The Global Seed Vault on Svalbard archipelago way up near the North Pole is not in Japan, nor have I ever been there. It is however a very cool post-apocalypse place, an insurance policy for the Earth and human-kind in the event of rampant global disease or massive nuclear fallout, and as such belongs on a site mostly about ruins as much as anything.
The entrance.
The Global Seed Vault is an Ark for a potentially coming flood- one of epidemics and all-out nuclear war. It is ensconced 120 meters into the solid rock of the Svalbard archipelago (featured prominently in the excellent ‘His Dark Materials’ books by Philip Pullman), deep enough to withstand any nuclear blast, welded shut with huge hermetic blast doors, kept at freezing temperatures, and storing millions of samples of seeds.
How to rob the Seed Bank.
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Construction.
It was built with funds from some European countries like Sweden, Norway, the UK, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. It wasn’t cheap- more details here.
Installing fans.
Coal mined locally fuels freezers that keep the seeds at minus 18 degrees C, 15 degrees colder than the surrounding rock. The vault currently has around 400,000 seed samples, with room for millions
Lit up pretty.
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Location.
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Racks of seeds.
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Svalbard. It’s near Longyearbyen.
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Graphic.
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Gorgeous.
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A 2001 tor for Polar bears.
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FACTFILE
Location – Svalbard.
Entry – Nope.
Facts – Opened 2008, conglomerate funding from charities and countries.
Highlights – Will out-last the Pyramids.
TOKYO
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