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Cultural activities can be defined as those in which individual citizens participate spontaneously and voluntarily; through which their creativity is displayed, through which they develop their personality, through which they gain self enlightenment or through which they enjoy culture for its own sake. In this sense, it goes without saying that cultural activities center around individual citizens.

The role of governmental cultural policy must then be, in addition to stimulating and promoting its citizen's participation in spontaneous activities, to focus on creating conditions conducive to the enjoyment of culture on the part of all citizens and to take measures for the overall promotion of culture by providing as much assistance as possible both to individuals and to private organizations.

Against the backdrop of the growing demand for culture, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary in 1988. the Agency for Cultural Affairs compiled a report entitled "Culture and Cultural Policy in Japan". The contents of this report presented the state of culture and cultural policy up to that time and indicated the following policy directions regarding the promotion of culture: 1) overall improvement of cultural infrastructure, 2)support for and assistance to artistic activities, 3)expansion of opportunities for popular participation in cultural activities and appreciation of culture, 4)preservation and utilization of cultural properties and 5) promotion of international cultural exchange. The Agency for Cultural Affairs has made every effort to bring these goals to fruition. and is expected to continue to promote various policies towards the creation of a "culture-communicating society".