FOCUS: Corporate Museums in Japan Move beyond Traditional Roles

Nagoya, July 18 (Jiji Press)–Corporate museums, where companies showcase their products, values and histories, are taking on roles that extend well beyond public relations in Japan. With more than 1,000 such facilities believed to exist across the country, corporate museums are increasingly serving local communities as tourist destinations while offering visitors opportunities to learn about specific industries. In Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, a heartland of manufacturing and craftsmanship, four companies operate museums with distinct appeal. Exhibits Show Corporate Value In Komaki, major ceramics manufacturer NGK Corp. opened the Insulator Museum in 1974. Although not open to the general public, the facility is believed to be the world’s only museum dedicated exclusively to insulators. Insulators are insulating components made of porcelain, glass and other materials. They support electric wires while preventing electrical current from leaking into transmission towers or other structures. Used outdoors for long periods, insulators must be highly reliable and able to withstand rain, wind, snow and heavy loads. The museum traces more than a century of technological evolution through actual products, including spiral- and disk-shaped insulators, as well as explanatory diagrams. “It’s important to pass on to future generations the understanding that today’s products are built on the accumulated efforts of our predecessors,” said Yasushi Okawa, head of NGK High Voltage Laboratory. At the Noritake Museum in Noritake Garden, an industrial tourism facility established near Nagoya Station in 2001 by ceramics producer Noritake Co., rows of antique ceramics are on display. Centered on Old Noritake tableware, the museum gives visitors an opportunity to learn how designs changed over time and how they reflected the social backgrounds of their eras. Old Noritake pieces incorporated cutting-edge techniques of the time, including luster decoration, which gives surfaces a shimmering finish, and “moriage,” a decorative method in which raised patterns are applied to ceramics. “Tableware is strongly influenced by the culture of each era,” Hiroki Kataoka, president of Noritake Garden, said. “We hope visitors will enjoy seeing how Japanese and Western cultures blended together.” Museums offering hands-on experiences for families have also proved popular. In 2024, food manufacturer Mizkan Holdings Co. reopened the Mizkan Museum in Handa after renovations. “If visitors leave with fond memories, they will surely become fans,” said museum director Yoshihisa Niimi with a smile. The museum’s highlight is a recreated “bezaisen,” a traditional ship used to transport vinegar during the Edo period (1603-1868). Visitors can board the vessel roughly 20 meters long and experience a simulated voyage enhanced by anime-style video images and effects using wind and light. The museum also features an interactive game in which visitors operate avatars on a large monitor to make vinegar. The facility attracted about 165,000 visitors in the last financial year. An official of the Handa city government’s tourism section said, “It’s at the heart of our tourism resources and provides an opportunity for people to learn about the city.” Future Vision of Industry The Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagakute, operated by Toyota Motor Corp., is guided by the principle of “building a prosperous future for humans and motorcars.” Its exhibits chart the history of automobiles in Japan and overseas, beginning with the emergence of gasoline-powered automobiles in the late 19th century. “We want visitors to learn about the history of the entire industry and recognize automobiles as part of culture,” said Yasuhiro Sakakibara, the museum’s director. The museum’s collection of about 150 vehicles is impressive, particularly because of its emphasis on preserving them in working condition. It also houses an extensive archive of documents and other materials related to the automobile industry. Visitors can explore a collection of about 120,000 items, searching for phrases that reflect the social climate of different eras, such as “pollution control measures” and “the highway era.” Corporate museums continue to evolve in diverse ways, adapting to the needs and interests of each age. Yukari Furuta, a researcher specializing in corporate museums, emphasized their social significance, saying that industrial history can serve as a starting point for understanding the history of daily life and society. Such museums can “show that the things we use every day are, in fact, the result of accumulated ingenuity,” she said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]