Introduction
About the Japan Cultural Expo
Coinciding with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic

developing various cultures from throughout Japan, fromGames, the Japan Cultural Expo is being held under thethe Jomon period to the present day, season to season overoverarching theme of “Humanity and Nature in Japan.” This

the course of the event.

Expo features art exhibitions, performing arts performances,

Expo events were mainly be held in the year of thecultural and arts festivals, and other projects embodying

Tokyo 2020 Games, but also extend across a broad period

the beauty of Japan. It is an undertaking for systematically

before and after.

Overarching theme

Humanity and Nature in Japan
Concept
For more than 10,000 years, from the Jomon period to theand in the patterns by which the Japanese lead their lives.

present, Japanese beauty has been an expression of respect

Under an overarching theme of “Humanity and Nature

for the diversity of nature, a belief that all living things havein Japan,” at the Japan Cultural Expo we are creating a richer

their own lifeforce, and a sense of reverence for them.

future by domestically and internationally transmitting theJapan cherishes its landscapes and climate andbeauty of Japan as it has continued to the present day andembodies a spirit of human resonance and empathy with

passing that on to the next generation in eight subthemes:

nature and its aesthetic sense. This can be seen in its“Art and Cultural Treasures,” “Performing Arts,” “Media Arts,”

Jomon earthenware, Buddhist statues and other sculptures,“Lifestyle Arts, Literary Arts, and Music,” “Food Culture

woodblock prints, folding screens and other paintings,

and Nature,” “Design and Fashion,” “Inclusive Society andlacquerware and other craftworks, kimonos and other forms

Coexistence of Cultures,” and “Disaster Recovery.”of dyeing and weaving, traditional arts such as Noh andWe hope this cultural arts festival will inspire people to

Kabuki, literature, modern-day manga and anime, and many

move them to interact with each other, leading to respect

other artforms. This aesthetic is also expressed in Japanese

for the world’s diversity, sharing of that which is universal,

daily life culture, including its clothing, food, and homes,

and prayers for peace.

The Japan Cultural Expo Logo
The message the logo conveys
The sun rises between clouds over a vast ocean. This image expresses trepidation
and respect for nature, a spirit of human connections, and hope for recovery fromdisasters.

The Japan Equestrian Archery Association
Yabusame Ceremony to wish for the Safe Holding andSuccess of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic GamesThe logo was designed by Commissioner for Cultural Affairs (through March
2021) Miyata Ryohei, a craft artist, with input from Japan Cultural Expo planningcommittee members and others.

Contents
Introduction    001

Findings from questionnaires and interviews    005

Promotion    029

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

1

Background

Organizational structure

The Japan Cultural Expo has been discussed in the “Beauty

regions, as a project that cooperates and collaborates

The Japan Cultural Expo is a large-scale national projectthroughout Japan by mobilizing the collective efforts of theof Japan” Comprehensive Project Advisory Panel (Host: Thewith related government ministries and agencies, culturalu n d e r t h e l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e Ja p a n C u l t u r a l E x p oAgency for Cultural Affairs and other relevant ministries

Prime Minister of Japan, Chairpersons: Tsugawa Masahikofacilities, local governments, private organizations, andComprehensive Promotion Council, which is chaired by theand agencies, cultural facilities, local governments, private[until August, 2018] and Kobayashi Tadashi [from April,others to attract foreign visitors to Japan to those regions.

Prime Minister. The Expo will be systematically developedorganizations, and other stakeholders.

2019]), which has been working on measures to promote

The second meeting of the Promotion Council was held on

the Japanese sense of beauty and values domestically

March 12, 2020, and considering the spread of COVID-19

and internationally, contributing to Japan’s development,

infections, the Prime Minister decided to further promoteinternational goodwill, and world peace.

the Japan Cultural Expo and showcase the beauty of Japan

In the sixth Advisory Panel meeting, held on June22, 2018, Prime Minister Abe instructed the Ministry ofto the international community after there was a better
outlook for bringing the pandemic under control.

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and theUnder an overarching theme of “Humanity and Nature

Agency for Cultural Affairs to prepare the Japan Culturalin Japan,” in addition to systematically developing theExpo, to be held throughout Japan on the occasion of theJapan Cultural Expo from season to season and throughout

Tokyo 2020 Games. In December 2018, the Japan Cultural

the year, considering the current state of the COVID-19

Expo Comprehensive Promotion Council, chaired by Primepandemic, the organizers hope to further stimulate demand

Minister Abe, held a meeting to exchange opinions andfor domestic tourism and to motivate people overseas

to report on the overarching theme and basic concepts,

who are interested in Japanese culture to visit Japan by

the status of considerations for holding the event, and theimplementing thorough infection prevention measures at

implementation system. In response, it was decided toExpo venues and by providing attractive content based onhold the Japan Cultural Expo throughout Japan, utilizing

new lifestyles.

the cultural resources of disaster-affected areas and otherJapan Exposition Comprehensive Promotion Council
Chairman: Prime Minister / Deputy Chairman: Chief Cabinet Secretary
Assistant Chair: Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
Members: Minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games; Minister of State for Cool Japan Strategy;
Minister of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Ministerof Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Kobayashi Tatsuo; Komatsu Taishu; Shimatani Hiroyuki;
Takashina Shuji

Liaison Committee among Ministries and Agencies on the preparation for the Japan Cultural Expo
Chairman: Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
Deputy Chairman: Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary / Deputy Chairman: Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary
Assistant Chair (in charge of overall affairs): Commissioner for Cultural Affairs
Assistant Chair (in charge of liaison with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games): Secretary-general for
the Taskforce for the Promotion of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games

Liaise across ministries &agencies

Secretariat for theTaskforce for the
Promotion of theTokyo Olympic
and Paralympic
Games, theCabinetSecretariat

Ministry ofForeign Affairs

Agency for Cultural Affairs

Secretariat ofIntellectual
Property Strategy

National Tax
AgencyOffice for the
Promotion of
Overcoming
Population
Decline andVitalizing Local
Economyin Japan

Ministry of
Education,
Culture,Sports,Science andTechnology

Comprehensive
Ainu Policy Office

Ministry of
Health, Labourand Welfare

Japan Cultural Expo Planning Committee, Agency
for Cultural Affairs
Experts, leaders of the local government authorities andindustry, and Secretary-General of the Japan Cultural
Expo Secretariat

Advisory to planning &implementation

General supervision

Imperial
HouseholdAgencyMinistry ofAgriculture,
Forestry and
Fisheries

National Police
AgencyMinistry of
Economy,Trade andIndustry

Ministry of Internal
Affairs andCommunications

Japan Tourism
AgencyMinistry of theEnvironment

National cultural facilities
National Institutes for Cultural
Heritage

Japan Cultural Expo
Secretariat, Japan Arts Council

The National Art Center, Tokyo

Secretary-General: President of
the Japan Arts Council

National Museum of Natureand Science,Tokyo
National Ainu Museum
National Archives of Modern
Architecture, Agency for
Cultural Affairs

Rice field art incorporating themes from Ukiyoe and Kabuki
Image courtesy of Gyoda City

2

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

Source: Handouts from the First Japan Cultural Expo
Comprehensive Promotion Council (held on December 26, 2018)

Planning & implementation

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

3

Findings from questionnaires and interviews
Project frameworks

Responses to and analysis of a questionnaire targetingfrom the Japan Cultural Expo project. Next, we will perform

Japan Cultural Expo organizers, as well as interviewsa cross-sectional examination of the results of each of thesesurveys to more concretely consider the effects of the Japan
Cultural Expo project.

The Japan Cultural Expo project implements the three

grants; and “participatory projects,” where projects bywith fifteen of those organizers, provided us with a better

frameworks shown below: “presented and co-presented

local governments, arts organizations, and companies areunderstanding of the cultural and social benefits arisingprojects” in which the national government and the Japan

recognized as part of the Japan Cultural Expo.

Arts Council work together to plan and implement projects

As of March 2022, the number of “presented and co-with local governments, arts organizations, and companies;

presented” and “grant-supported” projects adopted as part

“grant-supported projects,” in which local government, artsof the Japan Cultural Expo for fiscal 2021 was 137, and theorganization, and corporate projects are subsidized throughnumber of approved “participatory” projects was 120.

Framework of the Japan Cultural Expo

Results of analysis of the effectiveness of the Japan Cultural Expo project
as seen from indicators
When analyzing the effectiveness of the project in this fiscal

effectiveness, social effectiveness, effects increasing

year (FY2021), we organized the results of our questionnaire

inbound tourism, economic effectiveness, and items related

and interviews from the perspective of outputs andto COVID-19 infections.

outcomes in terms of fundamental effectiveness, cultural
Japan Cultural Expo Presented and Co-presented Projects
Cross-Category Initiatives

Comprehensive large-scale projects at the core of the Japan Cultural Expo that will be

1. Fundamental effectivenessjointly planned and implemented by the government, the Japan Arts Council, cultural
facilities, private organizations, and private companies.
Category-Specific Initiatives

Theme-specific, large-scale projects involving exhibitions, performances, etc., thatconsider the overall themes and basic concepts of the Japan Cultural Expo, planned

Numbers of project days and eventsand implemented by organizations that are engaged in nationwide activities.

There were 12,455 Japan Cultural Expo activities in FY2021.

securing opportunities to conduct projects by actively

While fewer in-person projects were conducted thisdeveloping activities such as streaming that remove

Grant-Supported Projects
Innovation-oriented Projects

Implementation of diverse projects

year than last year, operators made active efforts toward

restrictions on project location.

Highly innovative and creative projects that will be planned and implemented as partof the Japan Cultural Expo Project, contributing to strengthening Japan’s national
branding through culture, expanding inbound tourism, and strengthening Japan’sfoundation as a nation of culture and the arts (expanding opportunities discovering andreaffirming the charm and wonder of Japanese culture).

Cultural Resource Projects

Cultural and artistic projects that utilize local cultural and artistic resources undertakenon the occasion of the Japan Cultural Expo in cooperation with local residents, the arts,
industry, academia, and government, and which contribute to the expansion of inboundtourism.

International Cultural Festival

Novel and highly innovative projects that will be implemented on the occasion of

Promotion Projects (Long-term

the Japan Cultural Expo, such as art festivals and other cultural and artistic projects,

Exhibitions)

held over a fixed period and contributing to attracting visitors from abroad by taking

Total activities in FY2021:
12,455
Reference
FY2019: 19,269 activities
FY2020: 14,279 activities

Breakdown

1. Exhibitions

Total exhibition days: 8,412

2. Stage performances

Total performances: 2,074

3. Participatory andexperiential events

Total events: 635

4. Other (by days)

Total number of days: 686

5. Other (by events)

Total number of events: 153

6. Online distribution

Total times performed: 495

advantage of regional culture, promoting international cultural exchange and inboundtourism by developing and enhancing cultural and artistic projects that attract
international attention.
Local Cultural Heritage

Efforts to effectively and attractively exhibit and disseminate regional history, culture,

Numbers of stage performances and participatory or

total period over which a state of emergency or infection

Exhibition Support Projects

customs, and art through utilization of cultural assets owned by the government

experiential projects remained nearly the same as in theprevention measures were in effect was twice as longand other organizations associated with the region through borrowing, etc., and by

two previous years, but we were forced to drasticallyin FY2021 as in FY2020, and this must have significantly

developing easy-to-understand exhibitions, including multilingual explanations, andreduce numbers of days for exhibitions and art festivals.

impacted project implementation periods.

experiential content.

For example, 26.3% of exhibitions (31 exhibitions) last year
were long-term projects lasting for 101 days or longer, while
only 14.4% of exhibitions (20 exhibitions) this year had

Examining projects by type, content from 13.6% ofdurations of 101 days or longer. Long-term art festivals too“Presented or Co-presented Projects” was broadcast online,

Invitations for public participation in distinctive projects from regional organizations

showed a decrease, with 21.9% of festivals lasting 101 days

as was the case for 22.2% of “Innovation-oriented Projects,”

and authentication of project contents.

or more this year, as compared to 37.0% in the year before,

5.6% of which were held only online. The Japan Culturalsuggesting a trend for making presentation periods shorter.

Expo’s “Innovation-oriented Projects” aim at novelty and

The issuance of state of emergency declarations (emergency

creativity in their planning and implementation, and themeasures) and COVID-19 infection prevention measuressurvey results also show that many of those projects

significantly impacted whether events could be held at

introduced new methods, stagings, and state-of-the-art

public regional facilities, even in cases where emergency

technologies to cultural and artistic resources. Virtual-only

declarations only targeted the Tokyo metropolitan area. The

project formats can be considered as part of that trend.

Participatory Format
Participatory Projects

4

Questionnaire 1 shows that of all projects, 7.3% were
held online.

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

5

■ 1 Event sites

Note: “Nationwide” and “Online” responses were not provided in 2019 and 2020.

Please indicate the location of your project. (Multiple answers allowed)
2019
Number of respondents:

299

2020
214

2021

2019

2020

2021

246

example, showcase projects and regional characteristics byor Co-presented Projects” were related to “Lifestyle Arts,

combining exhibitions of art and cultural asset with those

Literary Arts, and Music,” and nearly 40% of activities were

for food culture and regional cuisine. Questionnaires 3 andrelated to “Inclusive Society and Coexistence of Cultures.”

4 show that craftwork fields such as ceramics and pottery,

Nearly 40% of “Innovation-oriented Projects” were related

as well as tea ceremony and flower arrangement, whichto “Food Culture and Nature,” “Media Arts,” or “Inclusive

naturally extend to kimono and traditional dress, have also

Society and Coexistence of Cultures.”
The Japan Cultural Expo project is thus demonstrating

been implemented in many areas of Japan Cultural Expo

Hokkaido

2.0

3.3

3.3

Tohoku

8.3

7.0

6.9

Kanto

60.2

53.7

52.4

Chubu

21.9

17.8

23.2

■ 3 Main themes

Kinki

29.4

25.7

25.6

Please select the primary theme that best describes the project. (Select one)

Chugoku and Shikoku

11.6

9.3

4.5

Kyushu and Okinawa

14.8

12.1

7.3

Nationwide

—

—

0.8

Online

—

—

7.3

(%)

a wider and more diverse range of genres of activities

project activity.
By project type, activities in over 60% of “Presented

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Event locations and areas
Questionnaire 1 shows that categorized by host prefectural

was a small but nonnegligible number (1.6%) of events heldgrouping, the most common event location this year was inonly online, likely as a way of coping with the COVID-19

the Kanto (Tokyo area) block, as it was last year and the year

pandemic.

before that. Looking at individual prefectures, while there

Examining events by project, responses forwere events in 46 prefectures last year and 47 in the year

approximately 30% of “Presented or Co-presented Projects”

before that, covering nearly all of Japan, this year’s events

indicated that they were held in “a wide area spanningwere only in 41 prefectures.

multiple prefectures” or “nationwide,” showing that many

Questionnaire 2 shows that while most events were
held in one specific cultural facility or outdoor space, there

projects are being held and developed in wide areas

2019

2020

2021

Number of respondents:

299

214

246

Art and Cultural Assets

41.8

46.3

46.7

Performing Arts

29.1

26.6

27.2

Lifestyle Arts, Literary Arts, and Music

8.4

6.1

9.3

Media Arts

4.7

5.6

4.9

Food Culture and Nature

6.4

4.2

3.7

Inclusive Society and Coexistence of Cultures

4.7

5.1

3.7

Design and Fashion

2.7

2.8

1.6

Disaster Recovery

1.3

1.4

1.6

Other

1.0

1.9

0.4

(%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

2019

2020

2021

60

70

80

throughout the country.

■ 4 Sub-themes■ 2 Implementation locations and sites

In addition to the primary theme, please select any related themes that describe the project. (Select all that apply)
2019

2020

2021

Number of respondents:

299

214

246

Lifestyle Arts, Literary Arts, and Music

40.8

52.8

48.8

Art and Cultural Assets

66.9

57.5

47.2

Food Culture and Nature

28.1

35.0

33.7

Performing Arts

45.2

27.6

23.2

Media Arts

19.1

22.0

21.1

Inclusive Society and Coexistence of Cultures

23.4

28.0

21.1

Design and Fashion

20.1

21.0

20.7

Disaster Recovery

7.7

11.2

8.9

Other

2.7

2.8

2.8

Please indicate the site (venue) where the project took place. (Select one)
1.2

Number of respondents:N
2021

N=246

(%)

66.3
0

20

15.4
40

60

One location, such as a specific cultural facility or outdoor space
Within a prefecture

A wide area spanning multiple prefectures

4.5
80

1.6

3.3

0.4

7.3
100

Multiple locations within a region or municipality

Nationwide

Held only online

Other

Some 50% of applicable main activities were held under

12 of the Basic Act on Culture and the Arts, daily life culture

the theme “Art and Cultural Assets.” Of the related sub-is that which embodies “the ways of human lifestyles”

themes, “Lifestyle Arts, Literary Arts, and Music” was mostthat are both traditional and in line with today’s society,common. Until last year, “Art and Cultural Assets” wasincluding a broad range of national pastimes such as flower

both the most common main theme and sub-theme, butarrangement, tea ceremony, calligraphy, food culture, tea

this year “Lifestyle Arts, Literary Arts, and Music” became

appreciation, incense appreciation, kimono (Japanese

the top subtheme. Ambitious projects were implemented

dress and dressing), haiku and senryu poetry, bonsai,

not only for music, but also as crossovers with classicaland go, shogi, and other traditional games. This likely

literature, art, and culture. As specified in Section 3, Article

made it easier in the Japan Cultural Expo project to, for

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

2020

2021

60

70

80

No response

Activity themes

6

2019

(%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

7

Participation by diverse individuals

2. Cultural effectiveness

Numbers of participants
The total number of visitors and participants this year was

glimpse how operators still tried to attract many visitors

approximately 4.44 million. The total number of participants

and participants through live online shows and otherin live online events was approximately 7.48 million, which

creative measures.

Implementation of projects representing Japan and various themes
Providing representative Japanese cultural content

when added to visitors and participants at in-person events

There were 114,301 foreign visitors (noting that questions

makes for a total of approximately 11.96 million. While mostmade no distinctions as to whether responses were fromof the year was spent under a declared state of emergency

visitors from overseas or foreign residents living in Japan),or implementation of infection prevention measures,and 857,981 foreigners participated in live online events.

restricting admissions and numbers of visitors, we can

Numbers of online programs and online participants• Over half of operators (58.9%) focused on “Exhibit and stage performances, etc., of representative Japanese works”(Questionnaire 6).
Free response answers showed that events provided

global perspective, folk culture has been highlighted as avaluable exhibits of national treasures and important

representative culture of Japan.

cultural properties representing Japan, as well asFree response answers also indicated that per­for­comprehensive exhibits and performances of traditional

mances and exhibitions by pop stars and the like who haveculture, traditional crafts, and traditional performing arts

overwhelming support from younger generations, as wellthat embody the primitive nature beliefs of the Japanese

as many projects that focus on subculture media such as

Number of for-pay live online programs:
Number of free live online programs:

150
345

people and their development after the syncretization ofmanga and anime, which are a source of the “soft power”

Shintoism and Buddhism, the diversity of nature in Japan,that generates international admiration of Japan, were also

Total number of online programs:495

the beauty found in the great outdoors, and the aesthetic

conscious of presenting “Exhibit and stage performances,sense and view of nature of the Japanese people.

etc., of representative Japanese works.”

7,475,231 participants in live online programs, including…
857,981 foreigners
3,693 for-pay participants

In addition to those presenting traditional classicalInterviews revealed that projects were planned andculture handed down as the high culture described above,drafted in line with the overarching theme of the Japan

many of those implementing projects related to primitive

Cultural Expo, “Humanity and Nature in Japan” and its

rituals, festivals, dances, and folk performing arts stillcore concept “the beauty of Japan,” and that projects were

performed in mountainous villages also selected “Exhibit

selected through a screening process, indicating that manyof the Japan Cultural Expo's objective of “strengthening

and stage performances, etc., of representative Japanese

project operators were proud and aware of their projects as

inbound tourism.”works” as their answer.

being worthy of the Japan Cultural Expo brand. This shows

Targeted participants
Many projects were designed to appeal to the next gen­er­a­tion. Indeed, the most commonly targeted age category,accounting for nearly 50% of the total, was “Young people” Inparticular, 60% of “Presented or Co-presented Projects” and70% of “Innovation-oriented Projects” targeted Young people.
Similarly, 45.1% of projects targeted foreigners, clearlypeople,” “children,” and “visitors and tourists from outside thevillages in Japan continue to practice and pass down local

region.” The Japan Cultural Expo is thus clearly a project that

performing arts. Just in the Sanriku Coast region, there

The Japan Cultural Expo aggregates over 200 projects,

reaches out to a diverse range of visitors (Questionnaire 5).

are more than 3,000 local performing arts organizations,but it unites projects implemented in various regions in the

including preservation groups. The transmission of local

orientation indicated by its themes and core concept. It canperforming arts has played a role in the formation of local

be considered as conveying the appeal of representative

communities. Amid social issues such as response to

Japanese cultural programs by offering them in an easy-

natural disasters, depopulation, and population decline,

to-understand format, with valuable cultural assets andmany project managers have realized that we are now

traditional culture that normally would only rarely bein an era in which people are increasingly aware of the

publicly exhibited in the form of comprehensive exhibitions

rarity and cultural value of the festivals that we tend toand performances of Japanese culture.

showing that many projects were planned in consideration■ 5 Main target attendees
What kind of attendees did the project primarily target? (Select all that apply)
2019

2020

that selection as a Japan Cultural Expo project is itself aAlso targeted by around 40% of projects were “ElderlyInterviews also revealed that the residents of many

2021

2019

2020

2021

motivating factor for project operators.

take for granted as commonplace. We can see that from a
Number of respondents:

299

214

246

Young people

51.2

41.1

48.8

Foreigners

53.2

43.9

45.1

Elderly people

48.5

38.3

43.9

Children

45.2

39.7

43.5

Visitors and tourists fromoutside the region

45.2

40.7

39.4

From the local community orwithin the region

37.8

34.6

• 30.5% of projects focused on “Provide cultural and artistic activities utilizing Japan’s natural environment, materials, etc.”(Questionnaire 6).
• By project type, 36.4% of “Presented and Co-presented Projects,” 30.6% of “Innovation-oriented Projects,” and 40.0% of“Cultural Resource Projects” were “Provide cultural and artistic activities utilizing Japan’s natural environment, materials, etc.”

36.2

People with disabilities

40.8

30.4

34.6

Other

7.0

1.9

2.4

No specific target

38.1

45.3

45.9

(%)

8

Projects utilizing natural environments and materials particular to Japan

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

0

10

20

30

40

50

Free response answers showed many examples of projects

beauty such as World Natural Heritage sites and riceutilizing Japan’s natural environments and materials, suchterraces, and fieldwork projects using Geoparks as sites ofas introducing animistic beliefs regarding nature from theearth heritage.

Jomon period, the environment that gave rise to Japan’s

During interviews, we heard about a project thatearthenware and pottery, rice paddy art to arouse interest

allowed the experience of an art festival while camping

in rice cultivation culture, projects that introduce transitions

overnight in the great outdoors with the sponsorship of ain Japan’s biodiversity, projects in areas boasting scenic

camping gear manufacturer.

60

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

9

■ 6 Areas of emphasis within projects■ 7 Economic effects

Please indicate up to three goals that were of particular importance to you in this project. (Up to three responses allowed)

Were there any economic effects resulting from this project? (Select all that apply)

2019 2020 2021
Number of respondents:

299

214

2019

2020

2021

246

2019 2020 2021

2020

2021

40

50

60

Number of respondents:

299

Exhibit and stage performances, etc., of representative Japanese works 48.2 49.1 58.9

Improve regional branding

54.5 48.1 45.5

Provide perspectives to be utilized and passed on as a legacy for future27.1 34.6 35.8
cultural and artistic activities

Stimulate commerce, tourism, and the restaurant business24.1 19.2 34.1

Provide performances, exhibitions, etc., representative of the region

29.4 32.2 32.1

Promote culture and arts-related industries such as
traditional crafts

24.7 29.4 32.9

Provide initiatives with originality, superiority, novelty, and creativity

39.5 29.4 32.1

Expand exchange population for domestic and international
38.5 28.0 31.7
tourists, etc.

Provide cultural and artistic activities utilizing Japan’s naturalenvironment, materials, etc.

24.7 25.7 30.5

Improve international messaging

32.8 33.2 28.0

Introduce new methods, stagings, or cutting-edge technologies tocultural and artistic resources such as cultural assets

21.4 20.1 20.3

Encourage use of buildings and public spaces (roads,
watersides, parks, etc.) that are characteristic of the region

23.4 20.1 15.4

Promote cultural and artistic activities of children and youth

14.4 15.4 15.4

Strengthen cooperation between regional cultural hubs and
8.4
commercial areas

6.1

12.2

Compare art and culture between different eras

8.4

Grow local economies and employment, and expand
resident populations

5.0

5.6

4.9

Collaborate among multiple disciplines in new cultural and artistic
activities

14.4 15.0 12.6

Other

11.7

3.7

6.5

Engage in multicultural efforts to promote mutual and cross-cultural
understanding

10.7 13.1

9.3

(%)

Utilize historic townscapes, etc., developed by the local climate

2.3

7.9

7.7

Implement at large scales areal and spatial spread of multiple themesin cooperation with cultural facilities, private organizations, etc.

9.0

6.5

7.7

Engage in reconstruction of disaster-affected areas devised forcommunicating domestically and internationally and attracting visitors

2.7

3.3

5.7

Implementation of projects with novelty, creativity, uniqueness, and superiority

Create an inclusive society by promoting cultural and artistic activities
for foreigners and people with disabilities

10.0

9.3

5.3

Implementation of projects utilizing cutting-edge technology

Collaborate with Japanese DMOs registered with the Japan Tourism
Agency (excluding Japanese DMO candidate corporations)

0.7

2.3

2.0

Promote cultural and artistic activities for the elderly

5.0

1.4

1.6

7.0

(%)

13.0

214

2019

246

0

10

20

30

• 32.1% of projects emphasized “Provide initiatives with originality, superiority, novelty, and creativity.” By business type, thiswas particularly prominent among “Innovation-oriented Projects,” at 50.5%. (Questionnaire 6)• 20.3% of projects attempted to “introduce new methods, stagings, or cutting-edge technologies to cultural and artistic

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

resources such as cultural assets.” By project type, 25.0% were “Presented and Co-presented Projects,” 22.2% were
“Innovation-oriented Projects,” and 40.0% were “Cultural Resource Projects.” (Questionnaire 6)• 80 projects provided online live-streaming (webcasts), presenting a total of 495 streams. Of these, 150 were paid webcasts

and 345 were free.
By project type, about 20% of “Innovation-oriented Projects”

that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, VR and augmented

provided paid webcasts, indicating that projects provided

reality (AR) contents allowed users to enjoy Japan Cultural

Utilization of unique venues

webcasts with sufficient value that viewers were willing

Expo projects.

• 15.4% of projects utilized public spaces such as historical buildings and cultural facilities, or unique venues such as shrines,

to pay to view them. By contrast, half of “Presented andOther comments indicated active incorporation of

temples, castles, gardens, or other outdoor spaces (Questionnaire 7).

Co-presented Projects” and “Cultural Resource Projects”

recent technological innovations into cultural and artistic• By project type, 40.0% of “Cultural Resource Projects,” 27.3% of “Presented and Co-presented Projects,” and 27.8% of

did not provide webcasts, nor did the majority of “Local

areas, such as “We implemented a project to bring AI,“Innovation-oriented Projects” projects utilized unique venues.

Cultural Heritage Exhibition Support Projects.” Consideringdeveloped through a collaboration between industry andthat the world will become increasingly digitalized in theacademia and using cutting-edge Japanese technology, into

Answers to free response questions indicated that manyutilizing unique venues, such as an experiential program in

future, continued progress toward bringing projects in these

the world of performing arts to stage world-premiere works

exhibitions were held at unique venues to attract visitors toa recognized Preservation District for Groups of Traditional

themes online is desirable.

of art,” and “We created our stages with an awareness oflocations that regions are proud of. Participant comments

Buildings, a fine dinner course in a prominent garden

In answers to free-response questions, we saw

included statements suggesting a positive response, suchserved in a tea ceremony room designed by a world-comments such as “Even in conditions where COVID-19

The digital transformation of concerts, exhibitions, andas “Seeing contemporary art exhibited in a shrine was new

renowned architect, a castle registered as a World Heritage

infections are increasing, we could use virtual reality

cultural assets is underway. All of the fifteen organizations

to me,” and “When artworks are exhibited not in a museum,site hosting an art festival, and an exhibition of outsider art(VR) content to widely disseminate information both

we interviewed were engaged in some form of webcasting

but at a site that blends into a natural landscape, I can moreat temples and shrines designated as cultural assets anddomestically and internationally, allowing visitors to fullyor archive creation and distribution, suggesting thatdeeply appreciate their meaning. It was a wonderful project

representing the region they are in. In one case, a temple

experience the atmosphere of the venue without coming

providing online content is now commonplace. Indeed,because the artwork naturally blended in with the solemnthat for twenty years had been closed for restoration

to the museum in person,” and “We plan to connect withby the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, online

atmosphere of this historic shrine,” and “This collaboration

became the venue for a Japan Cultural Expo exhibition,

foreign creators online to jointly produce videos showing

participation was possible for stage performances, concerts,

of history and art was wonderful and highly impactful.”allowing many residents to recognize anew the existence of

the appeal of various regions in Japan, and to broadcast

exhibitions, and art festivals being held not only in Japansuch a majestic temple in their community.

them to the world once they are completed.” This shows

but around the world. We now live in an age where thanksInterviews similarly revealed many examples of

10

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

utilizing virtual space to develop attractive content.”

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

11

to the Internet, we can watch performances by famous

other prominent cultural events around the world. Before

with elemental technologies provided by companies. The

and bring them to Japan, and receiving introductions toforeign orchestras and entire programs of music festivals

online distribution itself becomes obsolete, we must

Japan Cultural Expo can thus be an extremely valuable

new artists from related organizations. There were also

and competitions from the comfort of our own homes.

consider next steps toward using digital technologies

opportunity for the future careers of those artists who

projects that did not have a curator, but rather had theConversely, interviews also suggested worries thatto attract new audiences, and there were examples

become able to do commissioned work from a young age.

implementing organizations themselves search for promisingbroadcasts of programs held in Japan will be lost in theof experimental trials focusing on using cutting-edge

While only around 20% of projects reported being able

artists by visiting graduation exhibitions at art universities ornoise, that simply distributing video recordings of concerts

technologies for the next generation of projects to be

to “Discover and develop artists,” that is an increase fromindependent student exhibitions in various regions, thereby

and exhibitions online will fail to differentiate them frompresented online.

last year’s 12.6%. This shows that despite the pandemic,

providing support for the production and presentation ofyear after year, artists and creators are being discovered or

artworks. In the previous year, the first year of the COVID-19

nurtured for their new creations and talent.

pandemic, there were across-the-board cancellations ofCreation of digital contents

For example, interviews revealed examples of efforts tomost graduation exhibitions and other events, but many art• 792 digital projects were produced this year.

discover artists by building global networks with overseas

exhibitions were able to go ahead this year, if with a limited• As a breakdown, there were 11 for-pay VR/AR projects, 104 free VR/AR projects, 87 for-pay video projects, and 590 freeart and photography festivals and arts organizations, visiting

number of participants as an infection prevention measure,

video projects.

festival venues around the world to meet artists in person

providing more opportunities for the discovery of artists.

• By project type, there were very few cases of non-implementation among “Presented and Co-presented Projects” and“Innovation-oriented Projects,” and many businesses engaged in content creation.
• Digital contents had 6,949,454 views in total. Of those, there were 3,192,500 views from overseas, accounting for 45.9% of

the total.

■ 8 Cultural and artistic effects
Has the project had any effect on the intrinsic value of culture and art? (Multiple responses allowed)

By project type, an overwhelming majority of “Presented

to experience culture in a virtual space provides a more

and Co-presented Projects” provided free online content,

immersive and stimulating sensory experience. We are highly

while in “Innovation-oriented Projects” both VR/AR and videointerested in what trends might emerge with a view to post-content, which totaled nearly 30% of provided content, waspandemic times.
Over three million views of digital contents came fromfor-pay, indicating that many projects took on the challengeof paid content while increasing the value of their content.

overseas, indicating a high level of international interest inInterviews indicated that some operators had developed

Japan Cultural Expo projects, along with improved abilities

new content using cutting-edge VR and AR technologies asfor disseminating information in conjunction with the

preparation for a prolonged pandemic. In particular, there

development of information infrastructure. We expect thiswere projects in which participants used avatars to interact

to lead to increased inbound tourism once the COVID-19

in a shared online space. Content that allows participants

pandemic subsides.

2019 2020 2021
Number of respondents:

299

214

Rebuild and value the appeal of the genre

76.6 63.1 68.3

2020

50

60

2021

246

Share the project genre inside and outside Japan and stimulate
56.9 49.5 54.1
cultural activities
Collaborate between traditional culture and modern creativity

29.8 31.8 32.9

Demonstrate and foster the creativity of artists

25.1 23.8 32.5

Improve abilities for planning cultural programs, experiential
programs, etc.

32.1 26.2 29.7

Increase and foster inheritors of culture and the arts

22.4 17.8

Numbers of digital creations and online availability

Stimulate cultural activities by local residents

25.8 23.4 25.2

For-pay VR/AR creations:Free VR/AR creations:For-pay video creations:Free VR/AR creations:

11 (incl. 11 provided online)
104 (incl. 34 provided online)
87 (incl. 84 provided online)
590 (incl. 409 provided online)

Stimulate cultural activities by children, young people, elderly
persons, and people with disabilities

25.8 20.1 23.6

Foster human resources to play roles in cultural and arts
projects

22.4 17.3 23.6

Discover and develop artists

12.4 12.6 21.1

Total digital creations:

792 (incl. 538 provided online)

Realize new creativity in collaboration with multiple fields ofculture and the arts

22.7 20.6 18.3

Realize new creativity through collaboration across countries
and regions

17.1 12.6

8.5

Create and develop NPOs for the arts, etc.

2.0

0.4

6,949,454 views of digital creations, including…
3,192,500 views from overseas
2,636 for-pay views
9,971 minutes of for-pay and free video content

2019

(%)

0.5

27.2

0

10

20

30

40

70

80

Implementation of projects with multiple collaborating themes

Artwork production and artist discovery• Overall, 32.5% of respondents answered that programs effectively “Demonstrate and foster the creativity of artists,” anincrease from the previous year (23.8%). (Questionnaire 8)

Collaboration between multiple cultural themes• By project, 44.4% of “Innovation-oriented Projects” reported that they were effective.

• A relatively low 18.3% of projects reported that they could “Realize new creativity through collaboration across multiple• 21.1% replied that they could “Discover and develop artists.” (Questionnaire 8)

fields of culture and the arts,” but viewing rates by project, this held for 25.0% of “Presented and Co-presented Projects,”
50.0% of “Innovation-oriented Projects,” and 30.3% of “Cultural Resource Projects.” (Questionnaire 8)

12Regarding “Demonstrate and foster the creativity of artists,”

we could broaden the horizons of young dancers and• 29.3% of projects reported that they could “Build new partnerships transcending cultural and artistic genres.” (Questionnaire 9)

answers to free-response questions included examples

composers who had previously only experienced the• By project, 40.9% operators of “Presented and Co-presented Projects” and 55.6% of “Innovation-oriented Projects” weresuch as “By creating a new form of expression thatgenres they specialized in.”able to create cross-genre partnerships.

combines technology and art as a comprehensive art form

In interviews, some producers commented that Japanthat includes music, dance, lighting, and projection, one

Cultural Expo subsidies allowed them to commission

There was a wide variety of collaborations between cultural

taiko performances × contemporary art,” and “agriculturethat takes advantage of outdoor and lake environments,

work for media art pieces that combine young artists

themes, including “handicrafts × outsider art,” “creative× cultural art.” Those involved in projects with such cross-

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

13

Activation of cultural and artistic activities

fertilization of different artistic genres will experience many

90% of attendees reported satisfaction with the presentation,

realizations, and various synergistic effects will arise fromproviding positi ve opinions such as “Being able tothe characteristics of each. In one example, a media artist

experience not just the music but sights, smells, and flavors

Revitalization and expansion of bases for culture and the arts

fused multiple senses by combining a classical concert,

as well made the experience more exciting,” “It was a new• 54.1% of operators selected “Share the project genre inside and outside Japan and stimulate cultural activities” as the core

which normally involves only hearing, with aromas released

kind of experience where I could enjoy all of my senses,” andvalue for arts and culture in their projects. (Questionnaire 8)

at the concert venue (smell) and the texture of gummi“I gained new insights into how music can be integrated with

• By project type, this response was very high for “Presented and Co-presented Projects” (63.6%) and “Innovation-oriented

candies (taste), thereby creating a new genre for music

the senses and the body.” Providing contents involving all

Projects” (72.2%).

appreciation and further increasing the value of hearing thefive senses thus increased the value of attending a concert• 25.2% of all operators replied “Stimulate cultural activities by local residents,” and 23.6% replied “Stimulate cultural

music at a concert venue.

venue amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

activities by children, young people, elderly persons, and people with disabilities.” (Questionnaire 8)

Indeed, interviews showed that in visitor surveys, over
The response “Stimulate cultural activities by children,■ 9 Platform formation effects
Has this project had any effects related to the formation of a platform for supporting culture and the arts? (Select allthat apply)
2019 2020 2021
Number of respondents:

299

214

2019

2020

2021

Acquire expertise for strategic promotions and information sharing 35.1 33.6 33.7
Build new partnerships transcending cultural and artistic genres 36.5 26.6 29.3
Build and reinforce cooperation with administrative fields
such as education, welfare, and tourism

25.8 27.6 28.0

Introduce new methods, stagings, and state-of-the-art technologies
33.4 34.1 26.8
for cultural assets and other cultural and arts resources
Build new partnerships transcending countries and regions

26.8 21.0 22.0

Build frameworks for large-scale projects trough collaboration
18.4 15.4
between regional governments, arts organizations, etc.

17.1 12.6 11.8

Other

13.0

3.3

(%)

Artistic Activities by Persons with Disabilities” and the “Lawregarding the target audience for Japan Cultural Expo

Concerning the Promotion of Cultural and Artistic Activities

projects (Questionnaire 5) too showed significant increases

by Persons with Disabilities” took effect in 2018, and somefor youth, children, the elderly, and the disabled, indicating

operators said in interviews that they have not only createdthat the expansion of these target audiences contributed toan environment where people with disabilities can enjoy
culture, they have also fostered momentum for people withThis year marks the tenth year since enactment of Japan’s

disabilities themselves to act as supporters of culture. Some

Act for Revitalization of Theaters, Concert Halls, etc., which

also said that efforts toward broadening the base of culture

has steadily promoted outreach and educational activities

and the arts extending back into the past have certainly borne

aimed at broadening the base of audiences and supporters offruit in various areas of this year’s Japan Cultural Expo.

performing arts in Japan. Interviews showed that the JapanThe Japan Cultural Expo can thus be considered an

Cultural Expo project too has approached a diverse range ofeffective project based on the results of such constant efforts

audiences, with activities aimed at broadening the base ofin recent years for improvements to laws and policies.

Rebuilding and rebranding of culture and art• “Rebuild and value the appeal of the genre” was cited for 68.3% of projects, making it the top response for “intrinsic value”

17.5

Construct a system for industry–government–academia
collaboration

The “Basic Plan for the Promotion of Cultural andincreased by 3.5% from last year’s value of 20.1%. Results

increases in the number of active cultural activities.

246

participants implemented in various locations.

young people, elderly persons, and people with disabilities”

for the third year in a row. (Questionnaire 8)• By project, this response had higher than average responses for “Presented and Co-presented Projects” (86.4%),“Innovation-oriented Projects” (72.2%), and “Local Cultural Heritage Exhibition Support Projects” (73.1%).

5.7
0

10

20

30

40

Collaborations between tradition and modernity that transcend time
• 32.9% of respondents reported being able to “Collaborate between traditional culture and modern creativity.” (Questionnaire 8)• By project type, those with the highest rates were “Presented and Co-presented Projects” (36.4%), “Cultural Resource

Projects” (45.0%), and, scoring highest, “Innovation-oriented Projects” (47.2%).
Interviews revealed many examples of collaborations

viewing of cultural assets, creating valuable opportunities

transcending time, some examples being “local arts andto introduce museum initiatives by making the younger

festivals × contemporary art and photography,” “fashion ×

generation aware of the existence of Japanese art itself

cultural assets,” “local cuisine × contemporary cuisine,” andand by encouraging them to visit exhibition facilities“classical music × media art.” Each was a project that hasoutside of the main venue. Another project collaborated

reconstructed traditional Japanese culture—including tangible

with a charismatic music artist who is very popular withand intangible cultural assets, traditional performing arts, rites

young people, creating ripple effects when internationaland festivals handed down from generation to generation,

media covered experimental initiatives in which advanced

and cuisine—as new culture through the filter of modernity.

methods were employed to record and broadcast concerts.

Free response questions described how one National

By collaborating with currently popular entertainers who

Museum plan collaborated with an extremely popular

have fans overseas, they could create opportunities forpop music group to foster opportunities for firsthandintroducing Japanese culture to a global audience.

In interviews we could also see that the Japan Cultural

thereby improving abilities for transmitting information.

Expo provided opportunities for local communities toInterviews also showed that varying expert groups

refine, redefine, and restructure their traditional crafts, local

and multiple project leaders communicated with each otherculture, cultural assets, and cultural industries to meet thefrom the stage of building the region’s cultural values into achanging needs of the times, and to rebrand them into more

Japan Cultural Expo project, and that some projects aimed

attractive cultural brands. Projects aimed to increase theto create appealing values from the perspectives of theappeal and brand of Japanese culture by updating aspects

project’s audience and participants. Networks of relatedof local and traditional culture and cultural assets to attract

parties were strengthened through the various processes

the interest of younger generations, who have traditionallyof newly rebuilding cultural brands, with expectations forremained distant from such cultural assets, and by devising

becoming a cultural asset for the region even after theways for better communication with people overseas,

Japan Cultural Expo project is over.

Human resource development and improving planning and management skills
Developing planning personnel and those who will pass culture on to future generations• 23.6% of all respondents cited “Foster human resources to play roles in cultural and arts projects” as an essential value. By

project type, 40.0% of “Cultural Resource Projects” cited this value. (Questionnaire 8)• 32.5% of all respondents reported the effectiveness of “Foster the development of future generations.” By project type, 45%

of “Presented and Co-presented Projects” and “Cultural Resource Projects” reported this. (Questionnaire 10)• 27.2% of all project operators cited “Increase and foster inheritors of culture and the arts” as a core value. (Questionnaire 8)

14

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

15

By project type, nearly 30% of respondents in the “Presented
and Co-presented Projects” category answered “Increase
and foster inheritors of culture and the arts.” Interviews

showed that there were many examples of exhibitions andcreated administrative collaborations by encouraging

populations to secure cultural budgets on their own,

performances of representative Japanese culture aimed atcollaboration among separate government agencies

working with each municipality under grants obtained bypassing that culture on to the next generation.

with similar missions and goals of disseminating cultural

the private sector provided a mechanism for culture to reachresources that exist across the areas they cover.

areas that were previously out of reach. Interviews showed

Expansion of the population involved and community creation• 39.4% of projects targeted “Visitors and tourists from outside the region.” (Questionnaire 5)that broad-based collaborations between the government

er­ation not only at the prefectural level, but also amongand private sector created through implementation of thesmaller local government organizations. Cultural budget

Japan Cultural Expo project has opened a path toward

The Japan Cultural Expo took place in many non-urban

interviews we heard comments that this often leads theirreallocations function when administrative agencies at thereallocation and reinvestment of cultural budgets, creating

regions, areas that are facing a shortage of cultural human

becoming part of the local community. Even after the art

town and village level work together to implement projects.

a situation that will lead to the passing on and regeneration

resources due to ongoing depopulation. While there

festival is over, they will often remain attracted to the

While it remains difficult for municipalities with decliningof local culture and communities

were residents who volunteered to help manage venues,

area and community and visit often, becoming part of themany staff came from urban areas to plan and manage

core exchange population. Interviews revealed that some

Strategic collaborations for information disseminationart festivals, as designers or as technical staff such as

projects had the foresight to increase the number of people• “Acquire expertise for strategic promotions and information sharing” was a platform building effect for 33.7% of

cameramen and video producers. Particularly in recent

involved in the implementation of art festivals, leading to

respondents. (Questionnaire 9)

years, with many regions holding art festivals in the form of

more long-term exchanges.

• By project type, this was a response by 45.5% of “Presented and Co-presented Projects” and 55.0% of “Cultural Resource

biennials or triennials, there have been more opportunities

It seems that Japan’s regional communities arefor people from various regions to participate, such astransitioning from a time in which local connections are abeing hired as management only for the duration of thematter of birth or marriage to an era in which they are created

Among Japan Cultural Expo projects, we saw many cases

have such expertise, can provide skill transfer functions

art festival. People directly supporting projects, known as

by people interested in the community’s characteristics. Theof newspaper companies taking charge of publicity andby cooperating and collaborating with less experienced

the “related population,” can work on projects with local

undertaking of the Japan Cultural Expo project is showing aadvertising as collaborators. On the other hand, interviews

bureaus. The resulting increase in the number of sites withresidents, even if only for a limited period of time, and in

new form of community creation in changing times.

also showed organizations for some project sites that, rather

accumulated expertise will eventually become an advantage

Projects.”

than leaving such matters to event production companies

when many centers work together on projects, and weand agencies, local broadcasters, and newspapers, were

expect that they will continue to demonstrate their strengths

Strengthening systems

able to accomplish this themselves, despite it being theirin large-scale cultural projects at the scale of the Japanfirst time and having no experience with such work. In

Cultural Expo.

Wide-area collaboration for promotion of the Japan Cultural Exposuch cases, we can say that the site bureaus, which already• Overall only 17.5% of projects aimed to “Build frameworks for large-scale projects through collaboration between regional

governments, arts organizations, etc.”, but that was the case for 40.0% of “Cultural Resource Projects” and 33.3% of“Innovation-oriented Projects.” (Questionnaire 9)• 22.0% of projects aimed to “Build new partnerships transcending countries and regions,” in particular 34.1% of “Presented

and Co-presented Projects” and 38.9% of “Innovation-oriented Projects.” (Questionnaire 9)

16

Interviews therefore revealed administrative coop­

In one interview, we learned about an arts festival thatboards of education or other divisions with cultural juris­dic­

for nearly ten year s had been conducted with only

tions and those covering different fields, such as agricultural

corporate sponsorships, but after its adoption as a Japanaffairs divisions and tourism promotion divisions.

Cultural Expo project was able to obtain the cooperation

Coordination between organizations with their own

of local government agencies, not only in the form of

missions, especially government agencies, is harder thanco-sponsorships and sponsorships, but also throughone might think. For example, cultural facilities are based

the provision of information on finding facilities, vacanton the administrative districts in which they are located,buildings, and stores in the community for use as venues.

making it difficult to make proposals related to projects

We can thus see that adoption as part of a national projectin neighboring towns. Crafts such as ceramics were also

like the Japan Cultural Expo improves social credibility.

often conducted under administrative divisions in each

In addition to local administrative agencies and boards

prefecture where they were produced, making it impossibleof education, there were also examples of collaboration

to disseminate information regarding them within awith national cultural facilities in the region, local

unified crafts framework that transcends prefecturalcommerce associations, and credit unions active in theboundaries. The Japan Cultural Expo project, however, hasregion. Although this year was a difficult time with regards

established a system for cooperation among government

to human movement, interviews showed that some projects

agencies, commerce and industry associations, andwere cooperating with local tourism associations andprivate companies across a wide area, and projects are

regional destination management organizations to prepare

underway to promote craft production areas and attractions

to attract visitors in anticipation of the post-pandemic

throughout the region. The key to developing projects that

period. We also heard of partnership collaborations acrosstranscend municipal boundaries was the establishment

multiple administrative areas, not only within the region butof the Japan Cultural Expo project itself, which allowed

also with municipalities in the vicinity.

volunteer organizations, nonprofits, private companies,

Even within the same administrative organization,and other organizations to become implementing entities.

we heard about many instances of collaboration between

The private sector has become a project hub, and we have

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

International bureau structures
Interviews showed that there were several project operators

multilingual staff, and so were already prepared to deal

that prior to selection for the Japan Cultural Expo hadwith the foreign press and global media. Once the COVID-19

received support from the Japan Foundation and otherpandemic has passed, there will be large potential fororganizations for overseas business development andbureaus with such abilities to make significant use of such

were already conducting activities at global scales. The

already established international structures.

bureaus coordinating these projects have multinational andStrategic partnerships and wide-area collaboration① Examples of new partnerships acrossmultiple cultural and artistic genres

Many projects crossed multiple cultural and artistic genres,such as by combining traditional crafts and outsider art,
fashion and cultural assets, classical music and media art,
and agriculture and fine arts.

② Examples of partnerships across multiple
administrative districts

There were many projects in which neighboringmunicipalities worked together across prefectural borders.

③ Cooperation between government agencies
with different missions

There were many examples of projects where central
ministries and internal administrative departments crossedboundaries to work together.

④ Examples of expanding partnerships within
local communities

There were many examples of collaborations between
different organizations within the community, such as eventhosting NPOs, governments, local cultural facilities, local
financial institutions, and boards of education.

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

17

Implementation of projects with regional characteristics

3. Social effectivenessInitiatives with representative regional characteristics

Implementation of projects in collaboration with the education and welfare sectors• 32.1% of projects reported “Provide performances, exhibitions, etc., representative of the region” (Questionnaire 6)• 7.7% of projects reported “Utilize historic townscapes, etc., developed by the local climate.” (Questionnaire 6)

Implementation of projects in collaboration with education, welfare, and other fields• 28.0% of projects reported that they could “Build and reinforce cooperation with administrative fields such as education,

Around 30% of projects reported “Provide performances,“Utilize historic townscapes, etc., developed by thewelfare, and tourism.” In particular, many “Local Cultural Heritage Exhibition Support Projects” (38.5%) collaborated withexhibitions, etc., representative of the region” but nearly

local climate” showed particularly high response rates,

the government sectors of education and welfare. (Questionnaire 9)

70% of operators reported this as a focus in “Local Cultural

but we can see that such efforts are indeed being made.

• 25.2% of all projects saw “Enhancement of efforts in the fields of education and welfare.” Responses showed that thisHeritage Exhibition Support Projects.” This shows that there

This shows that organizers are quite concerned about local

was fulfilled in 38.6% of “Presented and Co-presented Projects” and 30.8% of “Local Cultural Heritage Exhibition Support

were projects that made local community life, cultural

assets and issues, and that they are willing to incorporate

Projects.” (Questionnaire 10)

features, and cultural assets their core.

them into the Japan Cultural Expo as cultural projects.

• There was a “Promote accommodations for the elderly” effect in only 7.3% of projects overall, but in 15.0% of “Cultural

Initiatives aimed at disseminating information related to recovery of disaster-affected areas

Resource Projects” and 11.1% of “Innovation-oriented Projects.” (Questionnaire 10)• 5.7% of projects reported “Engage in reconstruction of disaster-affected areas devised for communicating domestically and

Implementations of Japan Cultural Expo projects has

areas relevant to them. Free-response answers indicated thatsignificantly and distinctively impacted the education andthis motivated viewers to rediscover the attractiveness ofinternationally and attracting visitors.” (Questionnaire 6)

welfare sectors. In free response answers and interviews,

various regions from the perspective of, for example, “theThe Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, which werecaused many cultural facilities to be closed, especially in thethere were examples of how the Japan Cultural Expo project

Jomon Period,” prompting them to visit there. This is thus

postponed to 2021, bore the slogan “Olympic Games for

hardest hit Tokyo metropolitan area, but this was true evenled to the establishment of exhibition facilities led by the local

an attempt to not only attract visitors, but also to help direct

Reconstruction.” In the Tohoku region, therefore, there werein the Tohoku area where fewer measures for preventing thegovernment and dedicated to outsider art or manga. After

tourists to more varied destinations.

projects and plans for making people feel the reconstruction

spread of infections were taken. In interviews, operators intransitory events such as art festivals, the legacy that remains

These are good examples of how endor sementof disaster-affected areas within the framework of Japanthe Tohoku area generally expressed regret that they wereis a place for the presentation and appreciation of culture andas a Japan Cultural Expo project made it easier to gain

Cultural Expo projects. The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic

unable to realize their projects as they had hoped.

the arts that will have deep roots in the community.

understanding and cooperation from the local government

In an archeology-related project, selected operators

sector, leading to requests for cooperation with thetook the lead in displaying detailed maps of excavation sites

educational and welfare sectors. These developments indicate

and collection locations, and collaborations with boards ofthat the Japan Cultural Expo project is contributing to theeducation and archeological facilities at forty-five locations

expansion of regional platforms.

Implementation of projects in which varied people participate and interact
Promoting citizen cooperation and multigenerational exchange

made it easier for viewers to find archeological artifacts in• Only 14.6% of projects reported “Promote civic collaboration,” but by project type this was particularly high for “Cultural

Resource Projects” at 45.0%. (Questionnaire 10)• 33.3% of projects reported “Promote multi-generational and regional exchange,” and this was particularly high for■ 10 Social effects“Presented and Co-presented Projects” (47.7%), “Innovation-oriented Projects” (50.0%), and “Cultural Resource Projects”(50.0%). (Questionnaire 10)

Did this project produce any social effects? (Select all that apply)
2019
Number of respondents:

299

214

2021

2019

2020

2021

246

Improve civic pride

53.2

50.9

51.2

Promote multi-generational and regional
exchange

34.4

28.5

33.3

Foster the development of future generations

40.8

34.1

32.5

Promote co-existence of cultures

35.8

29.0

28.5

Enhancement efforts in the fields of education
and welfare

—

21.5

25.2

Promote civic collaboration

16.7

10.7

14.6

Promote an inclusive society with diverse
people such as people with disabilities

16.4

13.1

11.4

Promote accommodations for the elderly

16.7

7.0

7.3

Other

12.7

5.1

4.5

Answers to free-response questions showed that manyboth children and the elderly, established a project thatprojects conducted at local museums and public facilities

involved high school and university students, asking themincluded workshops for citizens of multiple generations,to propose ideas for incorporating local traditional culture

from children to the elderly. One local museum, in addition

into their daily lives.

to providing workshop content that can be enjoyed by
Volunteers for operations

(%)

18

2020

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

• In total there were 8,258 operations volunteers. This is more than twice the previous year’s value of 3,594.

Answers to free-response questions included the following:

As a publicly initiated art festival, this was a valuable“Many part-time volunteers recruited from the general

opportunity as a point of contact with many interested

public registered for and engaged in the festival operations.

citizens, which will lead to future activities.”

Expanded efforts in the areas of community education and welfare

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

In the welfare field, there are for example different

Expo project together, facilities and corporations from allorganizations for people depending on the characteristics

over Japan were able to collaborate and create platformsof their disability, and because such different characteristics

for the arts and culture that were inclusive for people withgive rise to different ideas and positions, it is can be difficult

disabilities. Some commented that such cooperation at

for them to join hands and work side by side. In interviews

the national level would be a great help in promoting an

we heard the opinion that by managing the Japan Cultural

inclusive society in Japan.

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

19

Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Ministry

programs that emerged from the Japan Cultural Expo is

Increased youth awareness of social contributions amidst the COVID-19 pandemicof Health, Labour and Welfare are jointly implementing

expected to greatly contribute to the promotion of futureInterviews revealed cases where the spread of COVID-19

pandemic. The support base through crowdfunding has

programs.

infections caused organizations to face financial challenges

expanded greatly, especially among young people, with one

due to changes in venue or event duration, or the reduction

crowdfunded project seeing a 10% increase in participation

or withdrawal of support by sponsors, and so triedby users in younger age groups. One reason for thiscrowdfunding for the first time. As word of donations byincrease is that crowdfunding sites had sales campaigns in

Increasing civic pridecelebrities spread through social media, other supporters

which they greatly lowered their fees as a way of supporting

would appear and help projects to attain their target funding

businesses during the pandemic, thereby creating an

Fostering attachment to and pride in the community

amount. Securing crowdfunding as a third source ofenvironment that was more conducive to donations by a

• 51.2% of operators mentioned “Improve civic pride.” (Questionnaire 10)

funds, in addition to the conventional sources of corporate

wider range of supporters.

• By project type, we saw high values for “Cultural Resource Projects” (85.0%), “Local Cultural Heritage Exhibition Support

sponsorships and grants, has thus provided some security

Projects” (76.9%), “Presented and Co-presented Projects” (59.1%), and “Innovation-oriented Projects” (58.3%). However, atfor project continuance.

a nationwide program to promote cultural and artistic
activities by people with disabilities, and the expansion of

33.9% the value for “Participatory Projects” was far lower than the average, lowering the overall ratio

In one case, tickets for a concert were made available
via a crowdfunding site, and 45.0% of all ticket sales wereThis situation, in which locals rediscover their regionalshows that the Japan Cultural Expo is being implemented

culture and grow increasingly attached to their hometowns,

in a way that is deeply rooted in local communities.

Strengthened social capital and participation in society
In interviews, multiple operators mentioned “strengthening

participate in community activities,” and “The developmentof social capital.” This is a perspective that seeks to utilizeof new activities,” and worked toward increasing theculture as a local asset to deepen local identity, thereby

number of people involved on their own as planning andleading to growth of the local community. One operator,

management staff for large-scale art festivals and towardfrom the viewpoint of strengthening social capital basedraising the level of the entire community. Respondents

on the social impact evaluation logic model, continuously

commented that they had previously been nothing moreverified growth processes such as “enrichment andthan a collection of ten characteristic villages formed bydeepening of participants’ own experiences, such as

immigrants, but that in recent years they have finally begun

whether their interest in art has increased,” “Feelings toward

to feel comfortable with proposing and implementating

the community, such as whether participants became

projects based on their identity as a “city” created by themore attached to the community and more motivated tounion of their villages.

In the above-described case where supporters could
purchase concert tickets via a crowdfunding site, over 80%
of respondents to a visitor survey answered that they did so
because they wanted to support the concert.
We expect trends in behavioral change like thispurchased through that site.
Interviews suggested that such cases of using

increased willingness to donate and contribute to society,crowdfunding as a means for “purchasing” goods orespecially among the younger generation, to create aservices, or bonuses such as experiences or special

virtuous cycle for the Japan Cultural Expo project andrights, suddenly increased with the onset of the COVID-19

cultural projects in general.

4. Effects increasing inbound tourism
Development of programs for foreigners and promotion of accepting environments• When asked about project efforts that considered the acceptance of foreigners, 7.7% of respondents said they “Develop

new programs based on the needs of foreign visitors.” (Questionnaire 11)• 7.3% replied that they “Conduct experimental projects aimed at foreign visitors,” and 6.1% “Provide performances, tours,

etc., with multilingual lectures.” (Questionnaire 11)• Regarding effects for expanding inbound tourism,

Promotion of an inclusive society“Develop programs based on the needs of foreign visitors,” with theeffect doubling to 15.0%. (Questionnaire 12)

Promotion of an inclusive society
Many Japan Cultural Expo projects were conducteddisparities to spend time in the same space, getting to know

While restrictions on the entry of foreigners as a meansthat through the Japan Cultural Expo they were able tofrom the perspective of social inclusivity. For example,

each other and realizing a vision of respect and inclusion.

of preventing the spread of COVID-19 infections were aeffectively develop new programs based on the needs offoreigners.

in interviews we heard about a small art festival held in

In addition to the above, many other similar projects on

barrier to participation in the Japan Cultural Expo project

Tokyo’s San'ya area, where international students who arethemes of social inclusivity are being implemented at theby foreigners, we can see that 15.0% of all projects felt

particularly concerned about diversity issues presented

Japan Cultural Expo.

and exhibited new works based on their impressions ofthat area. This allowed residents and artists with various
Collaboration for addressing social problems and achieving policy goals
Some projects actively took on the challenge of addressingin the light of SDGs, a theme of concern by the generalsocial issues and policy trends associated with issues

public, they could reinterpret artistic activities in a way

such as sustainable development goals (SDGs), decreases

that was easier for society and the global community toin community activities due to earthquake disasters,

understand. To a large extent, it was the common goal of

population issues such as depopulation of the young

addressing social issues and policy goals that allowed

and Japan’s aging society, and food waste and food loss,

local governments to collaborate across administrative

examining the significance of art and culture when tacklingboundaries, driven by a growing awareness of the SDGs.

such social issues. In interviews, project organizers noted

This is a noteworthy trend regarding the potential forthat while these are all issues of common concern increative ingenuity to help solve social issues.

the global community, by viewing existing art projects

20

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

21

■ 11 Initiatives with awareness of accepting foreign visitors

Implementation of promotions for foreigners

Did this project have any initiatives aiming at acceptance of foreign visitors? (Select all that apply)
2019 2020 2021
Number of respondents:

299

214

Provide multilingual pamphlets, audio guides, etc.

73.2 57.9 66.7

Provide multilingual PR and strategic promotions
via the Internet

37.8 45.8 47.6

Sell tickets, etc., in multiple languages via theInternet

22.1 18.7 24.0

• Most common at 66.7% was “Provide multilingual pamphlets, audio guides, etc.”, followed by “Provide multilingual PR and

2019

2020

2021

strategic promotions via the Internet” (47.6%), “Sell tickets, etc., in multiple languages via the Internet” (24.0%), and “Provide
multilingual signage for buildings and foot traffic” (22.4%). (Questionnaire 11)

246

operators implementing promotions via the Internet.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented foreigners
from coming to Japan for the time being, and promotions

Regarding efforts to welcome foreigners, we canfor in-per son events such as pamphlets and audio

see that provision of languages other than Japanese was

guides had higher implementation rates, in view of thethe main focus of efforts. Rates were higher than lastsituation there were also many projects conducted withyear, despite pandemic restrictions on entry to Japan by

Provide multilingual signage for buildings and foot20.7 19.2 22.4
traffic

an awareness to “Provide multilingual PR and strategic

foreigners, indicating that the use of multilingual public

promotions via the Internet.” By project type, “Presented

relations via the Internet is becoming established as an

Cooperatively plan multiple regional cultural hubs

and Co-presented Projects,” “Innovation-oriented Projects,”

ongoing activity.

10.7

5.6

9.8

Develop new programs based on the needs offoreign visitors

14.7 12.6

7.7

Conduct experiential projects aimed at foreign
visitors (demonstrations, workshops, etc.)

19.1

9.8

7.3

Attract visitors for overnight stays through broader
development of arts festivals and other events

6.0

2.8

7.3

PR and strategic promotions in free newspapers,
15.1
magazines, newspapers, etc., aimed at foreign visitors

8.9

6.5

Provide performances, tours, etc., with multilingual
10.7
lectures

9.3

6.1

Facilitate interactions between foreign visitors andJapanese people

17.7

7.5

6.1

Provide a discount ticket system for foreign visitors 2.7

2.3

2.4

Link activities to learning the Japanese language

3.0

2.3

0.4

Other

18.4 12.1 10.6(%)

and “Cultural Resource Projects” each had over 60% of

Increased capability for accepting foreigners• There were 114,301 foreign visitors and participants (compared to 158,768 last year).

Note: Questions and responses did not distinguish between foreign residents and visitors to Japan.
• Foreigners made up 2.6% of all visitors to event venues.
• There were 857,981 foreign participants in live online events and 3,192,500 views of digital contents from overseas.
• The most common response regarding change in the number of foreign visitors and participants was that there was adecrease (43.5%). (Questionnaire 13)• By contrast, 7.7% reported an increase or a Greatly increase. (Questionnaire 13)• 6.9% responded that they could “Increase numbers of foreign visitors to project implementation regions.” (Questionnaire 12)• 7.3% reported being able to “Attract visitors for overnight stays through broader development of festivals and other arts

events,” 6.1% could “Facilitate interactions between foreign visitors and Japanese people,” and 0.4% could “Link activities
0

20

40

60

80

to learning the Japanese language.” (Questionnaire 11)
highly related to Japan closing its borders as a result of theAmong efforts toward accommodating foreigners, numbers
for activities aiming to attract visitors to stay overnightworldwide pandemic, and the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic

at art festivals, to interact with Japanese people, andGames making the decision not to accept spectators.

to learn Japanese were all lower than 10%. This is likely■ 12 Outcomes expanding inbound tourism
What kind of effects did this project have as pertains to increasing inbound tourism? (Select all that apply)
2019 2020 2021
Number of respondents:

299

Improve awareness and understanding of the
project theme among foreign visitors

65.9 50.9 56.9

Increase foreigners’ desire to visit Japan

—

2020

2021

■ 13 Increases and decreases in numbers of foreign visitors

246

Compared to previous years, has there been any change in the number of foreign visitors or participants? (Select one)
Number of respondents:N

—

31.7

Improve recognition, awareness, andunderstanding of project implementation areas

32.8 31.8 28.9

Develop programs based on the needs of foreign
visitors

17.7

Construct strategic promotion systems aimed atforeign visitors

14.4 17.3

Increase numbers of foreign visitors to project
implementation regions

20.4

4.7

6.9

Examine consumption & economic ripple effects
due to foreign visitors

18.4

4.2

3.7

Increase numbers of foreigners moving to live inproject implementation areas

—

1.4

0.4

Other

17.1 15.0 12.2

0.9

2019

N=299

2020

N=214

2021

N=246

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

35.8

57.5

5.7

0.5

17.8 15.0
7.7

(%)

(%)

22

214

2019

0.9
7.0

12.6

6.5

11.4

60.3

1.2

0

43.5
20

40

Greatly increased

0

20

40

60

18.7

60

Increased

Unchanged

Decreased

34.6

2.8

80

100

Unknown

No response

80

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

23

Increased interest in Japanese culture

Increased dissemination of information• 56.9% of respondents reported being able to “Improve awareness and understanding of the project theme among foreign• 28.0% of projects aimed to “Improve international messaging,” and project types showing particularly high rates werevisitors.” (Questionnaire 12)“Presented and Co-presented Projects” (45.5%) and “Innovation-oriented Projects” (52.8%). (Questionnaire 14)• 31.7% reported being able to “Increase foreigners’ desire to visit Japan.” (Questionnaire 12)• 71.5% of all projects had a dedicated Japanese website, and 52.0% had a website in a foreign language. (Questionnaire 15)• 75.6% of projects utilized Japanese social media. (Questionnaire 15)

B y p r o j e c t t y p e , ov e r 7 0 % o f “ Pr e s e n t e d a n d C o -Japan.” The rate for both was over 50% for “Innovation-

presented Projects” worked to “Improve awareness andoriented Projects,” showing their active engagement with

understanding of the project theme among foreign visitors,”

both initiatives.

and 50% worked to “Increase foreigners’ desire to visit

5. Economic effectivenessEconomic impact of projects, increases in number of participants• In total, dedicated websites had 14,341,900 pageviews, among which 935,397 pageviews were of foreign-language websites.

Since publicity efforts are one important aspect of Japan

is to promote inbound tourism, it is desirable that more

Cultural Expo projects, nearly all organizations should haveforeign language websites be developed. The most popular

a dedicated website, but in practice only about 70% of

publicity method (83.3%) was “Handbills.” (Questionnaire 15)

projects did. By project type, rates were relatively high for

While 75.6% of projects utilized Japanese social“Presented and Co-presented Projects” (77.3%), “Innovation-

media, because use of such tools has low associated costs

oriented Projects” (83.3%), and “Cultural Resource Projects”

and high ease of use, we hope to see more efforts toward(85.0%), but lower for “Local Cultural Heritage Exhibition

disseminating information via social media in the future.

Support Projects” (57.7) and “Participatory Projects” (66.1).

(Questionnaire 15)

Considering that one goal of the Japan Cultural Expo project• 31.7% of respondents reported efforts to “Expand exchange population for domestic and international tourists, etc.,” and byproject type particularly many “Cultural Resource Projects” answered so, at 50.0%. (Questionnaire 14)• 4.9% of projects reported being able to “Grow local economies and employment, and expand resident populations.”(Questionnaire 14)• 855,021 people attended paid events (as compared to 1,701,725 last year), 3,693 participated in paid live online events, andthere were 2,636 views of paid digital contents.

■ 14 Economic effects
Were there any economic effects resulting from this project? (Select all that apply)
2019

2020

2021

■ 15 Activities and effects of PR, etc.
Please specify any activities for promotions or ticket sales related to the project. (Select all that apply)
20192020 2021

Number of respondents:

299

214

246

Handbills

84.9

81.8

83.3

Japanese social media (creation of accounts on Facebook,
65.9
Twitter, etc.; use of those accounts; online ads)

76.6

75.6

2019

2020 2021

Number of respondents:

299

214

246

Project websites (in Japanese)

70.9

79.4

71.5

Improve regional branding

54.5

48.1

45.5

Train station and transportation advertisements

47.8

40.7

52.4

Stimulate commerce, tourism, and the restaurant business

24.1

19.2

34.1

Project websites (in foreign languages)

46.8

53.7

52.0

Promote culture and arts-related industries such as
traditional crafts

24.7

29.4

32.9

Online ticket sales (in Japanese)

33.8

37.4

46.7

Expand exchange population for domestic and international
38.5
tourists, etc.

28.0

31.7

Online advertisements

48.2

49.5

43.5

Improve international messaging

32.8

33.2

28.0

Newspaper ads

44.8

41.1

43.1

Encourage use of buildings and public spaces (roads,
watersides, parks, etc.) that are characteristic of the region

23.4

20.1

15.4

Advertisements and paid articles in magazines, local
periodicals, etc.

37.1

36.4

31.7

Strengthen cooperation between regional cultural hubs andcommercial areas

8.4

6.1

12.2

Online ticket sales (in foreign languages)

24.7

22.0

29.3

Grow local economies and employment, and expand
resident populations

5.0

5.6

4.9

Social media in other languages (creation of accounts on
Facebook, Twitter, etc.; use of those accounts; online ads)

28.1

32.2

27.2

Other

11.7

3.7

6.5

Television commercials

11.7

7.9

15.9

Radio commercials

7.7

12.1

14.2

Travel review sites

4.7

3.7

2.8

(%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

(%)

24

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

2019

0

20

40

60

2020

80

2021

100

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

25

Realization of attractive businesses and revitalization of local economies

6. Items related to COVID-19 infections• 34.1% of projects could “Stimulate commerce, tourism, and the restaurant business,” 32.9% could “Promote culture andThis unfortunately being the second year of the COVID-19

preventing the spread of COVID-19 infections, projectarts-related industries such as traditional crafts,” and 12.2% could “Strengthen cooperation between regional cultural hubs

pandemic, many Japan Cultural Expo projects struggled

coordinators surely discovered unexpected insights andand commercial areas.” (Questionnaire 14)

with competing requirements for refraining from hosting

accumulated expertise that will lead to expanded operations• By project type, many “Cultural Resource Projects” and “Local Cultural Heritage Exhibition Support Projects” could

local cultural events and projects that would attract visitors

once the pandemic is over. This section describes efforts of“Stimulate commerce, tourism, and the restaurant business,” and many “Presented and Co-presented Projects” andand realizing the effects that the Japan Cultural Expoeach project operator regarding countermeasures against“Innovation-oriented Projects” could “Promote culture and arts-related industries such as traditional crafts.”

was aiming at. Then again, through their efforts toward

COVID-19 infections.

Values for “Stimulate commerce, tourism, and thecultural exhibition providing an overview of postwar fashion

restaurant business” and “Strengthen cooperation between

from a cultural perspective and to promote the upcoming

regional cultural hubs and commercial areas” are nearlyfashion design brands that will lead the Japanese fashion

double those from last year. The Japan Cultural Expo up toindustry in the future. A “rice paddy art” project utilized

Questionnaire 16 shows that overall, 66.3% of projects

that many events were postponed, rescheduled to be heldthat time seemingly had few initiatives aiming to “Stimulate

rice harvested after the exhibition to develop processed

were implemented without postponement or cancellation,in the fall or later, once infection numbers came down.

commerce, tourism, and the restaurant business,” but

products that can be stored for a long time.

including some that were implemented with changes inSome projects had to reprint pamphlets for projects thatformat such as reductions in event duration or scale, andwere originally scheduled for the summer but rescheduled

33.7% of projects were postponed or canceled.

for the fall. It seems that these measures were possible

there appears to be a blooming awareness of needs for

In answers to free-response questions, we saw thatusing culture as a trigger for reviving local economies,in the world of traditional crafts, the skills of traditional

considering how the real economy is being dragged down

artisans were being used to develop furniture and interior

by the prolonged COVID-19 epidemic. In interviews, we also

products that meet the demands of modern people.

heard cases where industries are being reexamined fromIt was clear that traditional crafts rooted in various

the perspective of culture for development as new creative

regions were updated for the current era through the Japan

industries. As an example, a project that previously had

Cultural Expo project, and that implemented projects

been subsidized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade andcould revitalize local industries, attracting the attention ofIndustry to hold fashion shows for young designers used

foreigners and people of many ages.

the Japan Cultural Expo as an opportunity for holding a

Postponement or cancellation of projects

During interviews and the like, we got the impression■ 16 Project postponements and cancellations due to COVID-19
Was the project postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic? (Select one)
Number of respondents:N

2021

Broader recognition of regions and themes(%)• Like last year, “Improve regional branding” was the most common response, at 45.5%. (Questionnaire 14)

26

By project type, responses were 75.0% for “Cultural“Participatory Projects,” however, lowering the overall

Resource Projects,” 58.3% for “Innovation-oriented

average.

Projects,” 57.7% for “Local Cultural Heritage Exhibition

We can see that about half of the main Japan Cultural

Support Projects,” and 56.8% for “Presented and Co-

Expo programs were implemented as an effort to raisepresented Projects,” so values exceeded 50% for all mainawareness and brand power in the region where theJapan Cultural Expo themes. The rate was only 28.8% forprogram was held.

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

because projects had adequate budgets.

N=246

66.3
0

20

33.7
40

60

80

100

On schedule (including scaled-down programs)
Postponed or cancelled (including partially postponed or cancelled)

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

27

Promotion
Multilingual information dissemination via the official website

Initiatives implemented in response to the spread of new coronavirus infection
Questionnaire 17 shows that as efforts implemented inwith a barcode, which were distributed to all visitors at theWe implemented various methods for disseminating information online to increase awareness of and visits to the website,

response to the spread of COVID-19 infections, 57.3% oftime of admission, linking registration names and contact

thereby promoting the Japan Cultural Expo project.

projects cited “Improve sharing of project information

information with barcode numbers and admission histories.

via social media, YouTube, etc.” and 46.7% cited “Share

The operators also built and maintained an environment

project-related video content, etc.”. Dissemination of videos

that can track admission histories and, in the event of an

was probably through YouTube, but we can see that with

infection outbreak, notify visitors that they may have comethe COVID-19 pandemic entering its second year, there isinto contact with an infected person.

increased emphasis on video content, with efforts being

Free-response answers indicated that by engaging

made to continue providing opportunities for appreciationin activities such as online distribution of audiencelessand participation.

performances and video or digital content production,

Among efforts made to prevent the spread of COVID-19

many operators were able to continue their projects andinfections taken on by the various projects, answers to free-even generate buzz, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Some

response questions showed that the most effective wasoperators distributed VR/AR content via apps for smart“placing limits on the number of persons allowed to enter

devices, believing that if people could view the content on

event sites,” followed by “taking the temperature of visitors,

their smartphones, they could enjoy events individuallyrequiring them to wear masks, providing disinfectant,

without having to gather with others, allowing them toetc.” It is clear that thorough implementation of such basic

further avoid crowds.

Official website (in Japanese, English,
Chinese, Korean, and French)• Numbers of products listed: 648 in Japanese, 535 inEnglish, 214 in traditional Chinese, 215 in simplified
Chinese, 214 in Korean, 215 in French (as of 25 Jan 2022).
• Monthly pageviews: 125,569• Total pageviews: 1,414,166 (from 1 Apr 2021 to 25 Jan 2022)

In interviews we heard that while the ongoing pan­dem­

infection prevention measures was key to combating theic forced operators to go online or otherwise digitize theirspread of COVID-19 infections.
By contrast, free-response questions showed thatprojects, doing so also provided valuable experience thatsome operators used IT to fight infections. In one case,will accelerate innovation and expand the scope of future

an operator developed a proprietary system that printed

projects.

Digital Gallery• Creation of pages for contents that can be enjoyed online“Passport Tickets” or “COVID-Safe Registration Cards”(videos, virtual tours, etc.)• Summary introductions of videos and VR products foreach project■ 17 Efforts for the prevention of COVID-19 infections• Ongoing

updates with pages allowing viewing ofdigital contents

Please indicate any measures taken in response to the spread of new coronavirus infection. (Select all that apply)
2021

Number of respondents:

214

246

Improve sharing of project information via social
media, YouTube, etc.

59.3

57.3

Official social media accounts

Share project-related video content, etc.

50.0

46.7

In addition to information on scheduling for projects se­

Produce project-related video content, etc.

47.2

43.9

Provide free online streaming of performances,
exhibitions, etc.

42.1

38.2

Improve sharing of project information by producing
pamphlets, etc.

32.7

36.2

Provide online ticket sales (for specified dates andtimes, etc.)

27.6

32.9

Implement for-pay online viewing of performances,
exhibitions, etc.

16.8

14.6

Archive projects to allow future use

20.1

13.8

Provide free online viewing of workshops,
symposiums, etc.

19.2

13.4

Provide new viewing experiences using VR
technologies, high-definition video, etc.

22.4

12.2

28

lect­ed as part of the Japan Cultural Expo, the official Japan
Cultural Expo Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts
continually provide additional project information, such as• Numbers of followers (as of 25 Jan 2022)

Facebook: 65,714 Instagram: 8,878
Twitter (Japanese): 5,283 Twitter (English): 6,382

Japan Cultural Expo YouTube channel
Utilizing the highly versatile and globally popular media

1.4

2.4

Other

7.5

7.3

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

2021

production processes.

Provide paid online viewing of workshops,
symposiums, etc.

(%)

2020

• 370 videos and VR products listed (as of 25 Jan 2022)

2020

website YouTube, we can effectively disseminate information
both domestically and internationally.
• 204 uploaded videos (25 Jan 2022)

0

20

40

60

80

in Japanesein English
in Chinese
in Koreanin French
Interviews

: 132
: 83
: 14
: 12
: 13
:
9

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

29

Information dissemination through domestic and international media

Timeout• Online ads (two weeks, starting late August 2021)

Targets: U.K. (London), U.S. (New York), France (Paris), China (Beijing, Shanghai), Hong KongJapan Cultural Expo PR television programs

Languages used: English, Chinese (traditional and simplified)“Japan School: Humanity and Nature in Japan”

With an average CTR* of 0.07%, the ads were designed
to attract the attention of Timeout readers, who are very
interested in art and culture. Timing ad displays to coincidewith the Tokyo 2020 Games, a time of heightened interest inJapan, increased ad effectiveness.

• Broadcasting station: BS-TBS• Broadcast times and dates:

5-min show : 13 episodes, Mondays 20:54–20:59, 23 Aug
through 15 Nov 2021
60-min show: 1 episode, Sat 14:00–15:00, 15 Jan 2022

*Average CTR on Timeout was around 0.05%. CTRs tended to belower in Asian countries than in Europe and the US.

• Host: Takashima Reiko (narrator for “Japan Heritage”)

Image: Tripadvisor website,
https://www.tripadvisor.com/“The Heart of Beauty :Message from the Japan Cultural Expo”• Broadcasting station: NHK World-Japan / JIB tv*

Japan Travel• Broadcast dates:

We posted feature pages on Japan Travel, a website where foreign professionals of over ten nationalities living in Japan

Part 1: 7 Jan 2022 (Japan time)
Part 2: 14 Jan 2022 (Japan time)

provide the world with information about the attractiveness of Japan and various travel information from a foreigner’s pointof view.

*Japan International Broadcasting is distributed to approx­
imately 160 countries and regions worldwide via NHK World
broadcast frequencies; it is not broadcast domesticallywithin Japan.”Feature pages• “Nobody Knows Isehara”: Part of the “Nobody Knows” project, regarding a tour of Isehara• “The World of Traditional Performing Arts: Experiencing Traditional Arts”

Disseminating information via tie-up advertising with overseas media
Tripadvisor• “The Future of the Japan Cultural Expo” and “Japan Cultural Expo Virtual Platform”

Japan Cultural Expo VIRTUAL PLATFORM• Online ads (starting late July 2021)

Targets: [Overseas] U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea2					Persons in the above countries having interests in art and culture and in international travel[Domestic] Persons having interests in art and culture and in domestic travel

Languages used: Japanese, English, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean
Video ads

Opening of the virtual
Japan Cultural Expo platform

Banner ads
We distributed promotional
videos produced in FY2021.
As in the previous year,
performance remained
strong, with an average
C T R* o f 0.3 0 % f or all
videos submitted.

Establishment of a digital content platform and implementation of promotions
utilizing the platform

With an average CTR* of
0.10%, performance wasgood due to the introductionof ads that were resizedby country and consideredhighly effective, based on
the results of performanceverifications.

The Virtual Japan Cultural Expoplatform opened to the domestic
and international public on 17
August 2021 with the aim of
combining the “real” experienceof actual Expo venues withthe virtual experience of an
online virtual space with digital

Image: Tripadvisor website,
https://www.tripadvisor.com/

content. On 24 February 2022,
the Virtual Japan Cultural Expo
was extensi vely redesigned
as a “metaverse,” with avatar
functionality providing a more
immersive Japanese culturalexperience and allowing visitors
to mingle with other visitors’

Image: Tripadvisor website,
https://www.tripadvisor.com/

30

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

*CTR: The “click-through rate,” namely the ratio of ad clicks to the total
number of views.

avatars.

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

31

1

The WaterMuseum

The Forest Village

The Main Square

The Wooden Stage• The Water Museum
This is an area where visitors can view contents in a space set up over a giant
waterfall, as if viewing items in an art museum. More than 250 artistic works,
cultural assets, and other contents from all Expo themes will be exhibited.

• The Forest Village
Visitors can explore this area to discover contents scattered throughout aforest and displayed in old-style homes. There are over twenty displays for art
festivals and outdoor art.

• The Main SquareThis is the first area that visitors to the Virtual Japan Cultural Expo will visit. It
includes a large display that can be used in events, etc.

• The Wooden Stage
Here we provide an experience that is possible only in a virtual space, using
varied presentation methods incorporating Japanese aesthetics. More thaneighty items related to the performing arts and traditional arts are exhibited.

4

2

5

3

6

7

Online tours utilizing the Virtual Japan Cultural Expo
Online tours (9–10 Mar 2022)• Special video presentation “Fashion in Japan,” live tour with commentary (9 Mar 2022, 18:00–19:30)

8

A special guided tour of the exhibition “Fashion in Japan 1945–2020,” held at the National Art Center, Tokyo from 9 June to 6
September 2021, was made available for viewing by avatar participants in a special guided video for the first time.
• Special video presentation “Behind the Scenes at the National Theatre of Japan,” live tour with commentary (10 Mar 2022,

18:00–19:30)
This tour gave avatar participants a behind-the-scenes look at the National Theatre, which they would not normally be able to see.
Release of a special video combining concert footage of Joe Hisaishi with Japan Cultural Expo projects (15 Mar 2022)
As part of the Virtual Japan Cultural Expo we showed a special video combining images of the “World Dream Orchestra
2018” concert by Joe Hisaishi, who has composed music for Ghibli works and numerous other movies and commercials,
with images of various Japan Cultural Expo projects.
9

Disseminating information about the Virtual Japan Cultural Expo via VTubers,YouTubers, and influencers
Information dissemination by VTubers

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo
Summary 2021

Special content by Vtubers was shown at the Virtual Japan Cultural Expo, and VTubers shared videos of their experience on
their own channels.
Information dissemination by YouTubers and influencers
In addition to introducing the Virtual Japan Cultural Expo to followers via YouTube and Instagram, influencers posted reportsof their experience on pages of the official Virtual Japan Cultural Expo website.

32

Verification Report on Holding the Japan Cultural Expo Summary 2021

10

1. RED U-35 (RYORININ’s EMERGING DREAM U-35) COMMITTEE
2. ©Tsubasa Fujikura 3. RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI fashion show
©Japan Fashion Week Organization 4. SDGs×ARTs Exhibition,
Tokyo University of the Arts 5. ©Taira Tairadate 6. Performance：
Nihon Buyo(traditional Japanese dance) “Matsu no Midori”Hanayagi
Mitsuakiko 7. ©VIRTUAL TGC 2022 8. &copy; Earth Celebration
Committee 9. Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, WORMHOLE, 2021, at “Gofor Kogei 2021” Photo by Masahiro Katano 10. Sanriku Arts
International Festival TRAVERSE: Masaru Tatsuki

March 31, 2022
Publisher:
Japan Cultural Expo Secretariat
Japan Arts Council
4-1 Hayabusa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8656
TEL: 81-3-3265-7411