News March 2003

[ New Research Projects ]

"A Study on Methods for Promoting International Exchange Activities - Centering on Cultural Exchange"

A wide variety of organizations are involved in international exchange activities, with the main participants being NGOs/NPOs and public entities, including public interest corporations.

This research project will conduct a survey of the status of the programs classified as international cultural exchange conducted by these organizations. The survey results will be analyzed to enable consideration of the measures that should be implemented at the governmental level to promote such exchanges, the role of administrative services in cultural activity, the fields that should be supported by public interest corporations, and potential measures to increase the synergy effect between the government and public interest corporations. The project will ultimately formulate proposals concerning measures to foster, promote, and support international exchange activities in Japan in the future.

In addition to conducting a traditional quantitative evaluation, this project will explore other methods for the appropriate evaluation of activities that contribute to genuine exchange.

[ Completed Research Projects ]

"Research on the Role of New Social Actors and Japanese-Type Social Governance in a Decentralized Society"

The progress of globalization since the collapse of the Cold War structure in the late twentieth century has engendered a growing necessity to reform the systems that have acted as the underpinnings of Japanese society to the present. This project took Europe as an advanced case of active reform of social systems. In Europe, in parallel with the formation of the EU, there has been a progressive decentralization of power (from central to local governments) at the national level. Special functions have been allocated to the "third sector," made up of non-governmental civic organizations (including NPO) and communities, and a system of joint governance with this sector is being promoted.

In Japan, by contrast, "government failure" and "market failure" have led to a stagnant political and economic situation and a decline in social vigor, a situation which has continued from the "lost decade" to the present. The current political and economic systems make it difficult for the nation to deal with changes such as the advance of globalization, the aging of the population, and the diversification of values.

This research project proposed a solution to these issues through the establishment of social governance. Specifically, this refers to the realization of a "cooperative society" in which the third sector plays a well-defined social role.

This project also studied specific factors that are necessary to realizing a "public" in which the "people" take the lead, such as the establishment of "neighborhood government," and the provision of multi-dimensional public services using the concept of "social economy" that is flourishing in Europe. The results of this project are expected to contribute to the solution of various political and economic problems and to the development of an independent civic society.

[ Introduction of a New Visiting Research Fellow ]

Mr. Ogura held prominent positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Director-General of the Cultural Affairs Department, Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to South Korea, and Ambassador to France, until his retirement from the Ministry in the autumn of 2002.

In addition to his concern with international economic relations, Mr. Ogura has been actively involved in various forms of international cultural administration. During his terms as Ambassador to South Korea and France, nations which have highly significant cultural exchange relationships with Japan, he stressed the importance of culture in international relations.

Mr. Ogura will offer guidance to a NIRA research project on cultural exchanges. This project will examine the desirable future direction for cultural administration and international cultural exchanges, and attempt to propose practical measures to be employed by cultural exchange organizations, including NGOs and NPOs in their capability of effectively promoting cultural activity in Japan, to enable them to play an even more active role.

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