Japan's Cultural Affairs Agency Faces Fierce Backlash Over 'Profit-Driven' Policy for National Museums
The Agency for Cultural Affairs' proposal for national museums and art galleries to set "income targets" by fiscal year 2030, with a review for reorganization including closure if these targets are not met, has sparked a strong backlash from the public on social media. This news, reported by Yomiuri Shimbun Online, has elicited anger and disappointment, with comments like "This is just terrible" and "The country is in decline," igniting a heated debate over the very nature of cultural policy. According to the Agency's policy, the ratio of self-generated income related to exhibition projects, such as admission fees and merchandise sales, to exhibition project expenses, must reach 65% or more for each institution by the final year. Currently, these institutions are approximately 10 percentage points below this target. Failure to meet this goal is slated to trigger considerations for closure or reorganization. In response, one user questioned the real...