November 28, 2019

The group of Japanese Communist Party members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly will propose that Tokyo offer free admission or half-price admission for young people to visit permanent exhibitions at metropolitan-owned galleries and museums.

The 18-member JCP group on November 26 held a press conference and announced that it will submit a revised ordinance bill early next month to the metropolitan assembly's regular session.

According to the JCP group, the purpose of the revision is to give young people more opportunities to enjoy the arts in order to enrich their artistic and cultural sensibilities and to stimulate their imaginations.

The revised ordinance, if enacted, will grant free admission to permanent exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Edo-Tokyo Museum, and Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum for high school students and anyone under the age of 18, and will specify half-price admission fees for young adults aged 18-26.

Toya Etsuko, a JCP assemblyperson, said to the press, "Free or half-price tickets for young people to visit galleries and museums will certainly be effective in increasing younger generations' art appreciation."