| Abstract: |
The purpose of this research was to gather knowledge on the behavior
characteristics of visitors when they use information services, to clarify
kinds of effective information services for fostering understanding of and
relationships with open-air museums, and to contribute to sustainable museum
management. Here, "open-air museum" does not just refer to traditional museums
where items are preserved and displayed by a specialist such as a curator. It
also refers to new formats, such as the ecomuseums created in France where the
region's residents actively participate in maintenance and management. The
scope of this research encompasses a consideration of various configurations
of open-air museums (local preservation, relocating collection, restorative
construction). Three cultural institutions/regions of Japan (the Hiraizumi
World Heritage Site, Kitakami City’s park for traditional houses, and an
open-air art museum in Iwate) were chosen. These facilities were already using
a guide system for smartphones developed using the results of our previous
research. In order to analyze the behavior characteristics of the visitors, we
gathered quantitative data, with the cooperation of the facility managers,
from the aforementioned guide system's GPS excursion logs and information
browsing logs, then attempted analysis visualization using our own original
GIS-based tools. By combining this quantitative method with qualitative ones,
such as field observations and interviews, we were able to acquire knowledge
on behavior characteristics specific to visitors of open-air museums, which
unlike mere tourist facilities have a multifaceted role in cultural
dissemination, tourism promotion, and regional development. Hereafter, we will
implement information service design for other open-air museums in urgent need
of development (facilities to preserve/pass on relics of the Great East Japan
Earthquake etc.), i.e. we will apply and verify knowledge through action
research while systematizing the methodology of information service design. |