the immersive feeling of "darkness" while still obtaining information about the mine. In addition, we added letters and other elements to the walls that glow in the dark when light is shone on them, creating a sense of "excitement" as visitors use their lights to search for information themselves, resulting in a unique, interactive displays for this facility.

The recreated mine tunnels within displays hall have received high praise for providing visitors with an immersive experience of a coal mine, thanks to their darkness and the sloping incline of the tunnels. The life-size recreation of a coal mining site has also been well-received for its clarity. Furthermore, the use of flashlights and cap lamps to view displays, which are essential for exploring the museum's displays halls, is attracting attention as a unique way of visiting that cannot be experienced at other facilities.