1. Background to its establishment and placing of a signboard

In July 2022, young volunteer METI staff members launched a Project for Videos, Culture Art from Hamadoori in Fukushima. They have been promoting efforts to create attractive communities through videos, Culture Art in collaboration with local people.

As they started more full-fledged activities from FY2023 and will begin supporting artists in residence and creating and convening events related to films and music as a budgeted project, METI decided to establish the Fukushima Culture Art Promotion Office in order to systematically promote these efforts.

In the morning of June 16, 2023, Mr. Nishimura Yasutoshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the young team members put up a signboard for the new office in front of the office for the Fukushima Reconstruction Promotion Group of the Minister’s Secretariat.

The text on the signboard was directly written by Minister Nishimura. After placing the signboard, the minister gave encouragement to the young team members.

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2. Minister Nishimura’s comments on the establishment of the Fukushima Culture Art Promotion Office (his statements during the press conference after the Cabinet Meeting on June 16)

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has made various efforts to promote the reconstruction of Fukushima. In particular, we offered subsidies to invite companies to the disaster-affected areas. We invited over 400 companies and created jobs for over 4,500 people. Additionally, we supported the resumption of business for approximately 2,700 companies.

Now we have decided to accelerate initiatives for creating attractive communities through the power of Culture Art, in addition to offering aid to invite companies and help people reconstruct their lives. Last year, local students made a film in Futaba-machi. We would like to support activities like these by young people and their zeal to create the future of Fukushima.

Volunteers in the ministry, especially young staff members, are playing the central role in this office's activities. They normally perform their own duties in different departments in the ministry but voluntarily participate in the activities as a side project out of the shared belief of the importance of reconstructing Fukushima.

The office members include many who joined the ministry after the Great East Japan Earthquake. We expect they will create heartwarming videos, Culture Art originating in Hamadoori in Fukushima with their new ideas and develop new attractions of Fukushima. We hope such activities will encourage many people to visit Fukushima and many former residents to return. We would like to make all-out efforts extending across generations for the reconstruction of Fukushima.

Division in Charge

Fukushima Culture Art Promotion Office, Fukushima Reconstruction Promotion Group, Minister’s Secretariat