The energy crisis isn＊t just getting expensive for households and businesses in Japan. Surging electricity bills are also weighing on the keepers of the nation＊s samurai swords, ancient scrolls and other art treasures.

The Tokyo National Museum, considered the oldest and largest such institution in Japan, expects utility costs to more than double the budget allocated for this year ending in March, according to an article written by museum director Makoto Fujiwara for Bungei Shunju magazine. The expense is crucial for protecting the museum＊s 120,000 priceless objects from Japan and other parts of Asia.

※Cultural artifacts need to be preserved in storage with the right temperature and humidity§ to ensure they remain in good condition, Fujiwara wrote in the article. The institution has to cut back on purchasing and repairing cultural properties in order to make ends meet this year, he added.

The museum is the latest victim of the far-reaching energy shortage, which triggered a record-breaking run in natural gas and coal prices last year. Japan＊s power bills have rallied on the back of the surging fuel costs.

The Tokyo National Museum manages 89 National Treasures, which are artifacts designated by the government for their value on a global level. The works include an ancient ritual bell from the 2nd to 1st century B.C., a painted folding screen from the Edo Period (1603-1868) showing scenes of Kyoto, and ※Mikazuki Munechika,§ regarded as one of the greatest blades in Japan. The museum also maintains more than 600 artifacts labeled as important cultural properties.

The museum expects utility costs to soar to about ?450 million ($3.4 million) for the fiscal year ending in March, more than double the budget of ?200 million set aside for electricity and gas needs. For a museum that receives about ?2 billion a year in subsidy from the government to run operations, ※it＊s extremely difficult to cover an extra ?250 million,§ Fujiwara wrote.

Fujiwara wrote that he consulted the Cultural Affairs Agency last fall to ask for adjustments in the national budget to cover the higher power bill, but it wasn＊t approved.

An official from the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, which comprises Japan＊s national museums and other cultural centers, confirmed the details of Fujiwara＊s piece in the magazine.