Smell Success: Japan Museum Uses Manure

Nagoya University Museum is employing a unique olfactory strategy, using the smell of horse manure, to connect visitors with Japan's critically endangered Kiso horse breed. This innovative approach is part of the museum's 'Sense-Science-Significance' (S-S-S) educational framework, designed to make heritage personally relevant through direct sensory experiences.

The S-S-S model aims to bridge the gap between visitors' intellectual appreciation of cultural artifacts and a feeling of personal engagement. By incorporating olfaction, sound, and tactile experiences, the museum seeks to imbue a sense of ownership and connection to heritage items like the Kiso horse, which is vital to Japan's cultural tapestry.

Kiso horses, native to Japan's Gifu and Nagano prefectures, are historically significant pack and warfare animals. Their population drastically declined due to a Meiji-era breeding program aiming for taller horses. Today, fewer than 140 individuals remain, making them critically endangered.

The museum's initiative gained traction following an exhibition of Daisan-Haruyama, a foundational stallion. Visitor surveys revealed a disconnect between recognizing the Kiso horse's cultural importance and feeling personal responsibility for its conservation. The S-S-S model was then developed to address this.

Subsequent exhibitions, like one at the Kiso Town Cultural Exchange Center, integrated the smell of fermented manure, archival recordings of horse markets, and comparisons of Kiso and Thoroughbred hooves. These sensory elements, paired with scientific context, encouraged deeper reflection and communication about horse management and conservation.

The S-S-S model has since been applied to over 30 educational events at the Nagoya University Museum, covering various specimens and environmental issues. The researchers hope this flexible framework will be adopted globally to boost engagement with cultural heritage and conservation efforts.