（1）The Administration of the Art

The first promotion of fine arts came in the form of exhibitions. As early as 1879 the Japan Fine Arts Association was established to organize exhibitions of painting and handicrafts. In June, 1907, the Committee on Fine Arts Evaluation was established and soon thereafter in that same month, the Ministry of Education announced the Fine Arts Exhibition Regulations and officially sponsored an exhibition, known as the Bun-ten, which showed until 1918. In September of the following year, 1919, the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts was established to offer advice on the promotion of fine arts and to organize important art events. The exhibitions held under the sponsorship of the organization were known as the Tei-ten. In June, 1937, the Academy was reorganized into the Imperial Art Academy. Shortly earlier than this, in February of that same year the system of awarding Cultural Medals was instituted by the Cultural Medal Order. Art activities were controlled throughout the wartime years, but the postwar years saw a renewal of free cultural activity. In December, 1947, the Imperial Art Academy was renamed the Japan Art Academy, and it resumed the work of evaluating and promoting work in the art. An annual Art Festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Education. To further the promotion of the fine arts, major national art museums have been constructed, including the National Museums of Modern Art in Tokyo (1952) and Kyoto (1967) and the National Museum of Western Art (1958).

The system of recognizing scholars and artists of excellence was extended in April, 1951, with the enforcement of the Law concerning Pensions for Persons Honored for Their Cultural Merits. This Law provides lifetime pensions to those people selected annually for "distinguished services" in the field of culture. By 1971 there were 159 holders of the Cultural Medals, and 238 persons had been honored for their cultural merits. The Japan Academy and the Japan Art Academy also serve as honorary institutes and provide various services to scientists and artists who have rendered "distinguished services": the fixed membership of these academies is 150 and 120 respectively.