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Now that Japan is opening up again (sort of), Tokyo’s museums are getting ready to welcome a new flood of eager tourists. While many set their sights on more art-based establishments like the Yayoi Kusama Museum or the Studio Ghibli Museum, those more interested in science and oddities may be inclined to visit somewhere a little more unconventional.
Enter the Meguro Parasitological Museum.
Founded in 1953, it is a facility devoted to the research of parasites and parasitic diseases. Despite its subject matter, the museum has always been a relatively popular attraction. However, over the course of the pandemic, there’s been a struggle to keep a steady flow of patrons and the future. Until this year, the facility seemed to be at risk.
This was until one seemingly innocuous tweet from Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, single handedly launched the museum’s revitalization.
About the Museum
When a typical visitor enters the Meguro Parasitological Museum, they are immediately met with over 300 wet specimens of a diverse selection of parasites in the museum’s permanent collection.
Many also come to frequent the museum shop, which has many lovingly designed parasite-themed items such as t-shirts, postcards, and keychains.
All other floors are designated laboratories, specimen storage, and other parasitological research rooms.
Although admission to the museum is free, donations are highly encouraged, as they are one of the museum’s primary sources of income. Every year, the museum asks its visitors to help them meet a specific donation goal to keep the facility afloat.
Meeting this quota came easily in previous years. The steady flow of generous visitors was often more than enough to keep research running smoothly. However, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a steep drop in museum traffic, making it much more difficult for the donation goal to be reached.
Before the pandemic hit, the average number of museum visitors per year was around 50,000. This has since fallen to less than half of that number. Since donations were mostly given by physical visitors to the museum rather than online or by mail, this drop in patronage has made it much more difficult to receive proper funding.
This precarious situation made the future of the facility look a lot more uncertain than previously expected. That is, until a special visitor decided to make an appearance and launch an impromptu explosion of donations.
Bill Gates visits the museum
On August 19th, Bill Gates visited the museum and posted a picture of himself posing next to the world’s longest tapeworm, looking quite amused.
I’m at my happiest when I’m learning – no matter how gross the subject matter. Today, I experienced the Meguro Parasitological Museum in Tokyo, and saw what is believed to be the world’s longest tapeworm. 10/10 would visit again.
It’s not surprising that Gates would be interested in a place such as the Meguro Parasitological Museum considering his dedication to controlling the spread of diseases. Aside from being the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates is also famous for his work as a public health figure with the The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has committed over 2 billion USD to the global COVID-19 response alone.
It seemed that Gates had thoroughly enjoyed his time at the museum, enthusiastically endorsing its educational potential. The museum staff appeared to appreciate his visit as well, with museum director Kuramochi Toshiaki sharing the following words about Gates:
とっても親しげな優しいおじさまという感じでしたけど
He seemed to be a kind and gentle man.
Kuramochi Toshiaki for TV Asahi
How the Post Made Waves
The link to donate to the museum is front and center on their official website to encourage site visitors to contribute. Historically, most donations have been given by physical museum goers. But since Bill Gates’ social media post, there has been an influx of donations from global benefactors.
This was a lovely surprise for for museum director Kuramochi Toshiaki, who was happy to announce that as of September 7th, 2022, they had met and surpassed their 5 million yen goal by almost half a million yen.
「今年度500万円の目標を掲げていたが、目標は一応超えました」
This year, we set a goal for 5 million yen, and it has been surpassed.
Kuramochi Toshiaki for TV Asahi
What’s Next for the Museum
The museum met their yearly funding from the generosity of people who simply wanted to see the museum continue to thrive, but what’s next?
The facility will hopefully be able to operate without worries for at least the rest of the year. However, there’s still every year after that. One viral social media post typically isn’t enough to save an entire establishment long-term, but hopefully, this sudden widespread interest in the museum isn’t short-lived. With Bill Gates’ endorsement and the growing potential for more visitors as more people begin to emerge from their homes, there is much optimism for the the Meguro Parasitological Museum.
More information on the Meguro Parasitological Museum can be found on their official website, https://www.kiseichu.org/.
What to Read Next
References
目黒寄生虫館 あのビル・ゲイツ氏来館で起死回生なるか. Asahi Shinbun
Meguro Parasitological Museum. Atlas Obscura
COVID-19. Gates Foundation
常設展示. Meguro Parasitological Museum
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