Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERMENT POLICICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1994 > PART II Chapter 8 Section 2 4

Sports organizations, such as the Japan Amateur Sports Association, play an important role in the popularization and promotion of various sports. The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is contributing to the development of these organizations by providing grants for sports events throughout Japan through the Sports Promotion Fund. The Ministry also promotes cooperation and coordination among organizations by holding conferences. The Ministry's support in these areas is guided by the autonomy of sports organizations.

In recent years there has been a rapid rise in the popularity of activities known collectively as new types of sports. These include ground golf and indiaca.

Meanwhile, the range of locations used for sports activities has expanded to include mountains, the sea, and the sky. An increasing number of people are enjoying outdoor activities, such as autocamping, as well as marine sports, sky sports, and other activities in natural surroundings.

The coordinating organization for organizations involved in new types of sports and other recreational activities is the National Recreation Association of Japan, which was granted the status of special public interest corporation in September 1993. This status enables the organization to develop closer coordination and cooperation among groups and to use donations to expand and enhance its activities.