The is a Japanese law covering matters relating to the country's museums. The law was passed as Law No. 285 in 1951 and was last amended in 2022.
Summary The Act distinguishes between , being those established by local governments, and , those established by incorporated associations and foundations or by juridical religious and other persons; as such those established by the state or an Independent Administrative Institution (such as the Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, and Kyushu National Museums of the IAI National Institutes for Cultural Heritage) cannot become , but may be designated . Facilities that engage in similar activities but are neither registered or designated have no restrictions or conditions imposed by the Act; these are defined elsewhere as . Article 2 defines museums as facilities that collect, store, research, and utilize materials on history, art, folkways, industry, and the natural sciences; as such, various types of "museum" are provided for, including botanical gardens, zoos, aquaria, and planetaria.
As of October 2018, there were 5,738 museums in Japan: 914 registered museums, 372 museum-equivalent facilities, and 4,452 museum-like facilities.
Articles The Museum Act has 29 Articles:
Chapter 1—General Provisions (Articles 1–9) 1. Purpose of Act 2. Definition of museums 3. Activities conducted by museums 4–7. Directors, curators, qualifications, training 8–9. Standards and evaluation Chapter 2—Registration (Articles 10–17) 10. Registration 11. Application 12. Examination 13. Amendment 14. Cancellation 15. Abolition of museums 16. Prefectural regulations 17. deleted Chapter 3—Public Museums (Articles 18–26) 18. Establishment 19. Jurisdiction (governed by the local board of education) 20–22. Museum councils 23. Admission fees 24,26. Subsidies 25. deleted Chapter 4—Private Museums (Articles 27–28) 27. Relationship with prefectural boards of education 28. Relationship with central and local governments Chapter 5—Other Provisions (Article 29) 29. Facilities equivalent to museums Supplementary Provisions
See also 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties Independent Administrative Institution National Institute for Cultural Heritage Prefectural museum List of museums in Japan (JAM)
References
External links Museum Act (UNESCO Database of National Cultural Heritage Laws) Present Status of Museums in Japan (Agency for Cultural Affairs; includes an English translation of the Museum Act) Museum Act (e-gov.go.jp) Museums (Agency for Cultural Affairs)