Voting for the "Museum Character Awards 2025" will begin at 12:00 on Tuesday, July 22nd on the museum information site "IM [Internet Museum]" (hereinafter "IM") operated by Tanseisha.
[Museum Character Award URL] https://www.museum.or.jp/museum-chara
The Museum Character Awards will introduce museum mascots submitted by museums, science museums, zoos, aquariums, and other institutions across Japan in IM. An online popularity vote will determine the most popular museum mascot in Japan that year. Through unique characters that reflect the characteristics of each museum, we aim to stimulate interest in the museum itself and create an opportunity for more people to visit museums.
The deadline for voting in 2025 is Thursday, September 4th at 12:00. Please find your favorite museum mascot from the entries and cast your vote. Let's support these unique characters and liven up museums across the country.
*For voting instructions, please see the Museum Character Awards webpage (https://www.museum.or.jp/museum-chara).
Last year's results
In 2024, 62 characters were entered from museums across Japan, and out of a total of 150,576 votes, "Asagao Miyagi" (Rifu Town Folklore Museum, Miyagi Prefecture) received 24,769 votes to win the Grand Prix. The IM editorial team personally visited the museum of the character selected as the Grand Prix winner, and presented the character with a certificate and plaque at the awards ceremony. In addition, a report on the Rifu Town Folklore Museum was published in IM as a "Grand Prix Special Feature."
Museum Character Award 2024 Grand Prix Commemoration
"Visiting the Rifu Town Folk Museum" (In "IM")
Comment from Mikio Furukawa, Editor-in-Chief of IM [Internet Museum]
Everyone's "likes" become the power of the museum.
Since its launch in 2010, the Museum Character Awards have grown in popularity year by year, and have become a popular opportunity for many people to take an interest in the museum's attractions and activities through the characters.
Voting also fosters interaction between museums, which helps to motivate museum staff. Another major significance of this project is that it helps people feel closer to the museum through the characters that represent the individuality of the local area and facility.
This year, a voting event with a "support activity" feel that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to adults will once again feature entries from a wide variety of unique characters from all over the country. Be sure to find your "favorite."
What is IM [Internet Museum]?
This is one of Japan's largest museum information websites, introducing approximately 8,000 museums across the country, with the concept of "Life with Museum."
In addition to information about museum facilities, special exhibitions, events, and more, the site offers a wide range of content, including original reporting, curator recruitment information, and exhibition ticket giveaways, making it popular with museum fans all over the country.
https://www.museum.or.jp/