Home > White Paper > FY2006 White Paper on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology > Special Feature2 Part1 Significance of the Promotion of Culture and the Arts and the Comprehensive Development of Measures for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts

Special Feature2
Realization of a Nation Based on Culture and the Arts

Part 1 Significance of the Promotion of Culture and the Arts and the Comprehensive Development of Measures for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts

1 Significance of the Promotion of Culture and the Arts

Currently, with the progress of urbanization, the declining population, and the falling birthrate and aging population, various changes are taking place in society. People in cities are feeling increasingly alienated and isolated. Meanwhile, in society as a whole, local communities are declining, including a weakening sense of solidarity in regions due to factors such as an outflow of local residents.

It has been pointed out that amid the current economic affluence, people are not necessarily experiencing true affluence in terms of comfort and amenities, rather than simply convenience and efficiency. For example, in the 2005 Public Opinion Survey on People's Living, the percentage of people who are seeking “spiritual wealth” for the reason “I have attained a certain degree of material wealth, so going forward I intend to place importance on spiritual wealth and comfortable living,” was 57.8% (Figure 2-1).

Arts, traditional performing arts, daily culture, cultural properties, and other forms of culture and the arts provide people with enjoyment, emotion, mental comfort, and the joy of living, and enrich people's lives. Culture and the arts also cultivate rich humanity, foster creativity, and develop people's sensitivity. By enabling people to relate to and sympathize with others, culture and the arts nurture the qualities of respecting others and living alongside people with different ways of thinking.

Culture and the arts are thus not something which is only for artists, cultural and artistic organizations, and a limited number of enthusiasts. They are essential for the realization of an affluent way of living in which all people can truly experience relaxation and comfort, and can be considered a social asset for all people.

Accordingly, society as a whole needs to work to promote culture and the arts through mutual collaboration and cooperation between individuals, companies, organizations, local governments, the central government, and other entities.

The central government needs to grasp the current status and issues with regard to culture and the arts and provide support for the independent activities of local governments and the private sector. The central government also needs to provide proactive support for the preservation and transmission of culture and the arts and promoting creativity, including the transmission and development of traditional culture and arts, extending the peaks of culture and the arts, and expanding the base of persons involved in culture and the arts.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs is making efforts to promote culture and the arts with the aim of realizing a “Nation Based on Culture and the Arts” that will move forward with nation-building based on culture and the arts in order to realize a society that is spiritually rich and full of vitality.

<Significance of culture and the arts> () Source for humans to live humanly Culture and the arts provide people with enjoyment, emotion, mental comfort, and the joy of living, and enrich people's lives. They also cultivate rich humanity and foster creativity. Culture and the arts, which have been cultivated in abundant and beautiful nature, develop people's sensitivity. () Foundation of society that allows for coexistence Culture and the arts enable people to relate and sympathize with others, link people together, and provide a basis for mutual understanding and respect. They are a foundation for a society of people who collaborate and live in coexistence. () Realization of quality economic activities The nature of culture and the arts has a significant effect on economic activities. Culture and the arts themselves create new demand and high added value, and can contribute to development in many industries. () Contribution to the true development of mankind Along with the rapid development of science and technology and information and telecommunications technology, there have arisen problems involving ethics and human values. Proactive approaches from the side of culture and the arts based on the value of respect for human dignity lead to the true development of humanity. () Keystone for world peace Mutual understanding and respect of culture among countries and peoples fostered through cultural exchanges and recognition of the diversity of other cultures will bond people together emotionally across national borders, languages, and ethnicities, and build a foundation for world peace. [Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts (approved by Cabinet in December 2002)]

2 Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts and the First Basic Policy

The Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts was established on November 30, 2001 and was promulgated and put into effect on December 7, 2001 as a lawmaker-initiated legislation against a backdrop of factors such as increasing demand for the promotion of culture and the arts.

This law is intended to promote the independent activities of persons who carry out cultural and artistic activities and comprehensively promote measures related to the promotion of culture and the arts, through () stipulating fundamental principles related to the promotion of culture and the arts, including arts which are central to culture, media arts, traditional performing arts, daily culture, popular entertainments, publications, records, and cultural properties, () clarifying the obligations of the central government and local governments, and () stipulating items which will serve as a basis for measures related to the promotion of culture and the arts (Figure 2-2).

Based on this law the Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts was created based on a report by the Council for Cultural Affairs on December 5, 2002 in order to comprehensively promote measures related to the promotion of culture and the arts by the government with a roughly five-year outlook. The Basic Policy was approved by the Cabinet on December 10, 2002. In terms of content, the Basic Policy first of all clarifies the roles of the central government in promoting culture and the arts. It sets five items, including “education related to culture and the arts” and “Japanese language” as important directions, and four items including “providing an environment conductive to enhancing the social status of artists and related personnel” and “understanding the opinions of the public and creating structures to reflect such opinions” as items to take into consideration. The Second Basic Policy sets forth basic measures that need to be taken based on the basic direction of the First Basic Policy. Based on this law and the Basic Policy, measures regarding the promotion of culture and the arts have been comprehensively promoted up to now.

3 Development of Measures for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts Following Establishment of the Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts

(1) Development of Legislation Regarding Culture and the Arts

The development of legislation regarding culture and the arts has further advanced following the establishment of the Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts. In particular, in the area of intellectual property, which is growing in importance as a foundation for measures regarding culture and the arts, the Intellectual Property Basic Law was enacted in 2002, based on which intellectual property promotion plans are formulated each year. Furthermore, in 2004, the Law Concerning the Promotion of the Creation, Protection and Utilization of Contents was enacted, and fundamental principles were set forth regarding the promotion of the creation, protection and utilization of contents.

The Copyright Law has been revised four times since 2002. These revisions include granting moral rights of performers, extending the term of protection for copyrighted cinematographic works, measures for preventing the circulation of phonograms, smoothing the simultaneous retransmission of broadcasts, and strengthening penalties.

In 2005, the Law to Promote the Culture of the Written Word, which sets forth basic principles regarding the promotion of the written word, was enacted.

With regard to the protection of cultural properties, revisions to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties were made in 2004, including newly added content for the protection of “cultural landscapes” and “folk techniques.” These revisions were implemented in April 2005.

Furthermore, in June 2006, the “Law Concerning the Promotion of International Cooperation with Regard to the Protection of Overseas Cultural Heritage” was enacted and put into effect.

(2) Deliberations at the Council for Cultural Affairs

The Council for Cultural Affairs was established in the Agency for Cultural Affairs in order to strengthen policymaking functions aimed at the promotion of culture, as a result of administrative reform of the central government in January 2001 (see https://www.bunka.go.jp/1singikai/). At the Council for Cultural Affairs, in order to enhance functions for the planning of policies in cultural administration, surveys and deliberations are carried out from a broad perspective with regard to important items concerning the promotion of culture and international cultural exchanges.

To date the Council has issued seven reports, recommendations, and so forth, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs is making efforts with regard to various measures based on these.

<Major reports and recommendations to date>   () “Building a Society that Values Culture: Toward a Society in which Each Person Lives with a Rich Spirit” report (April 2002) () “Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and Arts” report (December 2002) () “Japanese Language Aptitude Required in Future Eras” report (February 2004) () “Support Measures for Future Creation in the Performing Arts” recommendation (February 2004) () “Let's Revitalize Japan through Regional Culture!” report (February 2005) () “On the Review of the Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts” report (February 2007) () “Guidelines on Honorific Expressions” report (February 2007)

The Council for Cultural Affairs carries out deliberations at the four subdivisions, Subdivision on National Language, Subdivision on Copyright, Subdivision on Cultural Properties and the Subdivision on Selection of Cultural Awardees, as well as the Cultural Policy Committee (Figure 2-3).

(3) Enhancement of Various Measures

Efforts have been made to enhance the following measures after the establishment of the Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts.

() Promotions of Activities Enabling Children to Experience culture and the arts
Numerous performances have been carried out at schools and cultural facilities through programs such as the “Program to Experience View Authentic Stage Arts,” “Program to Dispatch Artists to Schools,” and “Children's Traditional Culture Classes Program,” enabling children to come in touch with various cultural and artistic activities.

() Promotion of culture and the arts in local communities
Measures have been enhanced with regard to the promotion of culture and the arts in local communities, including efforts to invigorate local communities with the “power of culture,” such as the “The Power of Culture from Kansai Project,” “The Power of Culture from Marunouchi Project,” and “The Power of Culture from Kyushu and Okinawa Project,” and the promotion of cultural volunteers (see Column 4 in this part).

() Promotion media arts
Media Arts Festival of the Agency for Cultural Affairs has seen an increasing trend in both visitors and applications to exhibit works. In the response to a recommendation by the Discussion Group on Film Promotion entitled the “Future Promotion of Japanese Film: For the Revitalization of Japanese Film” (April 2003), the Promotion Plan of “Japanese Films and Videos” has been comprehensively promoted since FY2004.

() Promotion of international cultural exchange
Various measures are steadily being implemented in response to the report of the Advisory Group on International Cultural Exchange (March 2003) (see https://www.bunka.go.jp/1kokusai/kokusaikondankaihoukoku.html), which is a private advisory group of the Chief of the Cultural Affairs Agency and the report of the Advisory Group on the Promotion of Cultural Diplomacy, a private advisory group to the Prime Minister (July 2005) (see http://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/singi/bunka/). For example, the World Cultural Forum has been held since 2003, and activities are being actively developed, including dispatch of artists, cultural figures, and other persons involved in culture and the arts overseas for certain periods of time as Special Advisors for Cultural Exchange for the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Furthermore, in response to the so-called “Korean Culture Boom,” cultural exchange between Japan and the Republic of Korea were further invigorated during the Japan-Korea Friendship Year in 2005.

() Enhancement of national cultural facilities
In 2004, the National Theatre Okinawa opened as a hub for promoting the preservation of kumiodori,* an important intangible cultural heritage of Japan, and other traditional performing arts of Okinawa as well as exchanges in the Asia-Pacific region through traditional culture. In the same year, the National Museum of Art, Osaka opened at the new location of Nakanoshima, Osaka. In 2005, the Kyushu National Museum opened with the objective of deepening mutual understanding with Asian countries from a new standpoint of “capturing the shape of Japanese culture from the perspective of the history of Asia.” Furthermore, in January 2007, the “The National Art Center, Tokyo” opened with the objectives of providing faculties for exhibitions for the public on a nationwide scale, making use of one of the largest exhibition spaces in Japan (14,000 m²), holding a wide variety of planned exhibitions, and gathering and providing information relating to art. Artistic and cultural hubs for conveying the culture of Japan are thus developing steadily.

4 Budgetary Measures for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts

Based on the enactment of the Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts, as well as the Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and Arts, which is based on this law, the direction for concrete measures in Japan has been clarified and the budget for the Agency for Cultural Affairs in FY2003 surpassed 100 billion yen for the first time. Subsequently, while cuts in expenditures have been progressing in the government as whole as a result of severe financial circumstances, the budget for the Agency for Cultural Affairs has remained roughly at the same level.

The budget for the Agency for Cultural Affairs as a percentage of the general account in Japan was a record-high of 0.13% in the FY2006 budget. Although differences the organizations and systems, scope and content of culture-related budgets, and so forth of respective cultural administrations make it difficult to make a simple international comparison, when certain elements are compared Japan's level remains low compared to that in France (0.96%), the United Kingdom (0.26%), and the Republic of Korea (0.95%).

Looking at the budget for the Agency for Cultural Affairs by field, just under 40% of the total is spent on “promotion of the arts and culture,” with just under 60% spent on “enhancement of the preservation of cultural properties.” This trend has remained fairly constant (Figure 2-4, Figure 2-5).

In the area of “promotion of the arts and culture,” the budget related to the promotion of hands-on cultural and arts activities for children increased 1.4-fold from 3.9 billion yen in FY2002 to 5.5 billion yen in FY2006.

Meanwhile in the area of “enhancement of the preservation of cultural properties,” the budget related to the preservation and utilization of historic sites and so forth accounts for 27% of the entire budget of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, a situation that has not changed for the past several years.

5 Tax Breaks with Regard to Cultural and Artistic Activities

(1) Tax breaks with regard to donations to cultural and arts organizations

In general, in the case of a company giving a donation, the tax on the donation can be deducted up to a certain amount. In addition, donations to designated public interest corporations, public interest corporations that have as their main objectives goals such as spreading and improving art, preserving and utilizing cultural properties and so forth, and establishing and operating museums, or to individuals who fulfill certain requirements, can be written off. In the case of organizations such as companies, the tax on the donation can be deducted up to the same amount as the deduction limit for general donations as a separate limit.

For example, Association for Corporate Support of the Arts, which has an objective of working toward mutual collaboration among corporations that carried out support for culture and the arts, has been certified as a designated public interest corporation since FY2002, and the areas in which it is subject to subsidies, its activity subjects, and its activity configurations have expanded. Starting in FY2003, the Association has moved forward in collaborating with cultural foundations in various prefectures, and it is proceeding with nationwide development consultation services regarding support for culture and the arts.

With regard to the donations of individuals as well, starting with the income tax for 2005, the limit of application for donations which are subject to deduction from income was increased from 25% to 30%, and starting with the income tax for 2006, the lower limit of application for donations subject to deduction from income was lowered from “an amount over 10,000 yen” to “an amount over 5,000 yen.” As demonstrated in these and other examples, it has become easier to provide support for culture and the arts at the individual level as well.

(2) Tax breaks with regard to cultural properties

In the area of cultural properties as well, houses and premises which have been designated, selected, and registered as important cultural properties and so forth are either exempted from fixed assets tax or taxed at half rate on their fixed assets. Owners are thus given preferential tax measures based on the appropriate management of cultural properties. In the case that an important culture property has been transferred to the central government, local governments, and so on, it is exempted from income tax (with regard to land designated as historic sites, etc., special deduction). As for buildings (including registered tangible cultural properties and traditional buildings in important preservation districts for groups of historic buildings), efforts are made to lower the accession tax.

Furthermore, in order to promote disclosure of outstanding works to the public at art galleries and museums, special measures for the in-kind payment of accession tax has been established for works of art that have been registered as registered works of art.

6 Developments in the International Situation Surrounding Culture and the Arts

Following the establishment of the Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts, significant development can be seen with regard to international trends, including the creation of an international framework surrounding culture and the arts.

Japan, with the objective of effectively preventing the illegal trading of cultural properties, and protecting against dangers such as the illegal import and export of the cultural properties of various countries, concluded the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in 2002, and in conjunction with this, formulated the Law Concerning Controls on the Illicit Export and Import of Cultural Property and revised the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.

With regard to the World Heritage Sites (cultural heritage sites) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range were registered as a World Heritage Site in 2004, bringing the number of registered cultural heritage sites in Japan to 10. Recommendation documents were submitted for the Iwami-Ginzan Silver Mine Sites in January 2006 and for the Cultural Heritage of Hiraizumi in December 2006. Japan has served as a committee member of the World Heritage Committee (2003 through 2007), and through channels such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)/Japan Trust Fund for the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage, is providing various types of support for the preservation of cultural heritage in the world.

Japan is also cooperating with international organizations, centered on UNESCO, with regard to intangible cultural heritage as well. Nôgaku was proclaimed a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” in 2001, as well as Ningyo Johruri Bunraku Puppet Theater in 2003 and kabuki (Kabuki performed in the traditional style of acting and direction) in 2005. Furthermore, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, adopted at the General Conference of UNESCO in 2003, was put into effect in April 2006. Among the states contracting this convention (60 countries as of August 9, 2006), Japan was chosen as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee, and Japan is set to play a leading role when urgent matters regarding the convention are decided upon.

In October 2005, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (Cultural Diversity Convention) was adopted, and a report was submitted to the Diet in June 2006. This convention aims to deepen mutual understanding between different cultures, develop crosscultural exchanges that value tolerance, dialogue, and cooperation, and, having these, lead to peace and security in the world.