Budget for Fiscal Year 2010 (Heisei 22) for Agency for Cultural Affairs Determined

On March 24, the government budged for the fiscal year 2010 (Heisei 22) was passed. The budget for the Agency for Cultural Affairs was ¥102.024 billion, 0.5 % or ¥485 million more than the previous year. The budget is divided into three principal projects as follows: 1. creation and utilization of rich culture and arts and cultivation of human resources; 2. Preservation and utilization of Japan’s precious cultural properties; and 3. dissemination of Japan’s outstanding culture both domestically and internationally. In particular, for Project 1, funding increases were allocated to training artists and enhancing cultural experiences for children; for Project 2, ‘Act on Promotion of Seismic Retrofitting of Buildings’ was newly launched to carry out seismic retrofitting firefighting equipment installed over 30 years ago at national treasures and important cultural properties in the Kinki region; and for Project 3, a substantial budget increase was allocated for the strategic dissemination of outstanding state design and media arts. (Japanese)