Cultural Affairs Agency Commissioner: Prioritize Support for Creators, Artists Regarding Music Awards Japan

By Aki Ikeuchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:10 JST, April 18, 2025

The Cultural Affairs Agency will take a cooperative role in staging Music Awards Japan.

“Allowing the country’s creators and artists to spread the wings of their talent is a very important job. I hope we can show them to the rest of the world from Kyoto,” the agency’s commissioner, Shunichi Tokura, said in an interview on March 18.

The awards include one for “Best Song Asia,” and music industry officials in other Asian countries are expected to be invited to the award ceremony.

“Looking at the economic growth situation, Asia is going to be a prime area sending out music [to the rest of the world],” Tokura said of his anticipation. He has high hopes for MAJ to lead to business opportunities as well.

The agency supports spreading Japanese culture and arts overseas. While anime and manga are already highly popular abroad, Tokura hopes to increase business opportunities for music, fine art, literature and other art forms. Tokura, who is also a composer, spoke of his own past experience of having difficulties staging a musical overseas.

“Giving support to creators and artists should be one of the Cultural Affairs Agency’s top priorities, along with duties such as the preservation of cultural assets,” he said emphatically.