May 20 2020

The Japan Foundation, in its desire to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19, has since mid-March suspended many programs around the world that entail international travel or large gatherings of people. We recognize that the postponement or cancellation of diverse projects in the arts, culture, Japanese language education, Japanese studies, intellectual exchange, and other fields imposes an enormous impact on the activities of those who engage in international exchange in Japan and other parts of the world. At the same time, we are extremely concerned that this situation may give rise to a cultural crisis in the form of a protracted disruption of international cultural exchange.

As part of our response to this challenge, the Japan Foundation Asia Center has launched the Grant Program for Enhancing People-to-People Exchange (Special Program in response to COVID-19). This new grant program partially covers the expenses of organizations in Japan that develop and carry out innovative projects for exchange with other countries and areas of Asia, mainly the ASEAN countries.

The program is aimed at facilitating exchange and collaboration among people in Japan and other parts of Asia in ways that enhance their understanding of one another and foster empathy and a desire for peaceful coexistence as regional neighbors. At a time when many international cultural exchange programs are severely restricted, the Japan Foundation remains firmly committed to sustaining and growing opportunities for exchange among the people of Asia by supporting online projects and other program that do not entail international travel.

Related Materials

• ［Announcement］Special program launched for cultural exchange during COVID-19 pandemic Aiming to sustain and grow people-to-people exchange between Japan and Southeast Asia (PDF:689KB)

Contact

Press Inquiries
Kumakura (Ms.), Harada (Ms.), Communication Center, The Japan Foundation
Tel: +81-(0)3-5369-6075 / Fax: +81-(0)3-5369-6044
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