Museums and Barrier-Free Facilities
The Louvre ( photo source : Wikipedia)
Introduction
My name is Shota Kamimae. I major in archeology. And I stu-dy French too. These day , I'm
interested in barrier-free facili-
ties. I belong to ESS club. In t-
he future , I will become a cur-
ator and I want to work in a m-
useum. In order to realize it ,
I will study about not only mu-
seums but other things hard.
Will do my best.
What's a museum?
Meaning of museum : A buildi-
ng where important cultural ,
historical , or scientific objects
are kept and shown to the pu-
blic. (source : Longman Dictio-
nary of Contemporary English
5th Edition) British museum(U-
K) , The Louvre(France) and S-
mithsonian Institution(the U.S-
.) are very famous in the worl-
d.
What are barrier-free facilities?
Meaning of barrier-free : Taki-
ng away obstacles that disturb
the handicapped's and the ag-
ed's life. (source : Meikyo Japa
nese Dictionary)
photo source : jyuhan-jhs.jp
Question
① Why are you interested in museums and barrier-free facilities ?
→ Museums are used by every people . For example , children , adults , the aged , the handic-
apped . So museums are required to be barrier-free . I think museums have to be a model
as barrier-free facilities .
② Why do you major in archeology and museology ?
→ In Japan , there are more than 5,000 museums . But they are not liked by public . It's a big
problem . I want to show off their strong points .
③ Is Japan barrier-free ?
→ No . Many of places are not barrier-free in Japan . We have to change not only our facilities
but our minds .
④ What's a museum ? In a word .
→ A pleasure . Because every people have a mental curiosity . I think in order to improve it ,
we need pleasure . And a law of museum says too .
⑤ What's a barrier-free facility ? In a word .
→ A right . Because every people have the right to life . It's very important for us to live with-
out worries .
Thank you for coming to the debate ! !
The debate was held on Friday May 12 and Monday May 15, 2017. All topics were so difficult , but they were fun to challenge. I was so glad to see students from Winchester University and listen to their native English .
It encouraged me to study English more . At the end of the debate, Taichi Oyama, Takaya Fukumoto and I conducted a musical performance . We sang "Sukiyaki" and "Take Me Home Country Roads" .
If you attended, thank you for listening ! How was it ? I had a really good time and got valuable experience . I'll try again in 2018.
Curator and Sightseeing
"The Japanese curators are cancers. They don't have a sightseeing mind. We have to clear off them." (from Asahi Shinbun Digital) These were the comments from Japanese Minister Mr.Yamamoto. Did you hear his comments on TV or newspaper ? I was disappointed to hear them, but they made me consider "curator's jobs and sightseeing".
Generally, curators gather materials, preserve, study, and plan displays. I think they need to do more. There is one other important job. It's sightseeing. Now, more and more foreigners come to Japan to sightsee. They might visit museums. Needless to say, the Japanese curators have to explain materials to them. In this case, they need to speak English. English is a global language. It's troublesome, but very important for them to learn English. Of course I am studying English now.
In my opinion, curators are too busy doing too many jobs. Because their jobs are not divided perfectly. In Europe and in North America, each curator is a specialist. For example, "Educator" (education),"Conservator"(preservation and restoration),"Registrar"(registration of materials), "Documentarist" (records), "Researcher"(research) and "Exhibition Designer"(display and design). It's a big problem to re-organize so many tasks.(made extracts from Gakubunsha MuseologyⅠ)
In order to solve this problem, I suggest that Japanese curators need the help of volunteers. In Japan, there are a lot of people rich in knowledge. Especially, older local people who have stories to tell. Not only the curator, but other people can play an important role in museum jobs.
Various kinds of museums in Japan
① Archeology Museum
② History Museum
③ Folklore Museum
④ Ethnology Museum
⑤ Art museum
⑥ Natural History Museum
⑦ Science Museum
⑧ Zoo
⑨ Aquarium
⑩ Botanical Garden source:Gakubunsha MuseologyⅠ
Museums in Kagoshima ↓↓↓
The Kagoshima Prefectural Musemum photo source : Wikipedia
The Kagoshima Municipal Museum of Art photo source : Wikipedia
The Hirakawa Zoological Park (Kagoshima) photo source : Wikipedia
The Kagoshima City Aquarium photo source : Wikipedia
Museum Report ① 薩摩伝承館 Satsumadensho-Kan
Introduction
Shiro-Satsuma pottery is displayed in Satsumadensho-kan. They are magnificent. In the Edo period 1600 until 1868, Satsuma-han made and exported them to European countries. The feudal domains ruled by lords are today most commonly referred to as han. The pots were collected by nobles. The president of Hakusui-kan bought some of them. They are important artifacts for us to learn the history of Kagoshima.
One of the museum floor staff taught me many things. For example, according to his talk, the museum is modeled on Byodo-In Hooh-do in Kyoto Prefecture. It's so beautiful.
↑ Byodo-In Hooh-do (photo source:Wikipedia)
Information
place : Ibusuki city(near Hakusuikan)
business hours : from 8 :30 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
admission fee : adult ￥1,500
college student ￥1,300
high school student ￥600
elementary schoolchild and junior high school student ￥300
restaurant and cafe : 浮見堂 Ukimido(cafe and shop)
Ristorante Fenice (Italian cuisine)
source:Satsumadenshokan pamphlet
Barrier-free information
① The all-purpose bathroom
Actually, I used it. Most of equipment were excellent. But I found out some problems. First, the sliding door was a little heavy to open. It was hard for me to do it by myself. Second, the button to flush the toilet was inconvenient to push it as it was too high.
And the museum should put a toilet for ostomate. An all-purpose bathroom is meant to be used by all people.
※ostomate オストメイト
直腸がんや膀胱がんなどで臓器に障害を負
い、手術で腹部に排泄のための孔であるストー
マを設けた人。
source:Obunsha 現代カタカナ語辞典
② The road to the entrance
It was perfectly flat and safe. It was easy for my wheelchair to move there. But if it's rainy, it must be very hard to move between the parking lot and the museum. It's a big problem for the handicapped, the aged and parents who have babies. The museum should put a roof above the road and the parking lot.
As you can see in the photo, there are not any textured paving blocks. There is the pond around the road. So it's very dangerous for people who have visual impairment. They should put textured paving blocks on the road too.
※textured paving blocks:点字ブロック
※visual impairment:視覚障害
Museum Report ② 時遊館COCCOはしむれ
Jiyu-kan COCCO Hashimure
Information
place : Ibusuki city
business hour : from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
a day the museum is closed : every Monday
every 4th Wednesday
turn of the year (from December 29 to January 3)
admission fee : adult ￥510
high school and college student ￥410
elementary schoolchild and junior high school student ￥300
Barrier-free Information
① the all-purpose bathroom
It looks barrier-free, but there were some problems. First, the washstand was too small to use. And it was difficult for people who use a wheelchair to approach. Second, there was not a baby stand. A
parent must work hard in this bathroom. Third, there was not a toilet for ostomates.
What is a curator ?
Firstly, I would like to introduce you the course that trains curators in our university. There are three great teachers in the course. Mr.Kanegae, Prof.Nakazono and Prof.Onishi. They are experts
on archeology. I really respect them. Also, they teach archeology and museology to students that take the course. Mr.Kanegae is a curator in the Museum of IUK. If you visit the museum, he kindly explains displays. We have to take 10 lectures and 2 practices to get a certificate of curator. We went to Satsumadensho-Kan and Jiyu-Kan COCCO Hashimure as a practice on Saturday June 24 to learn displays, preservation, facilities, and management of museum. We are going to go to The Kyushu National Museum after this semester. I am looking forward to it.
What's a curator ? It's a museum jod. Her or his main jobs are gathering materials, preservation,
study, education and planning displays etc. There are a lot of types of task. Some scholars say that a curator is similar to a librarian. Especially, about edunation, visitors from foreign countries hane been incresing recently, so the Japanese curators have to study English too. If you have a interest in curator's jods, please ask Mr.Kanegae about them and try taking some subjects of archeology and museology. You will be satisfied with them. Please enjoy.
Museum Report ③ 鹿児島国際大学ミュージアム
The Museum of IUK
Information
place : Kagoshima city（The International Univercity of Kagoshima）
business hour : from 9:30 A.M. to 16:00 P.M.
a day the museum is closed : every Suturday and Sunday
a day The International University of Kagoshima is closed
admission fee : free !
curator : Mr.Kanegae（a Doctor of Archeology）
home page : www.iuk.ac.jp/museum/index.html
History
2002 The institution was built for training curators.
2004 The institution was first named “The Archeological Museum”.
2017 The Archeological Museum changed its name to “The Museum of The International University of Kagoshima”.
Purpose
・training curators
・providing information to the public
・education for the public
Activities
・exhibition by the college and graduate students
・lectures
・tours
Exhibition “Follow The Archeological History of Fukiage”
Most of these materials were excavated by the social studies club of Fukiage high school. The club has studied Fukiage for more than 50 years. For example, histry, archeology, tradition, society, culture, people and agriculture. Especially, archeology is worth noting. Becouse the high school students join the excavations. They are the general public. This is a good example of “public archeology”.
McGimsey was a first scholar to use the word “public archeology” in 1972. He strongly insisted that the public should participate in archeology. “The good relationship between the public and archeology”, this is an important point of public archeology.
“What does the word public archeology mean?” It is impossible to answer the question in a word. Becouse the meaning is not clear. Public archeology has a relationship to various areas. For example, education, politics, buying and selling relics, race, the public, the law, the economy and sightseeing. As you see, so many! It is difficult to integrate them. But public archeology is worth studying.
pictures
Barrier-free Information
① the all-purpose bath room
It looks OK, but I found out some problems. First, the door is uncomfortable to lock becouse the lock is too close to the wall. A wheel chair has a footrest in front of its body, so it is a factor. Second, there is not a toilet for ostomate. Some should need it. Third, there is not a baby stand. Bcause of it, a parent must be hard.
② the entrance on the parking lot
Needless to say, there is a step, so a person that use a wheel chair can not enter. Our university is required to put a slope here. And there is not a parking space that has a roof above it. When it rainy, a person that use a wheel chair and a person that help her or him must get wet. Lastly, there is the entrance that has a slope, but there is not a roof.
Book Reviews
①about barrier-free facilities
『車いすの旅人が行く！「心のバリアフリー」を求めて日本縦断』 木島英登著 2007年
The author of this book, Hideto Kijima who lives with a wheel chair because of a accident of rugby when he was a high school students.
In this book, problems of barrier-free facilities and universal designs in Japan are intoroduced. For example, public transportations and institutions, sightseeing spots, hotels and ryokans and restaurants. He researched them through his travels. In addition, he storongly insisted that "barrier-free of heart" is more important than barrier-free facilities.
②about museums
『新しい博物館学』 全国大学博物館学講座協議会西日本部会著 2007年
The book mainly introduce what's a museum, materials of museum, information of museum and management of museum. Everyone should have been to a museum at least a few times like a library. Museology(a study of museum) plays an important role in improving museums. I think that if you visit museums after read this book, you will be able to understand true charms of museum. Let's go to museums soon to meet new discoveries. If you have a time, please visit The Museum of The International University of Kagoshima too.
Preparations for my garaduated thesis
① check sheets of barrier-free facilities in museums
I made check sheets to reserch on barrier-free facilities of museums in Kagoshima. I think that I'm going to gather datas to find problems and look for solutions.
② interviews with my friends
③ questionnaires to my friends
About applications I'm studying now
① Adobe Photoshop
This is a computer application that trims and edits photos.
② Adobe Illustrator
This is a compuer application that makes posters and pamphles. I have ever made five posters with it(under the article). Of course, we can make post cards and nengazyos! I sent Prof.Mack a nengazyo last year. I will do that next year too. I will try to improve my nengazyos.
My works
Recent news
I got certifications of Photoshop and Illustrator!
I have been studying Photoshop and Illustrator to pass the exams since last October. I took them in February. And I finally passed them! I was so happy. I have to be grateful for Mr.Kanegae and Prof.Onishi's advises.
I will try the next class and improve my skills more! I want to make a lot of posters!
Research on museums in Kagoshima
I visited four musems in Kagoshima as a research of barrier-free.
① 歴史交流館金峰
Place: Minamisatsuma city
About the museum
It has a lot of earthenwares. Every exhibit are beautiful. Especially, the models that recreate the past people's life are amazing. A curator said, "we made them". I was so surprised.
Also many old furniture are exhibited. For exaple, a chest , a telephone and an iron etc. They were donated by local people. It is very important job for all museums to preserve them too.
A sand craft is exhibited in the hall. Because Kimpo is very famouse as the Sand Craft Festival. It is held every Golden Week. Why don't you visit?
② 鹿児島市立ふるさと考古歴史館
③ 財団法人 児玉美術館
④ 坊津歴史資料センター輝津館
