ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on cultural policy development at municipal and national levels within Japan and the rise of the creative industries. During the Meiji period, Japanese society went through an intense process of modernization. These fundamental changes affected the country’s political, education, economic, and military structures and had a lasting impact on Japan’s cultural activities. Japan’s great tradition of craftsmanship in the areas of furniture, ceramics, and fashion generated international demand, and exotic and high-quality goods were exported to Europe and North America. The chapter presents a foray into Japan’s cultural policies and industries during World War II and post-war developments until the late 1980s. The collapse of Japan’s bubble economy in the late 1980s had a significant effect on the national cultural policy agenda and severely impacted the cultural and arts economy. Japan’s industry that had traditionally focused on its domestic market needed to develop both a more international disposition and new industries that could drive future economic development.
