EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE

Q.

It seems to me that too much is made about the economic aspects of Japan-US relations and that we ought to make the most of cultural exchange to improve mutual understanding among the people of both countries. Are there any organizaion in Japan that promote this sort of exchange?

A.

1.Yes there is. The Japan Foundation was founded in 1972 for the purpose of promoting international cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. It provides support for exchange between people and communities, for Japanese studies and Japanese language studies, and for exchanges in the arts.

2.The Japan Foundation sponsors its own cultural exchange activities and may also, upon request, provide active support, including financial support, for the cultural exchange activities of other organizations and individuals.

3.There are several programs that the Japan Foundation offers. Its main activities in the United States are fellowships for the support of Japanese studies, assistance for exchanges of artists, and assistance for Japanese language education. (A list of Japan Foundation programs for the United States has been attached.)

4.The Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership was set up in 1991 for the purpose of promoting cooperation and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States from a more global perspective. Its main focuses are intellectual and grass-roots exchanges and it sponsors and subsidizes a wide range of programs to that end.

5.For further information, contact the Japan Foundation's office in New York (152 West 57th Street, 39th Floor, New York, NY 10019; Tel (212) 489-0299; Fax (212) 489-0409) or Los Angeles (The Water Garden, 2425 W. Olympic Blvd. Suite 650 E, Santa Monica, CA 90404-4034; Tel (310) 449-0027; Fax (310) 449-1127). Note that the Los Angeles office also has a Japanese Language Center to promote Japanese language instruction.