2 Promoting International Exchange at the Local' Level
It can be said that for the promotion of local culture, international exchange is necessary at the community level. Against this backdrop, since1989 the Agency for Cultural Affairs has been carrying out a "National Culture International Exchange Program" for the purpose of exchanging culture and promoting mutual understanding. Under this program, young people and amateur cultural organizations from foreign countries are invited to the National Culture Festival, the National Culture Festival for Upper Secondary Schools and other events. Japanese young people and amateurs are also sent abroad. Some more specific goals of this program are for people from the fields of Asian, American and European music and dance 1) to participate in the National Culture Festival and National Culture Festival for Upper Secondary Schools. 2) to realize mutual exchange between cultural organizations, 3) to conduct mutual training in the area of cultural activities and so on.
In 1992, the Agency invited the Thai classic dance group "Silpakoran" to the 7th National Culture Festival for mutual exchange, and sent a upper secondary school orchestra from Saitama Prefecture for exchange with students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Inviting and receiving also took place with two other Asian countries. Under an exchange program with American and European countries, the Agency invited the "Perchtengruppe", an Austrian folk performing arts group, to the 7th National Culture Festival, and a flag drill team from the U.S. State of Hawaii to the 16th National Culture Festival for Upper Secondary Schools.
