IM [Internet Museum] (https://www.museum.or.jp/ hereinafter "IM"), a museum information website operated by Tanseisha, closed voting for the "Museum Character Award 2026," which determines the most popular museum character in Japan, at 12:00 PM on September 3rd and announced the final results.
Out of a record-breaking 176,701 total votes, the winner of the 2026 Grand Prix was "Mi-tan" from the Tochigi Prefectural Museum (Tochigi Prefecture), receiving 32,223 votes. Second place went to "Marurin" from the Yakushima Environmental Culture Village Center (Kagoshima Prefecture), and third place went to "Hirogu" from the Hiroshima University Museum (Hiroshima Prefecture).
The voting results are available on IM (https://www.museum.or.jp/museum-chara/2026/result), and a special feature titled "Grand Prix Winner: A Visit to the Tochigi Prefectural Museum" is planned for publication at a later date.
Started in 2010, this year marked the 17th edition of the competition, with a record-breaking 74 participating theaters. The grand prize winner, "Mi-tan," is a girl born around 800 BC (approximately 2800 years old), modeled after a clay figurine unearthed from the Goto ruins in Tochigi City. This is the first time in the competition's history that a character based on a clay figurine has won. In terms of past grand prize winners, she is a "senior" who surpasses "Yosumi-chan," the 1830-year-old winner from 2011, by approximately 1000 years.
This was Mi-tan's 10th entry since her first participation in 2011. She achieved her long-awaited Grand Prix win with the most votes in the history of the competition, surpassing the record of 30,033 votes set by Moon-tosan in 2022.
Tanseisha will continue to deepen the bond between museums and fans through the operation of "IM," thereby contributing to improving the value of cultural facilities and realizing a more colorful society.
What is "IM [Internet Museum]"?
Based on the concept of "Life with Museum," this is one of Japan's largest museum information websites, introducing approximately 8,000 museums across Japan. In addition to information on museum facilities, special exhibitions, and events, the website offers a wide range of content, including original interview reports, information on curator recruitment, and exhibition ticket giveaways, making it a popular choice for museum fans across the country.
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