Developing Learning Programs
Activities
The Learning will pursue research and development of new programs and educational materials required by today’s society, and offer information enabling anyone to encounter art and discover new values and possibilities. We will also conduct activities that contribute to Japan’s art museums as a whole by creating training and other learning opportunities, while examining case studies in Japan and overseas to identify important perspectives and issues.
Caption: A program of creative ageing at the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo (Photo by Nakajima Yusuke)
Details on Activities
01
Museum as a Learning Resource
To enable all people to encounter art and discover new values and possibilities, it is necessary that museum resources, such as artworks and their information, be available for learning purposes. It is also important that there be a range of approaches and opportunities to meet the needs of learners.
For example, the Learning sets out to provide new opportunities for working professionals and corporate training in conjunction with the Social Cooperation and each of the National Art Museums. In addition, we will offer forums as learning opportunities and disseminate information on cutting-edge initiatives in Japan and abroad.
Caption: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
The Learning Programs of the National Museums of Art
The National Museums of Art offer a wide range of opportunities for diverse people to learn at the museum. Here, we present a number of videos showing some of the activities of unique programs designed for children and families, teenagers, and people with disabilities as well as educational tools that can be used in the museum. (All videos in Japanese.)
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
MOMAT Collection Self-Guide for Kids
This video introduces the tool to enhance the pleasure of looking at art. You can see how the kids enjoy themselves as they carefully examine the works on their own, while using the self-guides.
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
“MOMAT Collection Self-Guide Petit” and “FIND & BINGO!” (for families)
This video introduces the tools that can be used with small children to enjoy art. A little girl is having fun with her parents all over the museum with these tools in hand.
National Film Archive of Japan
How to enjoy the permanent exhibition with NFAJ Self-Guide
The curator introduces the inside of a film camera and how it works, using cameras on display in the exhibition room. This video also shows a self-guide tool for children (junior-high age and younger) to enjoy the permanent exhibition.
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
Introduction to MoMAK inclusive program "Opening the Senses"
This video introduces the program in which people with visual impairments and both sighted people engage in dialogues as they touch and use various senses to savor the artworks. The workshop participants with visual impairments explain the attraction of these activities.
The National Museum of Art, Osaka
Art Tour with picture books for pre-school children and families
This program targets small children, including infants, and their families. After becoming familiar with picture books, the children make their first foray into a museum to take a closer look at the artworks!
The National Museum of Art, Osaka
Art Tour with picture books for pre-school children and families ~collaboration with Comekko~
This program is designed to help children with hearing loss or impairments and their families enjoy the museum. After a deaf staff member reads a picture book, participants accompany them to look at the actual work and discuss it in sign language.
The National Art Center
NACT YOUTH 2022: SHINBI-JUKU !
With the artist Shitamichi Motoyuki acting as the head of the “art museum school,” called Shinbi Juku, gives 13 teen-aged students an opportunity to experience the joy of artistic expression through a variety of events. The program was held over a six-month period beginning in June 2022.
02
Children and Schools
To encourage children to encounter diverse ways of seeing and thinking, and to nurture their minds, the Learning will carry on the work of National Museum of Art, mainly in the area of school education.
For example, we hold training programs where teachers and curators learn from each other in the galleries of the National Art Museums. In addition, we create opportunities for children to engage and become more familiar with art and art museums, through “art cards” (postcard-sized cards of artworks) and digital educational materials. These will be conducted with the cooperation of the National Art Museums, based on the artworks in their collections.
Caption: A Scene of workshop in Teacher and Curator Training Program
Teacher and Curator Training Program
Since fiscal 2006, the National Art Museums has conducted training programs for school teachers and art museum curators. The program aims to promote cooperation between schools and art museums in local communities, and has been attended by approximately 1,600 teachers, supervisors, and curators from all over Japan.
For more information, click here (in Japanese only).
(in Japanese only)
- Art Cards
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The “National Art Museums Art Cards Set (in Japanese only)” is an educational tool that helps children enjoy looking at artworks. The Art Cards , 65 works from the collections of the National Art Museums, selected by learning curators of the National Art Museums to stimulate children’s dialogue. The cards cover a wide range of genres, from Western religious paintings to contemporary art from Japan and abroad, including paintings, sculptures, prints, photography, crafts, and design.
- Online Toolbox for Enjoying Museum Collections
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The “Online Toolbox for Enjoying Museum Collections (in Japanese only)”, administered by the National Art Museum, is an online digital teaching tool designed for elementary schools to high schools. Masterworks from the collections of the National Art Museums can be projected on an electronic blackboard as high-resolution images or transmitted to tablets, and can also be used in creating worksheets.
03
Health and Wellbeing
In recent years, research on the role of art in improving health and wellbeing has been conducted mainly in Europe and the US, and it has become clear that art by its very nature contributes positively to health. The Learning will conduct surveys and research focusing on art activities related to health and wellbeing, focusing specifically on activities in the art field that support health and wellbeing in today’s super-aged society. We will work in collaboration with institutions and universities in the welfare and medical fields.
Caption: A program of creative ageing (Photo by Nakajima Yusuke)
- Research Project:
Arts-based communication platform for co-creation to build a convivial society -
This project, led by Tokyo University of the Arts and other universities, companies, and organizations, aims to build a convivial society where no one is isolated through art, welfare, and technology. The National Center for Art Research have been working on and leading this project since fiscal 2021.
For more information, click here (in Japanese only).
04
Accessibility
The Learning will enhance accessibility to museums so that enjoyment of art is available to all. For example, we will investigate obstacles to visiting museums and develop programs and tools to improve them. We envision a diverse range of users and propose means for everyone to enjoy art museums and art equally in their own way.
Caption: The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo
- Social Story
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“Social Story: My First Art Museum Visit” is a guide to art museums primarily for people with developmental disabilities (autism spectrum) and their families. It is a social learning tool of museum visit for people with developmental disabilities, first-time visitors, and anyone who feels anxious about visiting museums, intended to encourage all people to enjoy their time at museums. We were in charge of planning and producing all seven editions for National Art Museums. (in Japanese only)
