Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Science, Sports and Culture 2000 > Part 1 Chapter 3 Section 3 4

Cultural facilities in local areas have been developed to satisfy quantitative needs. Regarding the administration of these facilities, there have been examples of active management through various new initiatives taken in recent years. However, generally speaking, there remain facilities that need further revitalization. For this purpose, and in order to improve the independent operation of public cultural facilities, the Agency for Cultural Affairs has established the Arts Information Plaza at the National Public Cultural Facilities Association (the national governing body of public cultural facilities), as the meeting point between public cultural facilities all over Japan and artists and artistic groups. The Arts Information Plaza provides expert advice and information about artists and artistic groups to public cultural facilities, and holds training courses to improve the quality of personnel who are in charge of stage techniques and planning of independent operations of public cultural facilities.

Concerning museums and art museums, more efforts are required to secure and train skilled curators, develop methods for systematic collection and exhibition of items and expand educational and promotional activities, in order to increase the opportunities for local residents to appreciate the arts. To support these efforts, the improvement of training programs to improve the quality of curators, the development of information systems concerning items in possession and activities of museums, and the establishment of an information network among art museums have become an important agenda.

In addition, as there is an increasing number of vacant classrooms at elementary and lower secondary schools due to the decrease in the number of students, it is necessary to investigate converting these rooms into music halls and art museums and opening them to the public.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs is also supporting nationwide activities and organization-building of those cultural groups which play key roles in local areas. For example, in June 1995 the Agency established the National Public Cultural Facilities Association as the governing body of cultural facilities such as concert halls and theaters all over Japan. Together with the National Conference of Art Museums, they provide support, as necessary, to the activities of member cultural facilities through a series of training programs and research projects on issues concerning the management of these facilities.

Also, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, in cooperation with local governments, supports local groups engaged in the preservation of cultural properties, with a view to promoting preservation activities of cultural properties which are rooted in the local community. Finally, the Agency promotes nationwide operations to preserve cultural properties with the effective cooperation and division of roles between the government and private groups for the preservation of cultural properties.