Japan Press Weekly

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2026 March 25 - 31 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Gov’t forces national museums and galleries to ‘generate revenue’

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Cultural Affairs Agency have required the National Museum of Art, the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, and the National Museum of Nature and Science to “generate revenue”, and have imposed quotas on them.

The MEXT on February 27 announced the “6th midterm goal”. This sets a target for national museums and art galleries to “improve” the situation in which government funding accounts for over 60% of their revenue, and to generate income independently.

The MEXT is urging these institutions to aim for self-generated revenue, such as with admission fees, to cover 100% of exhibition costs in the future. According to the ministry, any institution where the proportion of self-generated revenue falls below 40% by fiscal 2029 will be subject to restructuring.

The 6th midterm goal places a strong emphasis on “attracting visitors” and “generating revenue”. Many experts have expressed concern that research not directly linked to revenue may be cut, criticizing the move for showing a severe disregard for culture and research.

To generate revenue, the MEXT has suggested that national cultural and arts institutions increase their admission fees and introduce a two-price system setting different admission fees for domestic and foreign visitors.

However, raising admission fees would hinder public access to culture. The Museums Act stipulates that “[a] public museum may not collect admission fees or any other compensation for the use of museum materials.” This is because museums, which also serve as social education facilities, are required to maintain fees that are accessible to all.

National museums and art galleries not only exhibit artworks, but also collect and preserve them. Preserving the artworks, cultural properties, and natural history materials held by national cultural institutions requires the strict control of air conditioning, lighting, temperature, and humidity. Items made of fragile materials cannot withstand long-term display. However, the MIXT requires the National Museum of Art to exhibit its collection year-round to attract visitors.

Since fiscal 2001, the government has continued to reduce operating grants for national museums and art galleries, leaving these institutions with financial difficulties.

The collections held in national cultural institutions are treasures of humanity. The government has a duty to pass these treasures on to future generations. Therefore, it is essential for the government to fundamentally increase its operating subsidies for national museums and galleries.