Recollections of Who We Were: Nostalgic Retrospective Perceptions of Japanese Society Following a Visit to a Shōwa‐era Museum

Abstract

AbstractUnderstanding visitors' retrospective perceptions in museums as they connect objects with their personal identities and life stories, as well as their collective social identities, is of considerable interest to the museum field. This study employed a multiple case narrative methodology to understand the common perceptual themes of post‐World War II Japanese society between 1955 and 1970 (Shōwa 30–45) held by older Japanese adults following their visit to a Shōwa‐era social history museum. From an inductive analysis of n = 29 face‐to‐face interviews, five sustaining characteristic themes emerged which were later interpreted through the historical backdrop of the period together with Carstensen's socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) to provide deeper interpretation of the themes. Through their museum experiences, the visitors recalled a society characterized by; (1) close human relationships; (2) strong values and morals; (3) freedom, openness, and peace; (4) struggles and poverty, which could be overcome with patient effort; and, (5) hopes and dreams. These themes were key to the visitors' own identity and values – both personal and collective. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the power of museum experiences to evoke strong nostalgic recollections by Japanese citizens of their unique personal and collective identities, and the characteristics their retrospective memories from the perspective of the present day vantage point. It speaks to the power of the museum, not as a learning or knowledge acquisition experience, but rather in its power to affirm both personal and collective identity and the values that were retrospectively important for these visitors looking back.