Jul 30 (NHK) - A task force of the main governing Liberal Democratic Party has proposed collecting admission fees at Imperial facilities to raise funds for their maintenance as tourist attractions.
Sites such as the Imperial palaces in Tokyo and Kyoto and the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto do not charge admission fees.
The task force said these sites play a valuable role in passing on Japanese culture and traditions to future generations. But it also said that some of them are in poor condition.
It also proposes transferring management responsibilities for them from the Imperial Household Agency to the Cultural Affairs Agency to ensure their role as tourist attractions.