National Museums: Their Value Should Not Be Determined Solely by Financial Performance

Editorial

12:59 JST, April 7, 2026

Museums and art galleries have a vital responsibility to preserve irreplaceable cultural heritage for future generations while making that heritage accessible to the public. If they become overly fixated on financial performance, they risk losing sight of their fundamental mission.

The Cultural Affairs Agency has set operational goals for the next five years for the three incorporated administrative agencies that operate a total of 12 national museums and art galleries.

The targets include raising self-earned revenue, such as admission fees, to cover at least 65% of exhibition costs by fiscal 2030, with the goal of reaching 100% by fiscal 2035. Currently, the figures for all three organizations remain in the 50% range.

Furthermore, any institution for which this percentage falls below 40% in fiscal 2029 would reportedly become subject to “reorganization” on the grounds that they are failing to sufficiently fulfill their socially mandated role.

However, it is questionable whether museums and art galleries should focus solely on exhibitions that are likely to attract large crowds. Famous paintings and crafts alone cannot provide visitors with an understanding of Japanese history and art in a structured manner.

They are also expected to reevaluate overlooked works. In the case of Buddhist statues damaged in an earthquake and subsequently restored, displaying them can help people understand the importance of protecting cultural properties from disasters. If focus is placed solely on increasing revenue, such opportunities will be lost.

Carrying out research in their specialized fields, collecting art works and artifacts, and preserving them in appropriate environments to prevent deterioration are vital roles of museums and art galleries.

For example, while focusing on exhibitions of popular manga and anime might attract crowds, it risks lessening an institution’s diversity and could lead to bias in research themes and assembling collections.

It is true that the national budget is becoming increasingly strained. It goes without saying that museums and art galleries are also expected to make efforts to increase their own revenue. However, they should avoid falling into the trap of prioritizing profit above all else.

It has been argued that, since national universities were incorporated into national university corporations in fiscal 2004, government grants for their operation have decreased, leading to a deterioration of the research environment and a decline in basic research.

The government should strive to implement balanced policies so as not to be perceived as downplaying the value of education and culture.

Museums and art galleries are also very popular among foreign tourists. They should explore ways to boost revenue, such as enhancing multilingual audio guides and setting higher admission fees for inbound visitors. It is also necessary to collaborate with private-sector companies to develop attractive merchandise.

Perhaps they should also expand their effort to lure donations. If they establish programs that allow for small monthly donations and offer perks in return, this would likely broaden their fan base.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, April 7, 2026)