Home > White Paper > FY2006 White Paper on Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology > Special Feature2 Part2 Changes in Situation Associated with Culture and the Arts; Formulation of the Second Basic Policy

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

Part 2 Changes in Situation Associated with Culture and the Arts; Formulation of the Second Basic Policy

1 Changes in Situations Associated with Culture and the Arts since the Enactment of the Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts

The situation surrounding culture and the arts has been drastically affected by rapid changes that have swept Japan and the world since the enactment of the Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts.

Firstly, progress of structural reform has led to: the review of the roles shared by private and government sectors; promotion of decentralization; and in consequence the review of the roles shared by the national and local governments. Deregulation has also enabled private companies to enter new fields, raising expectations that various services can be offered more efficiently.

In the fields of culture and the arts, too, new forms of activity have taken root among the public, such as specified nonpolitical organizations (NPOs) and volunteering, prompting initiatives of government-private collaboration. Also spreading broadly are mécénat activities (support for culture and the arts) by companies (Figure 2-6).

Furthermore, the introduction of the designated manager system has been raising hopes for more efficient and effective management of public cultural facilities, made possible by the private sector's new perspectives and methods (know-how). There are however concerns that the system may hamper stable and sustainable development of artistic activities that have been cultivated in each local area through years.

Furthermore, local areas are seeing a loss of population with their declining birth rates and the aging of society, resulting in a lack of individuals engaging in culture and artistic activities. Urban areas are also witnessing a rapid increase in the number of single households, leading some to the view that communities across Japan are suffering functional declines (Figures 2-7, 2-8). There is also concern that large-scale mergers of municipalities may be threatening the inheritance of locally-indigenous culture and arts.

Internationally, the progress of political and economic globalization has enabled creative interaction of culture and arts, while at the same time heightening tensions over the crisis of cultural identities and raising concerns that cultural diversity may be threatened. Against these backdrops, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in October 2005.

The development and spread of information and communication technology such as the Internet has accelerated globalization and activated cross-border dialogue, exchange, and cooperation in culture and arts and any other field, making it easy for citizens to receive and transmit information (Figure 2-9). Negative aspects are also being pointed out, such as weakening of human-to-human interactions and the lack of firsthand experiences.

2 Second Basic Policy

In February 2006, then-minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Kenji Kosaka consulted the Council for Cultural Affairs for a possible review of the Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts, in response to the rising need for such review derived from changes of various situations and progress of measures related to culture and the arts since the Cabinet decided the Basic Policy in December 2002.

The Council for Cultural Affairs therefore began deliberation at Cultural Policy Committee, taking into consideration the aforementioned changes of various situations. On February 2, 2007, the Council compiled a report entitled “On the Review of the Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts” and submitted it to Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Bunmei Ibuki. The report reflects opinions the subcommittee heard from 13 external experts through five sessions; written opinions it received from organizations related to culture and the arts; the outcomes of the public-hearing it hosted at the discussion meeting of culture and the arts; and public opinions on an interim report it prepared on this issue. In response to this report, the Cabinet decided the Second Basic Policy on the Promotion of Culture and the Arts (hereinafter the “Second Basic Policy”) on February 9, 2007.

(1) Outline of the Second Basic Policy

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General (a) Significance of the promotion of culture and the arts Regarding the significance of the promotion of culture and the arts, the government lays out the presentday significance in addition to five points of essential significance (Figure 2-10). Specifically, the government identifies the power of culture and the arts, their attractiveness to people and their influence in society as “Power of Culture.” The government then argues that: this “Power of Culture” is recognized globally as a national power and that culture and the arts provide economic activities with sources of new demand and high added-value; and that this is leading to the increasingly widely shared idea that culture and arts are closely related to economy. The government thus clarifies its position that Japan needs to develop into a country that gains the world's admiration not only through its economic power, but also through its cultural power and therefore promote culture to realize the “Nation-Building Based on Culture and the Arts.” (b) Basic viewpoints for the promotion of culture and the arts As for the basic viewpoints for the promotion of culture and the arts, the government categorizes them into three goals: () cultivation of an era of power of culture; () vitalization of Japan through its local regions with power of culture; and () support for culture and the arts through trilateral coordination of the central and local governments and private sector. To these goals the government has added the following new viewpoints in response to changes of various situations: the need to recognize the characteristics of culture and the arts, thereby developing measures based on long-term and consistent perspectives; and the need to improve the environment for baby-boomers to participate in cultural and artistic activities in their local areas (Figure 2-11). (c) Prioritized issues to be tackled in promoting culture and the arts Six items are identified as the prioritized issues to be tackled in promoting culture and the arts (Figure 2-12). At the top of the list is human resource development, wherein emphasis is put on the development of specialists such as art management personnel and successors of intangible cultural properties and other items. Next comes the dissemination of Japanese culture and promotion of international cultural exchanges, whereby the promotion of culture and arts is pursued as a national commitment. In addition, the enhancement of cultural and artistic activities for children is considered as an independent theme. Figure 2-11 Basic viewpoints for promoting culture and the arts () Cultivate the era of power of culture   · Cultivate a diverse range of culture and arts covering traditional and contemporary genres, enhance cultural power, and realize a society filled with spiritual abundance and vitality · By means of promoting international exchanges, help enhance the understanding of Japan and contribute to the world through culture and the arts · Recognize the characteristics of culture and arts, thereby developing measures based on long-term and consistent perspectives () Vitalize Japan through its local regions with power of culture   · Prosperity of local cultures can enhance Japanese culture and its charm, serving as a force to vitalize many people · Enable citizens to appreciate various forms of culture and art anywhere in Japan and to create further flourishing culture and the arts · Improve the environment in which baby boomers can enjoy culture and the arts and participate in cultural and artistic activities () Support culture and the arts through trilateral coordination of the national and local governments and private sector   · It is necessary for the country to actively support what should be protected, passed down through the generations, and created. It is also necessary to create an environment to support cultural and artistic activities in the face of stringent fiscal circumstances by implementing adequate evaluations and seeking necessary legal, fiscal and taxation measures. · It is important to seek the promotion of culture and the arts in society as a whole by further promoting inter-ministerial/office coordination and cooperation, as well as by realizing multi-lateral coordination among individuals, companies, organizations, and local and central governments. Figure 2-12 Prioritized issues to be tackled in promoting culture and the arts Cultivation of human resources to transmit, develop and create Japanese culture and the arts   · Relevant organizations seek coordination and cooperation to promote planned and systematic development of specialists · Develop human resources to support cultural and artistic activities (art management personnel, stage engineers, etc.) · To foster successors of intangible cultural properties, etc., establish an economically self-sustainable environment for them · Prompt high quality cultural volunteering activities Dissemination of Japanese culture and promotion of international cultural exchange   · Coordination among relevant ministries/offices · Actively present Japan's cultural and artistic activities overseas · Consider establishment of international bases for new forms of culture and art, such as media art · Actively promote international cooperation for protecting cultural properties Strategic Support for cultural and artistic activities   · Seek a balance between prioritized assistance for high-quality activities and wide, diverse assistance that takes into consideration local circumstances · Seek adequate role-sharing among various subsidiary organizations, etc., and consider the validity of the secondary-subsidiary System Promotion of regional culture   · Assist in activities such as creating bases to allow people to appreciate and participate in culture and the arts equally regardless of where they live · Use higher education facilities in local areas · Apply local cultural power not only to local economic development and tourism, but also town planning at large Enhancement of cultural and artistic activities for Children   · Enrich opportunities for children to get in touch with traditional and contemporary culture and arts in their daily lives, in order to nourish their abundant spirituality, sensibilities, and creativity · Each community as a whole assists schools to promote cultural and artistic activities · Further endeavor for children's international cultural exchange Enhancement of the preservation and Utilization of cultural properties   · Enhance effectiveness of preservation and use of cultural properties · Foster momentum for people to familiarize themselves with cultural properties and preserve them as the common property of the people · Promote recommendation and registration of UNESCO World Heritage sites

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Specific Consideration As a specific consideration, the Second Basic Policy consists of 107 concrete measures to represent the basic measures on the promotion of culture and the arts, stipulated in Chapter 3 of the “Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts.” The gist of these measures is as follows (Figure 2-13). Figure 2-13 Basic measures on the promotion of culture and the arts 1. Promotion of culture and the arts in diverse cultural and artistic genres   (1) Promotion of the arts ・ Prioritized assistance for creative activities that can serve as a driving force to lift the levels of the arts ・ Promotion of coordinated activities of top-level organizations and artistic bases ・ Further enhancement of judgments and evaluations related to assistance/consideration for the effectiveness of the secondary-subsidiary system that is channeled through specialized organizations (2) Promotion of media arts ・ Strengthening of the coordination among related universities, museums and other facilities / Promotion of exhibitions overseas / Development of high-level human resources ・ Enhancement of the environment for producing Japanese films and video works / Presentation of works at home and abroad / Collection and preservation of works (3) Succession and development of traditional performing arts ・ Assistance for the understanding and dissemination of historic and cultural value and performance opportunities / Expansion of opportunities for people to become familiar with traditional culture (4) Promotion of popular performing arts ・ Prioritized assistance for creative activities, developing human resource, etc. (5) Dissemination of daily culture, popular entertainments, publications, and so forth ・ Improvement of the environment for promoting activities and dissemination, etc. 2. Preservation and Utilization of cultural properties   ・ Active promotion of recommending locations for registration as World Heritage sites / Adequate preservation for registered sites ・ Coordination with policies in other fields, such as urban administration, with the aim of preserving and actively using cultural properties and their peripheral environment ・ As part of the preservation of wall paintings in ancient tombs, adequate preservation and active use of the Takamatsu-zuka and Kitora Tombs ・ Planned preservation and restoration of tangible cultural properties and enhancement of measures to protect them against natural disaster ・ Enhancement of the preservation and succession bases for intangible cultural properties through means such as securing and fostering of successors, production and repair of tools, etc. ・ Consideration for comprehensive approaches to protect cultural properties regardless of types 3. Promotion of regional culture   ・ Enhancement of viewing opportunities / Support for creative activities in each local area / Promotion of participation by local community residents ・ Support for enthusiastic creative activities at bases / Active presentation of characteristic projects ・ Coordination with and support for private non-profit organizations and culture volunteers, aiming at encouraging residents to participate in activities to pass down traditional culture ・ Promotion of regional culture through coordination with universities and other relevant organizations / Active, broad use of cultural power for city/town development, etc. 4. Promotion of international exchanges   ・ Establishment of bases related to the creation and presentation of media art ・ Interaction and coordination among cultural leaders, artists, etc, and creation of international networks for them ・ Assistance for international exchange activities by organizations, etc. / Interaction in stage arts / Development of creative workshops, etc. ・ Promotion of international cultural exchanges among the youth ・ Promotion of international cooperation for cultural heritages and cooperation in activities to protect intangible cultural heritages in Asia and other areas, etc. 5. Training and acquisition of artists and related personnel   ・ Promotion of planned and systematic human resource development through coordination among relevant organizations ・ Enhancement of opportunities for up-and-coming artists to study abroad, undergo training at home and present their achievements ・ Training and securing of a wide range of human resources / Fostering of human resources to engage in cultural and artistic activities by means of enhanced training programs 6. Correct understanding of national language   ・ Creation and dissemination of specific guidelines concerning the use of the respectful forms of Japanese language ・ Presentation and dissemination of the basic ideas on the modality of policies concerning Chinese characters ・ Further enhancement of the Japanese language proficiency through educational activities in the scheme of school education ・ Encouragement of self-initiated reading of books by children ・ Enhancement of the environment for children to enjoy the benefits of a culture rich in written literature and printed materials, etc. 7. Dissemination and enhancement of Japanese language education   ・ Enhancement of Japanese language education in response to the increase in the number of learners ・ Establishment of Japanese language classes in local communities / Fostering and training of Japanese language volunteers ・ Provision of Japanese language learning materials based on an active use of information technologies 8. Copyright protection and exploitation of works   ・ Enhancement of the legal system for responding to changes in the times and creation of a system to promote distribution of copyrighted works ・ Prevention and eradication of the distribution of pirated goods copyrighted works, etc. ・ Dissemination of knowledge and awareness concerning copyright through school education and other means 9. Enhancement of the cultural and artistic activities of the Japanese people   (1) Enhancement of opportunities for people to appreciate culture and the arts ・ Improvement of the environment to allow strengthening of activities to connect culture and the arts with people and to enhance supporters' activities (2) Enhancement of cultural and artistic activities by seniors and people with disabilities ・ Barrier-free renovations of facilities / Provision of subtitles for films and voice guidance services / Promotion of child-care services, etc. (3) Enhancement of cultural and artistic activities by youth ・ Enhancement of diverse cultural and artistic activities by youth; and ・ Enhancement of educational dissemination activities by local art galleries and museums in collaboration with schools and other organizations (4) Enhancement of cultural and artistic activities in school education ・ Enhancement of educational programs such as learning-through-experience activities related to culture and the arts, etc. 10. Enhancement of culture and art bases   (1) Enhancement of theaters and music halls, etc. ・ Improvement of the legal basis / Active use of taxation priority measures / Assistance for creative activities and allotment to artists (2) Enhancement of art galleries, museums and libraries, etc. ・ Active development of high-quality activities, such as collaboration between art galleries/museums and other cultural facilities ・ Enhancement of various functions of national museum of art and national museums, etc. ・ Assistance for libraries to present enhancement measures, etc., in order to serve as information bases to support local communities (3) Enhancement of venues for cultural and artistic activities in local communities ・ Promotion of the use of schools and other relevant facilities as venues for performances, exhibitions, rehearsals, and preservation of works, etc. 11. Improvement of other bases, etc.   ・ Advancement of endeavors related to the promotion of culture and the arts through the active use of science and technology ・ Efforts for active use of taxation measures, etc., to nourish a culture encouraging donations ・ Strengthening and advancement of coordination and cooperation among related organizations ・ Collection of data contributing to the formation of basic measures / Enhancement of relevant research