Japan Press Weekly

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2011 November 2 - 8 [GREAT EAST JAPAN DISASTER]

Give public assistance to disaster-hit arts and culture sectors

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The 3.11 massive earthquake and the consequent nuclear accident have caused tremendous damage to the realm of arts and culture. In the Tohoku region, more than 700 nationally-designated important cultural properties have been damaged. Many traditional performing arts in the coastal areas of Tohoku have lost their equipment and are struggling to survive.

Movies, theater arts, and concerts have been suspended since March because many theaters and concert halls were damaged by the quake and tsunami.

The national government is expected to provide financial assistances to help the regional arts and culture industry to reconstruct from the disaster. However, a national program to restore cultural assets does not have a public financial basis, and only depends on donations. In its request for the FY 2012 national budget, the Agency for Cultural Affairs included only 5.3 billion yen as a fund to restore important cultural assets and museums devastated by the disaster.

In the last ordinary session of the Diet, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan rejected a petition calling for a budget hike for arts and culture which was submitted by the Japan Council of Performers’ Organizations (Geidankyo) with 630,000 signatures.

In order to change this government policy and improve public assistance for arts and culture, the Japanese Communist Party will continue to make efforts in cooperation with a wide range of organizations.