� 2 Endeavors for the Promotion of Culture - Past and Future
4. Mutual Collaboration and Cooperation
(4) Reinforcement of mutual collaboration and cooperation
Close collaboration between municipal and prefectural governments is vital to the effective promotion of cultural policy. One role of municipalities is to promote and encourage unique cultural activities that reflect the special nature of the local culture and those relevant to local people, while the role of the prefectural government is to promote cultural activities and construct cultural facilities covering wider areas, as well as to offer guidance, advice and assistance to municipalities and to communicate and coordinate policies with them.
Currently, almost all of the prefectures conduct joint cultural projects with municipalities, providing them with subsidies and other forms of assistance. To increase the degree of effectiveness of collaboration between prefectures and municipalities. close contact (full communication and cooperation) should first be established between the prefectural board of education and the prefectural governor's office. It is after this has been accomplished that collaboration with municipalities can begin. An important prerequisite of collaboration for the purpose of promoting culture in local areas is that the roles to be played at the respective levels of prefecture and municipality are clearly defined and divided accordingly.
