NARA - At the Nara Prefectural Museum of Art, general admission fees are set at 400 yen for permanent exhibitions and 1,200 yen for special exhibitions. However, foreign tourists and long-term visitors from abroad currently enjoy free admission to both.
According to the prefecture, the free admission policy for foreign visitors was initiated in 2008 to boost tourism. It is currently implemented at four prefectural facilities, including the Folk Museum in Yamatokoriyama City.
Amid voices on social media calling the policy "discriminatory against Japanese people," Japanese tourists visiting Nara also expressed their concerns:
"It's somewhat unfair to charge some and not others."
"It would be better if it were the same for everyone, not just Japanese people or people from a specific country."
On March 8th, Governor Masaharu Yamashita addressed the issue, stating: "It's a system that is hard to understand."
He indicated that the policy of free admission for foreign tourists would be discontinued starting April.
