The Japan Cultural Agency moved its headquarters from Tokyo to Kyoto on March 27, Kyodo News reported.
It should be noted that the office in western Japan became the first public body located outside the country’s capital. This is supposed to stabilize the development of the country’s regions.
Kyoto is considered the famous ancient capital of Japan, as it retains much of the country’s traditional aesthetic. The relocated agency intends to focus on spreading Japanese culture from Kyoto.
“I want employees in Kyoto to be flexible and make the most of virtual work opportunities as part of the government’s push for administrative reform”— said the current prime minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, speaking as part of a video conference.
The new office will open on May 15. It will employ around 70 people, including commissioner Sunichi Tokuru. It is assumed that about 70% of the employees in this department will work from Kyoto.
The office is located near the local imperial palace. Five of the agency’s nine departments are stationed on it. In particular, there is a structure in charge of world heritage sites and national treasures.
It was assumed that the department dealing with the affairs of religious organizations would also move to the new office. However, its employees will remain in Tokyo until the matter of the so-called “Unification Church”, whose scandal has been going on since the summer of 2022, is resolved.
The divisions responsible for copyright and language issues will also remain in Tokyo. The vacated premises will be used for meetings, including by representatives of other ministries.
To maintain contact with employees from other departments, agency employees will use laptops with special applications. However, to keep abreast of parliamentary business, officials will need to make some 1,400 round trips to the capital each year.
It is noted that department employees believe that despite the quality of virtual communication technologies, a number of sensitive issues are best discussed in person.
The Japanese government made the decision to move in 2016. It was supposed to take place in fiscal year 2021, however due to construction delays the move had to be postponed.
As part of the 2014 Regional Development Program, the Government of Japan transferred various departments from the Consumer Affairs Agency and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. So far, the departments have not opened their headquarters outside of Tokyo.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.