Amateur collector Hidetoshi Kogawa, 62, found the fossil of a vertebra, which is part of the spine, in 2016 in a geological layer formed 86.3 million to 89.8 million years ago during the late Cretaceous Period, according to the Hokkaido University Museum and the Mikasa City Museum.
Following analysis of its shape and internal structure, researchers presume that the cylinder-shaped fossil, which is 9 centimeters long, 6 centimeters high and 5 centimeters wide, is a bone of a middle-size tyrannosaurus with a body about 6 meters long.
Tyrannosaurus species are said to have become larger in size in the late Cretaceous Period. But only a limited number of tyrannosaurus fossils of the period have been found so far.
"This is an important discovery that may help unravel the riddle of how they became large," Yoshitsugu Kobayashi, associate professor at the Hokkaido University Museum, told a news conference in Mikasa, near Ashibetsu.
News On Japan - Nov 26
Panicked passengers on a Shinkansen bullet train were evacuated at a central Japan station on Friday night, after a plastic bag containing suspicious liquid was found onboard.
Reuters - Nov 26
Japan detected the first case of highly pathogenic H5-type bird flu this season at a poultry farm in the south of the country, public broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday.
News On Japan - Nov 25
Inui Street, the famed autumn walk within the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo, opened to the public from Saturday.
News On Japan - Nov 25
Tofukuji Temple, home to 2,000 maple trees and renowned as one of Kyoto's premier autumn hotspots, features the Tsutenkyo Bridge, and the breathtaking 'sea of autumn leaves'.
News On Japan - Nov 24
The amount of undeclared income by wealthy people in Japan has reached a record high of 98 billion yen, among the worst offenders being scrap gold wholesalers, breeders and yakiniku restaurants, the National Tax Agency announced on Friday.
Total Film - Nov 24
After hitting the big screen in its native Japan on November 3, Godzilla Minus One is about to make its way overseas – and it's a hit with international critics.
News On Japan - Nov 23
Russians continue to be the worst offenders among cars with foreign diplomatic number plates when it comes to not paying off parking fines in Japan.
News On Japan - Nov 23
As Kyoto's autumn foliage reaches its peak, swarms of tourists have converged on the ancient capital, captivated by stunning displays like Wednesday evening's illumination at Kiyomizu Temple.