On Sep. 25th, in Nikkei, Japan Economic Newspapers, an advertisement demanding the legislation of the 1% For Art program to the government has been carried.
The reason that The Japan Traffic Culture Association decided to put this advertisement is due to the adoption of a revised Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts in the Diet last June. The article 28, paragraph 2 of the Law mentioning that the government should make an effort to exhibit the artwork in the public buildings. That means the Law ask the government be committed actively to the promotion of the public art program.
Japan is behind of Europe and United States about to make the public space more artistic. In that sense, the revised Fundamental Law for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts is a big progress. But the problem is the financial resources.
As the resources, our Association thinks the 1% For Art program which was already put into practice in Europe, in United States and in Asia (South Korea and Taiwan) should be introduced in Japan as well. That is why we decided to place an advertisement.
The headline of the advertisement is “We Would Like To Make The Place Where People Gathered A Heart-Warming one ”. So far our Association created and installed 523 pieces of the public art in the railways stations, airports, schools and others all over Japan, and in the advertisement we indicate the location of each art on the map. Again why Japan needs the legislation of the 1% For Art program? The advertisement explains fully.