Experiencing Japan: a comparative study of Asian and European perceptions of Japanese museums via TripAdvisor

Thumbnail Image

Files

URL

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

School of Business | Bachelor's thesis
Electronic archive copy is available locally at the Harald Herlin Learning Centre. The staff of Aalto University has access to the electronic bachelor's theses by logging into Aaltodoc with their personal Aalto user ID. Read more about the availability of the bachelor's theses.
Unless otherwise stated, all rights belong to the author. You may download, display and print this publication for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.

Authors

Date

2025

Department

Mikkelin kampus

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

(Mikkeli) Bachelor’s Program in International Business

Language

en

Pages

46

Series

Abstract

Over the past decade, museums have undergone a significant transformation—from traditional, education-focused institutions to interactive, multi-sensory environments designed to engage diverse audiences. This shift toward a more visitor-oriented approach has emphasized the importance of visitors’ personalities and cultural background in shaping the museum going experience. Drawing on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (1980) and Pine and Gilmore’s (1998) four realms of experience—entertainment, education, escapism, and esthetics—this study investigates how Asian and European visitors perceive museum experiences differently. By analyzing online reviews from five popular Japanese museums, this research identifies thematic trends and examines how they align with broader cultural values. The findings suggest that European visitors, reflecting higher individualism and uncertainty avoidance, place more emphasis on clear and structured information. Additionally, they are more willing to offer explicit negative feedback. In contrast, Asian visitors, shaped by collectivist and long-term orientation values, show stronger appreciation for immersive, emotionally resonant experiences and exhibit greater tolerance for ambiguity. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of cross-cultural differences in museum engagement and offer practical implications for international museum management, tourism marketing, and culturally adaptive service design.

Description

Thesis advisor

Dellestrand, Hendrik

Keywords

museums, cultural traits, online reviews, value co-creation, visitor experience

Other note

Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202505113602

Collections

[kand] Kauppakorkeakoulu / BIZ