A study trip of the International Cooperation Seminar on Museology 2002 (Continued)

• October 21, 2002
  In the early morning, we left Osaka for the Yoshinoagri Historical Park in Saga prefecture. This is one of the largest archeological sites of the Japanese rice farming culture, where a massive power structure was considered to exist about 2000 years ago. The first-stage preservation work had just finished. Mr. Tadaaki Shichida, the head of the excavation office, gave us a tour of the excavation site and reconstructions that were built after the excavation, and introduced the indoor displays. After that, he gave us a lecture, "The Yoshinogari ruins and preservation of the historic site."
• October 22, 2002
  Mr. Daizou Tasaka, a Deputy Director-General of the Fukuoka City Museum, gave us a lecture about the exhibition of museums and the management of material, which was followed by a tour of their permanent exhibition rooms and storages. We also observed the creation of a database.
• October 23, 2002
  We visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genpaku Dome) and other monuments related to the area where the first atomic bomb exploded. Mr. Kazuhiko Takano, a Deputy Director-General of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, gave us a lecture concerning "the role of the museum, which conveys true history," and then we looked at exhibits in the museum.
• October 24, 2002
  We visited Tokushima Prefectural Museum and Tokushima Modern Art Museum. These institutions built in a "Bunka-no-Mori Park" that is located in the suburbs of Tokushima city. First of all, a lecture about "prefectural museums and the construction and evaluation of the Bunka-no-Mori Park" was given to us by Mr. Yosiro Morozumi, a Director-General of the Tokushima Prefectural Museum. He also explained to us about the creation of data information and the way it is presented to the citizens, with a practical demonstration. At the art museum, Ms. Mieko Yoshihara talked about the collection, exhibition and management of works of art.
• October 25, 2002
  Mr. Motoyasu Nishida, a member of Kensho-kai, gave us a guided tour of the Tokushima Prefectural Torii Memorial Museum in Naruto city. There, materials and publications collected by Dr. Ryuzo Torii, a precursor of Anthropology in Japan, through his fieldwork in the East Asia, are exhibited. It is typical of museums that exhibit the contribution of an individual.

The above is the summary of the study trip. The following are several points that participants were particularly interested in and talked out.

1. At the extensive Yoshinogari Historical Park, questions regarding its maintenance, management and budget are asked.
2. At the Fukuoka City Museum and Tokushima Prefectural Museum, the participants asked questions concerning the museum management and services for visitors including information presentation.
3. At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, there was a serious discussion about what the dropping of the atom bomb had brought about and how true history should be passed down from generation to generation.
4. At Tokushima Modern Art Museum, many questions about lighting technique and commentaries for delicate art works were asked of the curator.
5. At the Tokushima Prefectural Torii Memorial Museum, there was a strong impression that each participant was considering the cases in their own countries, with Dr. Torii, who took advantage of photography to record local manners and customs, with regard to the representation of the personage and justification of such museums, focusing on the individual. Needless to say, the participants always seemed to be considering how they could apply the theories or practices that they have learned through this seminar into their own countries.

One of the aims of this study tour, which seems to have been achieved, was to understand that not only a museum itself but also the whole environment of the museum, including transportation, access and so on, is of great significance. As an assignment for next year, we need to think about the better integration of lectures at the museum and outside tour through the seminar.

At the Yoshinogari Historical Park