Japan's Cultural Affairs Agency completes relocation to Kyoto

May 16 (The Japan News) - The Cultural Affairs Agency, which began moving the bulk of its divisions from Tokyo to Kyoto in March, completed the relocation as scheduled during the Golden Week holidays and began full-fledged operations on Monday.

The relocation was decided upon in March 2016 as part of a regional revitalization effort trumpeted during the second administration of then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Under the new system, five of the agency’s nine divisions, including those regarding cultural properties, were moved to Kyoto. About 390 agency officials now work in Kyoto, while about 200 remain in Tokyo.

It marks the first time since Meiji era (1868-1912) that a central government agency has been relocated outside the capital. ...continue reading

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