Japan Press Weekly

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2023 September 20 - 26 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP Koike at social gathering with artists promises to work hard to raise cultural budgets

An organization of artists, consisting of 43 performance art groups such as orchestras and theater companies, on September 20 held a social gathering in Tokyo by inviting persons from various organizations and sectors of society. Japanese Communist Party Secretariate Head Koike Akira, JCP Vice Chair Yamashita Yoshiki, JCP member of the House of Councilors Kira Yoshiko, and JCP member of the House of Representatives Miyamoto Takeshi were among the guests.

Along with the JCP lawmakers, about 100 persons, including politicians and representatives of the affiliated performance art companies, were invited to the gathering.

The chairman of the performance artists' organization, Tsutsumi Tsuyoshi, one of Japan's leading cellists, delivered the opening address. He appreciated the effort the invitees have been making for the promotion of culture and the arts, and asked their continued cooperation so that artists are able to devote themselves to creative endeavors.

Kira in her speech said, "We are still in the COVID-19 situation. The number of people attending performances has not fully come back yet. We still hear the news about performance cancellations because of the detection of performers' COVID infection. I will work even harder in politics to further increase the budget for cultural affairs in order for more people to come and enjoy fine culture and the arts. I will continue making efforts to realize policies which protect the status, rights, and dignity of all the people involved in culture and the arts."

Koike pointed out that the budget for cultural affairs is not large in Japan in the first place, and said, "In a multi-partisan manner, the JCP will work for a substantial increase in the cultural budget."