Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces New Japan Exhibit
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced plans to create a satellite space in Japan on Monday. The first exhibit will debut in Tokyo in September. A permanent venue will open at a later date.
“Rock and roll is a universal language and this is an incredible opportunity for us to collaborate with the Japan Project Production Committee to deliver an exciting experience internationally,” Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said in a statement. “Japan is the second-largest music market in the world, making it the perfect place for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first international expansion.”
The Rock Hall’s move outside of the U.S. represents the latest step in the institution’s “larger initiative to expand its mission to engage, teach and inspire through the power of rock and roll.” The institution already has a number of exhibits that travel the U.S., including “Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics,” which traces longstanding relationship between rock and progressive social movements, and “Common Ground: The Music Festival Experience,” an exploration of music festival culture. Once the permanent space opens in Japan, some of these exhibits will be sent overseas.
In addition to expanding its operations abroad, the Rock Hall has “amplified the visitor experiences” at home, adding a cafe and live music to its offerings. As a result, the Cleveland museum has seen double digit growth in visitors in the past two years.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame began inducting artists in 1986; it eventually settled permanently in Cleveland, Ohio, where the current Rock Hall building opened in 1995.