Press Releases

Summary

I.  General

1.The Significance of Sport
Sport as a common cultural phenomenon shared by the whole of mankind responds to man's inherent desire for physical and mental activity and imparts a sense of fulfillment and richness to human life. Sport as a cultural phenomenon affecting both man's physical and mental aspects is essential for the development of a happy and vigorous society and for the attainment of the individual's psychosomatic health. It is therefore of the greatest significance that people should engage in sports throughout their lives.
    Sport also has the significance of an activity pursuing the ultimate limits of our human potential. On a social scale it is a significant element in the sound development of the young and the generation of a sense of solidarity in local communities. It also contributes to the national economy and promotes friendly international relations.

2.Objective of the Plan
In order to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of this Plan both central government and the local public entities should make a systematic and planned commitment to the issues concerning the promotion of sport from a medium- and long-term perspective by regularly evaluating and reviewing their policy measures.
    From this perspective, the objective of this Plan is to bring about a happy, fulfilled and vigorous society in the 21^st century through the further promotion of sport and an active commitment to sport by the public stakeholders providing opportunities for engaging in sport activities and the private stakeholders, by the public making use of the sports opportunities and the athletes acting in unison.

3. Major Problems of the Plan
In accordance with the above "objective" this Plan gives the following main problems concerning future sports administration and tries to specify them.
(1)  Policies to extend the sports infrastructure in the regions with a view to achieving a lifelong sports society.
(2)  Policies aimed at a general upgrading of Japan's international competitive sports performance.
(3)  Policies to promote lifelong sport and competitive sports and to foster the association of school education and sport.

4.Nature of the Plan
In accordance with the Sports Promotion Act, this Plan spells out the fundamental directions intended by the Nation for the future promotion of sports activities from a long-term and comprehensive perspective. At the same time, it serves as a guideline for the regional public entities in making their own independent moves to develop sports promotion plans adapted to local realities. At present, the local public entities are committed to a regional development on the basic concept of achieving dynamic and vigorous local communities with their own unique traits by harnessing the peculiar features of each region and letting them come into their own. As part of this regional development endeavor, the local public entities have a promising potential for coming up with sports promotion measures by exercising creative ingenuity based on their own judgment and responsibility.

5.Plan Implementation
The policy target set for the implementation of this Plan envisages a time frame of roughly ten yeas starting from fiscal 2001 and lays down the policy measures required to achieve this target.
    In the course of implementation of the policy measures based on this Plan efforts will be made as appropriate to assess the level of progress reached, with a total Plan review due to take place after five years.
    For the execution of the policy measures laid down in this Plan it will be important to secure the necessary financial resources for sports promotion. Apart from the government's budget allocations, a Fund for the Promotion of Sport has been instituted and a Sports Promotion Lottery System established for the purpose of securing the necessary funds for the promotion of sport from the profits accruing from this system.

II.  Policies for the Deployment of the Sports Promotion Measures
１. Policies for Improving Regional Sports Environments with a View to Achieving Lifelong Participation in Sport

A. Measures Essential for Achieving the Policy Goals
・  Nationwide Deployment of Comprehensive Community Sports Clubs
The goals to be achieved by 2010 are (1) to create at least one Comprehensive Community Sports Club in each municipality (city, town, village) and (2) to create at least one Sports Center Covering a Wide Area in each prefecture. For the development of the Comprehensive Community Sports Club infrastructure, the development of the human resources and the creation of the lifelong sports society, awareness-building and education activities are to be carried out and the efforts of the local public entities in creating the Comprehensive Community Sports Clubs will be encouraged and promoted.

B. Fundamental Measures for Achieving the Policy Targets
・  Training and Securing of Sports Instructors
The goal is to train and secure highly capable and qualified sports instructors in accordance with the needs, and to this end the system of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) for the development of sports instructors is to be reviewed in an effort to upgrade the training measures and an environment favoring the activities of instructors, including their vigorous activities in sports facilities, is to be created.

・  Expansion of Sports Facilities
A commitment must be made to ensure the effective upgrading of the public sports facilities and the efficient management and operation. Thus, for example, efforts should be made to turf outdoor exercise grounds. The schools' PE facilities should be utilized and serve jointly as the premises for the Comprehensive Community Sports Clubs.

・  Providing accurate sports information in the local community
A system for providing sports-related information adapted to particular conditions of the region and the needs of the local communities should be developed. This may involve the presentation of models of a system capable of providing information that is meaningful to all members of the local public.

・  Review of Regional Sports Administration in Accordance with the Needs of Local Communities
A shift of emphasis in local sports administration should take place toward supporting personal sports activities by the members of the local communities such as the development of Comprehensive Community Sports Clubs.

２. Measures Aimed at an Overall Improvement in Japan's International Competitiveness

A. Measures Essential for Achieving the Policy Goals
・  Establishment of Optimal Training Programs
The target is to establish optimal training programs for the development of top-level athletes in an organized and planned manner. Specifically, this means the establishment, by 2005, of programs for the development of athletes indicating the concept and nature of the training for the Athletics Association's rearing top-level athletes and of a system for instructing the athletes in accordance with this program.

・  Development of Training Centers
In order to engage in the development and reinforcement of athletes in accordance with the fully integrated system effectively it will be important to provide centers at which top-level athletes and eminently talented athletes from the regions can assemble for intensive, general training. For the reinforcement of top-level athletes, in particular, it is essential to create within the earliest possible time, full-scale training centers at the national level equipped with a complete spectrum of functions both in terms of equipment ("hardware") and support capabilities ("software").

・  Developing and Securing Instructors
In order to develop and secure instructors capable of underpinning the optimal training programs is necessary to review and upgrade the training system for sports instructors and encourage the use of full-time instructors for top-level athletes. It is equally important to promote the establishment of a National Coach Academy and reinforce the cooperative links among the instructors at the National Federations, schools and local sports clubs.

・  Creating of an Environment for the Exclusive Safe Use by Athletes for Training
It is necessary to identify the directions in which the development of the future athletic sports environment should take place, with the creation of a system in which top-level athletes can exclusively and safely concentrate on sports with a view to rising to the world's top level. Efforts are needed to upgrade the incentive measures that will facilitate the support of sports by companies and the use of top-level athletes as instructors.

B. Necessary Collateral Measures to Ensure Attainment of the Policy Targets
・  Use of Sports Medicine and Science
Efforts are required to create a research system in the sports medicine and science area mainly through the foundation of a National Sports Science Center (tentative name) to permit the instruction of athletes by fully utilizing the research findings in the area of sports medicine and science. It is also essential to establish training and coaching methods based on sports medicine and science.

・  Promoting Anti-Doping Measures
In order to create an anti-doping system in Japan it is necessary to promote efforts for the establishment of a National Anti-Doping organization (an organization responsible for comprehensive and impartial anti-doping activities in Japan) and to upgrade Japan's anti-doping activities.

・  Smooth Organization of Sports Events on an International and Nationwide Scale
Efforts are required to support the convening, preparation and running of international athletics and sports events with a view to the smooth organization of sports contests on a national and international scale. Efforts are also needed to foster the more effective running of competitive events, including the simplification of the operation of public sports events.

・Promoting a Greater Contribution from Professional Sports Athletes to Society
In order to promote the activities of professional sports athletes toward the promotion of sport and the shaping of a more dynamic society, efforts should be made to make use of the techniques of professional athletes for the benefit of amateur sport and to foster stronger ties between the professional sports clubs and the National Federations.

３.  Measures to Promote a Closer Link between Lifelong and Competitive Sports and School Education and School Sports

A. Essential Policies Required for Achieving the Policy Targets
・  Fostering a closer link between the schools and our local communities in order to help our children achieve a fulfilled sports life
It is important to enrich our children's sports activities both in and out of school by creating a regional sports environment marked by a closer bond between the schools and the local community, including cooperation toward the development of the Comprehensive Community Sports Clubs.

・  Promoting a Closer Link between the Schools and the Sports Clubs with a View to Upgrading International Competitiveness
It is important to raise the level of competitiveness particularly of pupils with a high level of athletic ability by fostering an environment conducive to boosting international competitiveness, with the optimal training programs for upgrading competitiveness closely coupled with school education and sports, including the use of programs for the development of athletes.

B. Fundamental Policy Measures Required for Achieving the Policy Targets
・  Enhancing school education to let pupils enjoy exercise and cultivate their talents, abilities and stamina
Efforts are required to upgrade instruction in physical education in order to improve stamina for a strong and healthy life and to foster the talents and abilities to enjoy sports activities. The schools should be encouraged in their efforts to enhance stamina not only through physical education 　but through the educational activities of the schools as a whole.

・  Increasing PE instructor staff at the schools and upgrading the school facilities
Efforts are required to develop and upgrade the instructing ability of the teaching staff and to develop and secure superior instructors. Furthermore, in order to create an environment for school children to enjoy the fun of sports activities in safety, it is necessary to promote efforts to turf outside exercise grounds in accordance with the conditions of the schools and to provide and upgrade the schools' sports facilities with a possibility of their being shared with the local community, including the creation of training rooms.

・  Improvement and Upgrading of the School Sports Clubs
In order to meet the diverse needs of school children for sports, efforts should be made to upgrade the instructors of the school sports clubs activities, including the use of local instructors at the schools. Efforts should also be made to ensure a greater measure of flexibility for the school sports club activities by several schools joining together in accordance with the existing school conditions.

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