National Museums and Their Societal Roles: A Case Study of Finland and Japan

Abstract

In this article I focuses on museum professionals in Finnish and Japanese national museums within the context of current social and cultural sustainability discourses, who face an increased responsibility to democratize museum narratives and acknowledge inconvenient histories and the ongoing coloniality of the institutions and repatriation of cultural insignia. The interviews shed light on how they view the roles of museums today and how they are reacting to this ever-increasing responsibility. Despite facing different struggles, the interviewees in Finland and Japan revealed that they are, indeed rebuilding the museum’s identity to meet current needs, targeting diversity and democratizing the narratives to open broader conversations within the museums and beyond.