Sustainable Digital Innovation for Regional Museums Through Cost-Effective Digital Reconstruction and Exhibition Co-Design: A Case Study of the Ryushi Memorial Museum

Yaotian Ai, Xinru Zhu () and Kayoko Nohara ()
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Yaotian Ai: School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
Xinru Zhu: School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
Kayoko Nohara: School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-26

Abstract: While national museums focus on broader national narratives, regional museums function as vital community hubs, establishing deeper local connections and facilitating intimate interactions between local residents and their heritage. These regional museums face dual challenges in their sustainable digital transformation, including the following: technical barriers arising from the high costs of traditional digitization methods like Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and humanistic challenges, including preserving distinctive multi-directional communication and balancing professionalism and authority with collaborative community engagement in the digitization process. This study addresses these challenges through a case study of the Ryushi Memorial Museum in Ota City, Tokyo. We present a comprehensive approach that integrates technical innovation with community engagement, including the following: (1) A cost-effective workflow combining photogrammetry with iPad LiDAR technology for spatial reconstruction, demonstrated through the digital reconstruction of the museum’s Atelier and Jibutsudo (family hall for worshipping Buddha); (2) a new Exhibition Co-Design framework that co-ordinates diverse stakeholders to create digital exhibitions while balancing professional guidance with community participation. Through questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews with museum volunteers, we demonstrate how this approach enhances community engagement by enabling volunteers to incorporate their local knowledge into digital exhibitions while maintaining professionalism and authority. This cost-effective model for spatial reconstruction and community-driven digital design can serve as a reference for other regional museums to help them achieve sustainable digital innovation in the digital age.

Keywords: digital reconstruction; cultural heritage; exhibition co-design; regional museum; digital museum; sustainable digitization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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