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PART Issues and Developments of Policies in Education, Science and Culture

The successful performances of Japanese athletes in international competitions stimulate people's interest in and motivation for sports, encourage the dissemination and promotion of sports, and thus contribute to the formation of an optimistic, rich and active society.

There has been a remarkable improvement of the international level of athletic sports, and the relative competence of Japanese athletes has been declining. Japanese athletes, therefore, find it increasingly difficult to win in the Olympic Games and other major international competitions.

In view of this situation, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture made a substantial increase in FY 1989 in the amount of subsidy for athletic training programs conducted by the Japan Amateur Sports Association. Also, in order to reflect the opinion of athletes in the promotion of competitiveness, the Ministry began, from FY 1989, to commission sports leaders to be sports advisors to the Ministry. It is also preparing to establish a National Center of Sports Science (provisional name) as a center for medical and scientific research on sports as well as for scientific training in order to improve international competitiveness in athletic sports.

In addition, in FY 1989, the Ministry is undertaking a preliminary study on the establishment of a Sports Promotion Fund.