Something else closed on March 31st, Museum 104, more commonly known as Mizu no Kuni, a delightful museum devoted to water. These photos are from my last visit there, about a year ago, though I have been many time. Earlier posts are here...
It was a delightful place and all the foreign visitors we took there enjoyed it, but it was deserted most of the time. In fact when we first moved here Yoko wanted a job there as there were simply no customers.
It was one of the hundreds of similar projects that came out of a government program back in the Bubble era that literally gave a million bucks to every town in Japan to do with what they wished. All kinds of grand museums and auditoriums and such were built and construction companies made a fortune, but the local towns were left with the coast of maintaining and operating them. Many have closed down.
I'm actually surprised it stayed open as long as it did. I have heard that it is up for sale for the ridiculous price on 1,000,000 yen.... about ten thousand bucks.
Yoko also informs me that our local library has now seriously cut back on its services too...
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Oh, Jake---how could they?? This place was a highlight of my trip to Shimane. Are they just going to let it decay? Reopen as something else?
ReplyDeletejust let it decay I guess. operating costs were too high for too few visitors......
DeleteI share the same sadness and regret about rural Japan as you do.
ReplyDeleteThe countryside is where the Yamato soul resides.
Sad news.....
ReplyDelete