The number of people who visited museums and art galleries nationwide in the last year decreased by about 60% from the previous year due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, and the admission fee income was halved, so we conducted a survey. The Japanese Association of Museums is intensifying its sense of crisis, saying, "If the situation where management cannot be established continues, the role of the museum will not function."
The Japan Museum Association conducted a questionnaire survey of museums and art galleries nationwide from February to last month in an attempt to investigate the effects of the new coronavirus, of which 497 received responses.
According to this, the average number of visitors in the last year was 62,097, a decrease of 59% from 149,772 in the previous year.
In addition, the average admission revenue for the 407 paid facilities over the last year was 35.26 million yen, a decrease of 56% from 79.33 million yen in the previous year.
The Japanese Association of Museums will continue to seek support from the national and local governments, as the significant decrease in admission revenue can be seen regardless of the type, such as national or private.
Masayuki Handa, Managing Director of the Japan Museum Association, said, "The museum has the role of properly collecting and preserving the history and culture of the past, conducting research, and thinking about a future that can be disseminated to society. If the situation continues to be unsuccessful, the role of the museum itself will be impaired and there is a risk that it will not function. "