How economy is influenced by promotion of culture and the arts
“How much did you spend on your trip to see this show?” “How much would you pay to preserve this cultural asset/facility?” These are some of the questions that were asked in a survey project assigned to the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
This project was designed as an attempt at quantitative analysis on the following two points: () what degrees of “economic ripple effects” are brought to the local economy from cultural and artistic activities held at facilities like cultural halls; and () how much value (social benefit) citizens find in cultural landscapes and the act of preserving cultural properties.
The surveys targeted people visiting cultural facilities and assets. Concerning point () above, consumer survey methods were employed to estimate economic ripple effects with the use of the input-output tables. Point () was pursued through questions asked of people visiting cultural facilities and assets: each respondent was asked the “estimated amount of money they would donate if a foundation were set up to maintain the relevant facility or local activities,” which in turn was regarded as the “amount the respondent has decided to pay,” under the contingent valuation method (CVM), designed to estimate the amount of benefit that would be brought to society.
This survey project focused on the four areas set forth below. Its results show in a quantitative manner that both cultural facilities and assets in focus bring certain economic ripple effects to the local economy and represent major social benefits. For example, the survey found that the general audience of the Niigata-City Performing Arts Center Ryutopia spent a combined total of 1.32 billion yen annually within Niigata Prefecture in connection with their viewing of the performance programs at the Center, which is considered to have created production ripple effects of about 2.08 billion yen.
This survey project, of course, does not gauge every aspect of cultural value served by the targeted facilities and assets. The numeric data based on respondents' answers are also considered to have been somewhat influenced by the details and wording of the questions. Even considering these aspects, the project is nevertheless seen to have contributed basic data to central and local governments for their policy making and implementation (for details, please see https://www.bunka.go.jp/h17seikendai_jigyo/).
Facilities and assets targeted by the survey project:
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Niigata-City Performing Arts Center Ryutopia: a public cultural hall catering mainly to stage arts
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Nakajima-cho Culture Center Noto Engekido, Ishikawa Prefecture: a public cultural hall catering mainly to theatrical plays
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Itsukushima Shrine and its surrounding landscapes, Miyajima-cho, Hiroshima Prefecture: a World Heritage site
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Landscapes of the Hida-Takayama areas, Gifu Prefecture: an Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings
) what degrees of “economic ripple effects” are brought to the local economy from cultural and artistic activities held at facilities like cultural halls; and (
) how much value (social benefit) citizens find in cultural landscapes and the act of preserving cultural properties.
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