2025 Volume 134 Issue 1 Pages 77-87
Japan' natural history museums are experiencing various strains due to the positioning of museum policy as a part of the administration of cultural assets since 2018. The Great East Japan Earthquake led to proposals for the treatment of natural history specimens and the institutionalization of natural history assets, but many challenges remain. The curricula of university curatorial training courses mostly focus on archaeology and art history museums, and there are few teachers who specialize in natural history. However, in the light of international trends such as the revised definition of a museum approved at the Extraordinary General Assembly of ICOM in 2022 and the challenges of achieving SDGs, further efforts are required of natural history and science museums. Various initiatives are underway at the National Science Museum under the slogan “Science for Culture.” Given the recent severe financial situation, it is necessary to pursue the roles of natural history museums as cultural facilities, and have them fulfil their missions and roles.
