A growing number of museums in the country are looking to abandon their no-photos policy amid the rising popularity of smartphones and calls to conform to more liberal global practices.
While many famous museums overseas allow visitors to take photos, museums in Japan have long banned photography due partly to concerns about copyrights and safety.
However, some museum operators in the country have moved to ease regulations, encouraging people to share their photos on social media platforms to attract more visitors.
The National Art Center in Tokyo has allowed visitors to take photos in some parts of the facility for about two years, looking for “an advertising effect from visitors going on social media,” said Yusuke Minami, former deputy director at the museum.
In fact, the exhibition of renowned contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama being held at the museum is filled with people taking selfies and photos of displayed works.
To allow photography, however, the museum had to ensure copyright protections and maintain the safety of its visitors. It also had to make sure people taking pictures do not bother other visitors with camera flashes or by crowding in front of exhibits.
To protect copyrights, the museum obtained approval from the artists themselves or those who inherited copyrights after the death of the creator. It also decided to allow only the use of smartphones to take pictures, prohibiting other cameras.
The museum prohibits flash photography, and the use of selfie sticks and tripod stands, to ensure quality experiences for visitors and to avoid damage to the paintings from the intense light emitted by flashes.
Still, there have been cases where people taking photos have damaged works of art. A visitor taking a selfie at an exhibition held by Kusama in Washington in February accidentally damaged one of her pieces valued at nearly $800,000.
Minami said that if people taking photographs damage works of art, the costs would likely be covered by insurance. “It would be easier to entirely ban photography, but people can now download photos so easily on the internet,” he said, explaining why the National Art Center has opted to ease regulations.
The Yamatane Museum of Art in Tokyo has also allowed photography in parts of the facility since last autumn.
“As the museum isn’t that spacious, we only allow visitors to take pictures of certain artworks, considering the safety of people,” said Director Taeko Yamazaki.
The number of followers of the museum’s Twitter account surged after the end to the moratorium, exceeding 100,000 people last fall. Still, it is unclear whether it is because of the abolition of the no-photos policy.
Author Kyoko Nakano, who has written many books about art, welcomes the move and hopes that more museums in the country will follow suit given a declining interest in art by today’s young people.
“I think the move will encourage younger generations, who use social media, to visit museums more often,” Nakano said.
