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PART Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture

The national government maintains four national art museums intended to collect, keep and display valuable works of fine art, three national museums aimed at collecting, keeping and presenting tangible cultural properties, and two national research institutes of cultural properties which conduct surveys and research regarding cultural properties.

The government-supported Japan Arts Council maintains the National Theatre as a center for the preservation and promotion of traditional performing arts. The Ministry is now building a Second National Theatre, intended to serve as a center of modern performing arts. The construction work of this new national theatre began in 1991, and it is expected that this Theatre will be one of the best performing arts theatres in the world, and will play a core role in promoting the performing arts in Japan.

During recent years, many local governments have developed their own cultural facilities, including cultural halls, theatres, museums, art museums, and museums of history and folklore. These facilities have a growing role to play in promoting cultural activities in the localities concerned.