Ecomuseums Accommodated by Local Authority Museums: Focusing on Joyo Ecomuseum in Japan

Abstract

Located in between Kyoto and Nara, the Joyo City is an important transportation hub, containing historical sites from the Jomon period and called City of Tumuli with over 200 ancient tombs. This city has the Joyo City Museum of History and Folklore as a local authority museum. Established and operated by local governments, local authority museums are subject to the support and interest from the local community. The main theme of the Museum of History and Folklore is ancient tomb rites, and the museum preserves and exhibits the long history and folk resources of the area. In 2016, the basic policy for the ecomuseum was established and the Joyo Ecomuseum began since then. Based on the Ohara's concept of the ecomuseum, the Joyo Ecomuseum is studied from the perspective of three important criteria: museum activities (M), on-site preservation of local natural and cultural heritage (H), and voluntary participation of local residents (P). The Joyo Ecomuseum has been developing museum activities (M) by employing the core museum, the Museum of History and Folklore, and information facilities located throughout the city. Also, local heritage is preserved (H) through various activities to discover historical, natural, industrial, and facility resources of the area that network each other as satellite museums. In addition, the participation of the locals (P) is drawn in all these activities. The way how the Museum of History and Folklore, Joyo, Japan accommodates and promotes an ecomuseum in order to encourage participation from the local community and contribute to the active life of residents has lessons to local authority museums in Korea. The case of the Joyo Ecomuseum seems to suggest the directions where the museum should head for to become a cultural center of the local community, not a museum isolated from the community.