Many Ghibli fans who travel to Japan surely make a pilgrimage to the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka (三鷹の森ジブリ美術館). In recent years, affected by the pandemic, the official management has had to rely on fundraising to alleviate financial difficulties. While last year (2021) they quickly achieved over their target of 50 million yen, this year, fundraising again through the Furusato Nozei (Hometown Tax) system, they have only received just over 3 million yen in donations from October until now, raising concerns about the museum's operations.
“Please support large-scale park renovation costs” is the slogan for this year's goal. Due to the impact of the pandemic, the number of museum visitors has sharply declined; not only international tourists but also local Japanese visitors have drastically decreased. Furthermore, the future operational expenses and facility renovation costs have already consumed a significant amount of funds. The park's activities and facility development make it difficult for the museum to effectively turn a profit, even with local subsidies.
However, compared to last year when the fundraising goal was rapidly met, even surpassing 10 million yen in just one day, why is this year showing such a sluggish state? City officials stated that many people believe that with the current trend towards reopening and the pandemic not being as severe as before, they might assume these tourist facilities are already profitable, thus significantly reducing their willingness to donate.
But in reality, domestic tourism has not returned to its past levels, and foreign visitors are not as numerous due to ongoing restrictions. It is difficult for the museum to turn its losses into profit, and it has even had to dip into its reserves to maintain operations.
Furthermore, compared to the grand opening of “Ghibli Park” this year, which attracted massive crowds, the museum has experienced a relative displacement effect. While fans flock to the new park for pilgrimage, it's difficult to draw that same foot traffic back to the museum.
Although the fundraising situation is not ideal, the museum's official management still thanks the public for their willingness to support, and hopes that everyone can help the museum through the “Furusato Nozei (Hometown Tax)” system before the year-end deadline, allowing the Ghibli Museum, celebrating its 21st anniversary, to be effectively maintained and managed.
Although only one week remains until the fundraising deadline at the end of the year, it may be difficult for the official management to reach its goal. Nevertheless, we hope the museum can persevere, allowing more people to see the museum's need for help, so that this 21-year-old park can continue, and more people can experience the beauty of the museum.
via： 吉卜力美術館募資網站