Ministry of Land, Infrastrucutre and Transport
The 5th Comprehensive National Development Plan "Grand Design for the 21st Century"

PART II

The Basis for Development in Different Fields

Chapter II

New Evolving Cultures

Cultures represent people's living, lifestyles and ways of thinking. In Japanese society today, a new culture is needed that gives Japan an international identity and enables people to lead comfortable lives beyond the pursuit of mere economic affluence. It is therefore necessary to implement policies both in software and hardware aspects to make lives more comfortable and to restore the country to an attractive land of nature that Japan can be proud of internationally. Regional cultures give identities to each region and encourage residents to love and take pride in their local regions. Regional cultures support the development of unique and diversified regions. To encourage development of diversified regions that give people more living options, it is therefore necessary to stimulate unique regional cultures. In drawing up national land policies, measures to promote individual cultures as well as to encourage people to lead cultural lives should be taken. According to the following basic plans, national land policies that focus on cultures will be promoted:

1)Create living areas giving considerations to amenities and scenery for developing the country into land of culture and beauty. Preserve historical streets and precious cultural heritage.

2)To stimulate unique regional cultures, improve the environment for regional cultural activities, provide more opportunities and places for citizens to participate in cultural and sport activities, and promote artistic activities. Also promote international exchanges in the fields of science, culture and sport.

3)Promote tourism both domestically and internationally to help create new cultures and regional activation through inter-regional exchanges both within Japan and beyond the national boundary.

Section 1
Creating comfortable living areas

1.Creating attractive living areas that blend with the natural environment and history

In the midst of economic growth and urbanization, good living areas have been lost and old streets and rural sights representing regional histories and cultures are disappearing. Also, the traditions and customs passed down in each region are being lost in people's daily lives. To stop such trends, create attractive and good living areas, evolve unique regional cultures by using regional cultural heritage, and develop regions where people can lead meaningful lives. Diversified regional entities will participate in regional development and creation of unique regional cultures.

(1)Focusing on attractiveness and comfort

In rural communities, preserve and utilize the forests and environment that have long been preserved as valuable natural assets. At the same time, improve the living environment, create attractive living areas, and promote cooperation with small- and medium-sized towns to enable rural communities to enjoy urban functions. In urban communities, pay attention not only to individual buildings but also to the surrounding environment to ensure harmony with natural sights and skylines in terms of colors and shapes. Bury electric wires underground and remove poles. Strengthen regulations on unsightly outdoor advertisements through urban plans or agreements on advertisements made under local ordinances. Create urban parks, watersides, promenades, etc. for citizens. And also create green spaces with a sense of the seasons by decorating the walls and roofs of buildings with plants. Besides by establishing artistic works that match the environment in public spaces, create attractive and comfortable urban spaces.

For developing communities while preserving Japan's historical environment, conserve and utilize historical buildings. Protect, utilize and restore historical streets, sites and residences. Aggressively preserve the historical characteristics of each region.

(2)Preserving and utilizing unique and traditional regional cultures

Regional customs and traditions have evolved in line with regional lifestyles and industries. Especially in rural communities including mountainous areas, people have led uniquely rich lives in harmony with the natural environment including farmland, forests and the sea. They have passed down tangible and intangible cultural assets: traditional food, arts, agricultural tools, logging tools, irrigation facilities, and fishing methods.

Promote activities to introduce such regional intangible cultural assets to the public to help preserve and develop the traditional arts, crafts and customs in Japan. Through such activities, help residents understand more about their cultural assets. Train people to take over such intangible cultural assets and promote traditional cultures and activate regions based on such cultures. For assets that are difficult to preserve, utilize electronic media to record, preserve and utilize them.

(3)Preserving and utilizing tangible cultural assets

To preserve and utilize regional tangible cultural assets such as buildings and art objects and crafts, implement plans to repair them and improve disaster-prevention facilities according to the kinds of assets. Provide citizens with more opportunities to see cultural assets in regional museums, etc. For modern cultural heritage such as structures related to industries, transportation and civil engineering that have not yet been recognized as cultural assets, protect them by more diverse methods. Also protect cultural assets buried in the ground with the help of citizens and administrative agencies. Conduct development projects while protecting buried cultural assets, and train experts on buried cultural assets. Promote the exchanges of such experts among regions. Furthermore, establish centers for buried cultural assets to store unearthed articles and utilize the research results.

2.Encouraging entities to establish regional cultures and comfortable lives

For citizens to lead comfortable and meaningful lives, they themselves need to participate in the process of establishing regional cultures and communities regardless of gender or age. They should be the leading players. Citizens are becoming more eager to participate in regional development where they live, and volunteer organizations and private companies have been more actively participating in the development process on their own initiative. Implement appropriate policies that encourage numerous entities to participate and cooperate in regional development.

(1)Promoting regional volunteer activities

To provide citizens with the opportunities to participate in volunteer activities and to enable them to lead more comfortable and meaningful lives through such activities, improve the conditions so that they can easily participate in volunteer activities including the introduction of vacations for volunteer activities. Also, increase support to individuals and groups engaged in National Trust activities, ground work activities, etc. to help conserve natural and historical environments. Such activities will help protect precious natural and cultural heritage in each region.

(2)Forming regional cultures based on unique industries

Traditional crafts, local industries, shopping malls and tourism are closely related with regions, and regional industries often support regional cultures. Regional cultures and industries are closely related, and they are both important elements to make regions more affluent. Therefore, activate regions based on traditional local industries. Also, activate industries in relation to traditional arts and crafts. The promotion of regional cultures and industries will help create more attractive regions.

(3)Creating corporate cultures

Companies are expected to aggressively participate in the development of unique, attractive regions and establishment of regional cultures. For companies to do this, employers and employees must follow the management philosophy and create a corporate culture in harmony with the local communities. For companies to participate more in social activities including support for the arts and nature conservation, "mecenat" organizations should be established in each region and a national network of such organizations should be built.

Section 2
Creating and showing new cultures based on regional characteristics

1.Creating and showing very unique regional cultures

Traditional cultures that have formed in regional climates and lives could be the basis for creating new cultures. Towards the new age, their values should be recognized again and developed into unique regional cultures that give identity to each region. For this, improve the environment for cultural activities in each region and take steps to help create new cultures. Promote the development of unique regions by using local characteristics.

(1)Improving the regional environment for cultural activities

For creating and showing unique regional cultures, it is important to recognize the traditional regional cultures and to encourage people to become involved in the arts and culture. Facilities such as cultural halls and museums should be used for voluntary cultural activities. Such cultural facilities should focus on regional characteristics to provide citizens with more opportunities to create and show attractive regional cultures. In the process, build a database of information related to Japan's cultures and offer access to the database both within Japan and from overseas. Promote cooperation between regions to make efficient use of special cultural facilities such as halls. Compared with improvements in facilities, the "software" is inadequate. For example, not all independent performances and exhibits are good due to lack of teachers or poor planning and production know-how. Therefore, implement policies to strengthen human skills, management of cultural facilities and the activities of artists and such organizations. Also, improve the environment and enable citizens to continuously participate in cultural and sport activities. Specifically, train instructors and develop schools, improve related facilities, support regional sports, cultural events and seminars, and hold competitions.

(2)Creating new cultures according to regional characteristics

In rural areas, utilize the natural environment to create unique cultures. Attracted by such natural environment, domestic and foreign artists will stay and be creative, attracting more people to visit the areas to experience the rural lifestyle. In important urban areas, establish bases for international cultural activities and build the infrastructure for international exchanges to develop international information and culture centers with many cultures and skills. Also, create new cultures by creating cultural areas in cities and by establishing urban symbols including architecture in harmony with the urban scenery.

2.Creating rich lives full of arts

Different arts give different impressions, joys and comforts to many people regardless of age. It is therefore necessary to provide more opportunities to participate in or come into contact with artistic and cultural activities. Art plays an important role to promote mutual understanding in international society, and so artistic levels must be raised.

(1)Providing more opportunities to come into contact with art

Most creative performances and exhibitions are held in large cities and there are few opportunities to come into contact with art locally. It is therefore necessary to provide local residents with more opportunities to come into contact with high-quality artistic works. For this, promote cooperation between cultural facilities and implement policies to improve the software aspects. Activate regional artistic and cultural organizations. Local public bodies must work to provide residents with more opportunities to come into contact with artistic works, performances and exhibitions beyond regional boundaries. Extending the opening hours of museums, etc. should be examined to allow more local citizens to enjoy artistic and cultural works. Furthermore, more support should be given to local citizens and local cultural organizations to encourage them to participate in activities to promote regional cultures.

(2)Improving the artistic level

By improving the artistic level up to international standards, an urban culture and "small but international communities" can be created. To do this, promote international artistic and creative activities and encourage artists and artistic organizations to work with local communities. Implement measures to develop "media art" by using film production technologies and new skills.

3.Promoting international exchanges and cooperation

International exchanges and cooperation in the fields of science, culture and sport are key to helping people from different cultures to understand each other. For Japan to contribute to world culture and regional activity, it is important to promote open exchanges with the world.

(1)Promoting international exchanges

In the scientific field, establish a system to accept more researchers in response to the increasing exchanges of researchers. Draw up comprehensive and systematic plans to respond to the increase of foreign students staying in Japan, and provide students with more opportunities to meet Japanese people in the regions where they stay and within and outside the educational institutions in which they are studying. Each region should respond to the growing demand for Japanese-language education.

In the cultural field, support planning and continuous implementation of overseas exhibitions and performances to introduce Japan's regional cultural assets. Promote the regional organization of international artistic festivals. To contribute to overseas efforts to preserve and restore cultural assets, give support to training local experts and cooperate with international organizations engaged in the preservation and restoration of cultural assets.

In the sports field, support the organization of international athletic meetings to be held throughout Japan. Also, support the establishment and management of sport facilities to boost the regions and promote international exchanges.

In the future, international exchanges will be promoted between regions and individuals. Therefore, support international exchanges by the private sector and encourage local public entities to develop international skills.

(2)Forming international exchange bases

In various international exchange spheres, establish the basis for international exchanges and activities. To achieve this, improve museum exhibits and researches in response to internationalization. Promote cooperation between national and private museums in each region. Establish national museums that are international in outlook and have good information systems, and create more international cultural bases. Furthermore, construct exchange facilities including convention halls for international conferences and sport facilities.

Section 3
Promoting tourism at home and abroad

When traveling, people can come into contact with new things, people and cultures. Travels bring new impressions and satisfaction, and refresh one both physically and mentally. The increasing number of tourists can make local people more aware of the value of local nature, history and culture. In addition, internationally attractive sightseeing spots will lead to new business and generate employment in the regions, thus helping regions to develop into unique areas. Especially in rural areas, the living environment and lifestyles including the food can be tourist attractions. Rural areas should preserve and utilize their unique resources including the natural and historical environments while making more exchanges with large cities. An effective measure to make Japan more attractive and to create multiple regional cultures towards the 21st century is to encourage quality tourism and improve the transportation, and information and communications infrastructures to support such tourism. At the same time, implement measures to promote tourism both at home and abroad through cooperation between cities and rural communities.

1.International promotion

Although the number of Japanese people traveling overseas has been increasing and the number of foreigners visiting Asian countries has been also increasing, the number of foreigners visiting Japan has remained roughly the same or has slightly decreased except for an increase in 1996. The number is almost one fourth of that of Japanese people traveling abroad. Most foreigners visit the Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan areas and few visit rural areas. It is essential to encourage more people to visit Japan.

(1)Measures to induce more foreigners to visit Japan

To increase the number of foreigners visiting Japan, conduct more PR activities and develop regional marketing plans to make foreigners want to visit Japan. To reduce the cost of staying in Japan, expand the discount schemes for foreigners including discount transportation tickets. Reduce accommodation costs and provide more information about accommodations. Furthermore, for the convenience of foreign visitors, make signs written in foreign languages or with easy-to-understand symbols in public transportation facilities and on roads. Expand the roles of tourist information desks, simplify the procedures for issuing visas, strengthen the links between international airports and domestic transportation networks, and provide more tourist information.

(2)Inducing more foreigners to visit rural areas

Through extensive cooperation between the public and private sectors, develop various sightseeing routes based on themes that are appropriate to each region's characteristics. Construct accommodations for such sightseeing routes and form districts with international sightseeing themes representing Japan. In implementing these measures, establish a system to respond to the general needs of foreign tourists within each of the wide-area international exchange spheres. Improve the services and the environment to welcome tourists in a friendly way, and provide more free-of-charge guide services.

2.Promotion within the country

In accordance with the increase of leisure hours, the demands for tourism are diversifying. To respond to the trend, develop measures to promote tourism within the country. This will lead to more interregional exchanges and boost the regional economy and cultures.

(1)Measures to sophisticate the tourist industry

As the number of people wanting to travel alone or with families increases, reduce travel costs and diversify the pricing and servicing systems. Establish accommodations for long stays or trips. Train experts who can provide advanced tourist services. Also, examine measures to promote the entire tourist industry including the provision of food and marketing of crafts to tourists. Furthermore, enable tourists to come into contact with regional cultures and meet local people. Regional citizens, the government and the tourist industry can cooperate in making plans to activate regions by promoting tourism there. Encourage each region to create its own sightseeing spots and improve hospitality independently.

(2)Improving the environment for increasing the number of tourists

Improve the traveling environment so that the elderly and the handicapped can enjoy traveling and meeting others with ease. Also, implement measures to activate regional societies by increasing the number of people involved in exchanges between cities and rural communities under the banners of green tourism, long-term volunteer activities or use of second houses.

(3)Activating regions by tourism and making regional information available

Organize events and sightseeing tours so that people can experience the unique nature, culture and history of each region. Conduct PR activities to demonstrate the attraction of regional resources by preparing guidebooks, etc., and create new sightseeing routes that allow people to make trips through different regions. Furthermore, establish information networks on regional tourist attractions and accommodations, and make regional information widely available.

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