ABSTRACT
Museology in Japan is guided by the Museum Act of 1951, at a time when the nation was recovering from the war. The act regulates the Gakugei-in (curator in Japanese context) training program and its certification system. Revised several times since, the Museum Act has never been extensively revamped but was set for change in 2021. The authors will describe the act and how Japanese museums have developed since 1951, especially focusing on how the training program has changed and expanded. Poised to revisit the act once again, the authors will explore and reflect on the notion of a positive museology in the current program, consider the possibilities in training future professionals, and ask: how can we engage with human life? How can we restructure into different subjects (currently there are nine areas mandated)? How can we incorporate non-museum practices in Japan into the new curriculum?
