Exploring the current issues of public astronomical observatories in Wakayama Prefecture : A case study of Kimino Town Misato Astronomical Observatory and Kawabe Astronomical Observatory

In recent years, museums in Japan have been required to operate in two aspects: as public facilities, with an education especially for local residents and tourism attraction. In this paper, a qualitative study using interviews and secondary data research was conducted using Misato Astronomical Observatory and Kawabe Cosmic Park as case studies. Misato Astronomical Observatory and Kawabe Astronomy Park are both public astronomical observatories in Wakayama Prefecture and have many similarities in terms of the characteristics of their facilities. However, Misato Astronomical Observatory is still in operation, whereas Kawabe Astronomy Park was closed in 2014. The purpose of this paper is to explore the direction of sustained operation of public astronomical observatories by identifying changes in the social environment surrounding the facilities over time, and to provide a preliminary examination of the role that public astronomical observatories should play.