Agency for Cultural Affairs
| 文化庁 Bunka-chō |
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 Office building |
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | June 15, 1968 |
| Preceding agencies |
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| Jurisdiction |
 Japan
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| Headquarters | 3-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8959, Japan 35°40′17″N 139°44′58″E / 35.67139°N 139.74944°ECoordinates: 35°40′17″N 139°44′58″E / 35.67139°N 139.74944°E |
| Annual budget | ¥104 billion (2016) |
| Minister responsible |
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| Deputy Minister responsible |
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| Parent department | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology |
| Child agency | |
| Website | www |
The Agency for Cultural Affairs (文化庁 bunkachō?) is a special body of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). It was set up in 1968 to promote Japanese arts and culture. As of April 2016, it is led by the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Ryohei Miyata.
The agency's budget for FY 2015 rose to ￥103.8 billion. The agency's Cultural Affairs Division disseminated information about the arts within Japan and internationally, and the Cultural Properties Protection Division protected the nation's cultural heritage. The Cultural Affairs Division is concerned with such areas as art and culture promotion, arts copyrights, and improvements in the national language. It also supports both national and local arts and cultural festivals, and it funds traveling cultural events in music, theater, dance, art exhibitions, and film-making. Special prizes are offered to encourage young artists and established practitioners, and some grants are given each year to enable them to train abroad. The agency funds national museums of modern art in Kyoto and Tokyo and The National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, which exhibit both Japanese and international shows. The agency also supports the Japan Art Academy, which honors eminent persons of arts and letters, appointing them to membership and offering ￥3.5 million in prize money. Awards are made in the presence of the Emperor, who personally bestows the highest accolade, the Order of Culture. In 1989, for the first time two women — a writer and a costume designer — were nominated for the Order of Cultural Merit, another official honor carrying the same stipend.
The Cultural Properties Protection Division originally was established to oversee restorations after World War II. As of April 2015, it was responsible for 1,745 historic sites, including the ancient capitals of Asuka, Heijokyo, and Fujiwara, 393 scenic places, and 1,013 national monuments, and for such indigenous fauna as ibis and storks. In addition, about 13,500 items had the lesser designation of Important Cultural Properties, with fine arts and crafts accounting for the largest share, with over 10,000 so designated.
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