� 2 Endeavors for the Promotion of Culture - Past and Future
2. Establishment of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Enhancement of Cultural Policy
For the purposes of promoting cultural policy to transmit traditional culture and create new culture in a systematic manner, on June 15. 1968, the Culture Bureau, an internal organ of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Commission for the Protection of Cultural Properties, which had been an external organ of the Ministry were integrated into one external organ, called the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Concrete directions to be taken by the Agency for the promotion of cultural policies have been discussed by the Central Council for Education and in other various advisory committees. Major reports on this topic included the Central Council for Education's May 1974 report "International Exchange in Education, Science and Culture", a March 1977 report of the Consultation Meeting on Long-term Synthetic Plan about Cultural Policy. The Central Council for Education' s June 1979 report "Community and Culture" and a May 1989 report from the Advisory Group on International Cultural Exchange, which was part of a formal series of Consultation Meetings organized by the Prime Minister. Each of these respective reports discussed problems involved in the promotion of culture and proposed new solutions. Many measures and programs were advanced on the basis of these proposals, such as : 1)assistance to and encouragement of artistic and cultural activities, 2)expansion of opportunities for public cultural activities, 3) advancement of policies that deal with the areas of Japanese language, copyright and religion, 4) the preservation and utilization of cultural properties and 05 promotion of international cultural exchange and cooperation. All of these measures have been enriched and expanded upon year by year.
