Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERMENT POLICICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1994 > PART II Chapter 8 Section 2 1

In fiscal 1990 Japan had some 300,000 sports facilities, including approximately 50,000 gymnasiums, approximately 49,300 multipurpose playgrounds, and 34,200 outdoor swimming pools. The fiscal 1990 total represents a virtual doubling of the number in 1969. In recent years there has been a conspicuous increase in the number of both public and commercial sports facilities.

Public sports facilities play an important role in providing residents with neighborhood venues for sports activities. Further development of these facilities is necessary in order to keep pace with the growing demand for sports. In addition to their use in school-based activities, school physical education facilities also make an important contribution to community sports when they are made available to the community.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture provides subsidies to local governments and other organizations as part of its efforts to promote the development of sports venues. In fiscal 1994 the Ministry established a new subsidy system for the development of integrated sports facilities called community sports centers, which have training rooms, meeting rooms, and other clubhouse facilities for use as bases for community sports club activities. The Ministry is also revising its standard areas for subsidies to take into account community use of judo and kendo facilities in school physical education facilities. In addition, the Ministry has allocated a total of 24.9 billion yen to subsidize the development of venues required for the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, which will be held in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in 1998.

In its November 1989 report the Health and Physical Education Council offered a number of guidelines for use by prefectural governments and municipalities in developing sports facilities. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is encouraging the use of these guidelines as a yardstick for the systematic development of sports facilities in accordance with local conditions. It is also striving to secure the necessary financial resources, taking into account the sports facility development plans of local governments, the financial situation, and other factors.

A system of low-interest loans for the development of sports facilities has been established by the Japan Development Bank and the Hokkaido-Tohoku Development Finance Public Corporation. The purpose of the new system is to encourage the development of sports facilities by private enterprises.