Data

Financial Cooperation from the Private Sector

The Japan Foundation’s international cultural exchange programs are made possible thanks to generous financial contributions from a wide range of private-sector entities, including companies, organizations and individuals. The donation system and other aspects of private funding for FY2021 are explained below, along with a list of donors and programs supported with their funding.

1. Types of Financial Cooperation

(1) General Donations

General donations are used to fund the Japan Foundation’s international cultural exchange programs.

1. General Donations System

General donations are received from companies, organizations and individuals. The amount and timing of the donation are up to the donor. Donors in FY2021 are listed on the following page under Donors for Program Expenses and Private Endowment Providers.

• Donations for program expenses
  These donations fund the Japan Foundation’s programs conducted in the same fiscal year as the donation. The donor can request the donation to be used for a specific project during the fiscal year.
• Donations for operational funds (private endowments)
  These donations are deposited to the Japan Foundation’s funds, and the accrued interest is used for program expenses in perpetuity. The FY2021 implementation of special programs established and named at the request of the benefactors in the past is outlined on the next page under Programs Supported by Private Endowments..

2. Corporate Membership System (Supporting members)

Fixed donations are received from companies and organizations as annual membership dues. They are used to fund programs conducted in the same fiscal year. Donations are made in units of 100,000 JPY. General Members donate 100,000 JPY to 400,000 JPY, and Special Members donate 500,000 JPY or more annually. Membership benefits include invitations to various events of the Japan Foundation and a copy of The Japan Foundation Annual Report. Corporate members for FY2021 are listed on the next page under Corporate Members.

(2) Designated Donations

Financial contributions from individuals and corporations in Japan to support international cultural exchange programs in Japan and overseas are received by the Japan Foundation as donations to be used as a subsidy for applicable cultural exchange projects. This system makes donors eligible for tax benefits for their donations.
Applicable programs are international cultural exchange activities such as personnel exchanges, overseas Japanese studies and Japanese language education programs, performances, exhibitions and seminars. Designated donations are reviewed by a screening committee of outside experts to decide whether to accept the donation. Programs funded by designated donations in FY2021 are listed on the next page under Programs Supported by Designated Donations.

(3) Other Types of Private Financial Support

Besides donations, the Japan Foundation receives private-sector financial support in various forms such as cooperation funds and grants. Examples of such support in FY2021 are listed on the next page under Primary Examples of Non-Donation Financial Support.

2. Tax Benefits for Donations

The Japan Foundation is a “Designated Public Benefit Organization” in accordance with Article 77 of the Order for Enforcement of the Corporation Tax Act and Article 217 of the Order for Enforcement of the Income Tax Act. This makes Japan-based donations to the Japan Foundation eligible for the following tax benefits.

(1) For Corporations

The total donation amount to Designated Public Benefit Organization or the maximum deductible donation amount to Designated Public Benefit Organization, whichever is smaller, is treated as a loss.
NB 1: If the total donation amount to Designated Public Benefit Organization is larger, the amount not treated as a loss (the amount exceeding the maximum deductible amount of donation to Designated Public Benefit Organizations) is included in the amount of normal donations. The maximum deductible amount of a donation is calculated as follows:

• Donations to Designated Public Benefit Organizations
  (Maximum Deductible Donation Amount)
  (Amount of capital x Number of months for the period/12 x 0.375% + Amount of income x 6.25%) x 1/2
• Normal donations
  (Amount of capital x Number of months for the period/12 x 0.25% + Amount of income x 2.5%) x 1/4

(2) For Individuals

The total donation amount minus 2,000 JPY (up to 40% of the gross income) is deductible from income. Donations of inherited assets are also eligible for beneficial taxation treatment.

3. Donations Received in FY2021

NB 2: From the designated donations received, 162,950,782 JPY plus the 18,557,532 JPY carried over from FY2020 were given as subsidies to eleven programs (see Programs Supported by Designated Donations on the next page). The remaining 9,393,966 JPY of the designated donations will be provided as subsidies to three programs in FY2022.

NB 3: From the establishment of the Japan Foundation in 1972 to the end of FY2021, the cumulative amount of general donations it has received was approximately 3,095,570,000 JPY and the cumulative amount of designated donations received was approximately 71,821,710,000 JPY.

NB 4: A total of approximately 32,000,000 JPY of non-donations was received from the private sector in FY2021 as financial cooperation (cooperation funds, grants, etc.)

List of Donors, Contributors and Supported Programs in FY2021

Donors for Program Expenses
(Listed in random order. Programs applicable for contributions in parentheses)

• Sun Investment Inc. (Japanese-language speech contest for foreign nationals)
• FJC Inc., YOSHIDA Norihiro and 3 other individuals (General project expenses)

Private Endowment Providers

• MASUI Yoshihiro and 2 other individuals

Programs Supported by Private Endowments(Listed in random order)
(Special programs established and named at the request of the benefactor)

• Takasago Thermal Engineering Japanese Studies Fellowship
  The benefactor is Takasago Thermal Engineering Co., Ltd.
• WATANABE Ken Japanese Studies Fellowship
  The benefactor is WATANABE Yukinobu, the father of Foreign Ministry worker WATANABE Ken who died in a traffic accident while training in the U.S.

Corporate Members(As of end FY2021, in Japanese syllabary order)

(1) Special Members

SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.; Mizuho Bank, Ltd.; Shochiku Co., Ltd.; MUFG Bank, Ltd.

(2) General Members

Asuka Foundation; Ikenobo Society of Floral Art; Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.; NHK International, Inc.; Katolec Corp.; Kodansha Ltd.; Kodokan Judo Institute; Komazawa University; Urasenke Konnichian Foundation; Shiseido Co., Ltd.; Shorinji Kempo Organization; All Japan Kendo Federation; Daiichi Seiwa Jimusho Co., Ltd.; Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd.; Tokyo Business Service Co., Ltd; Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc.; Nippon Origami Association; Japan International Cooperation Center; Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.; Hitachi, Ltd.; FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.; Bonjinsha Inc.; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp.; Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd.; Mori Building Co., Ltd. and one other corporate member

Programs Supported by Designated Donations(Country of program implementation in parentheses. Listed in random order)

• Asian University for Women Scholarship Program (Bangladesh)
• CWAJ Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program for Women (Japan and U.S.)
• Mikasanomiya Foundation Fundraising Activities (Turkey)
• United States-Japan Bridging Foundation Fellowship Program (U.S.)
• Tsinghua University Research Center for Japanese Studies (China)
• LSH Asia Scholarship(Japan)
• Balkan Chamber Orchestra 2021 (Japan)
• Music from Japan 47th Anniversary Festival Artist Residence (U.S.)
• The 4th World Festival of Children’s Performing Arts in Toyama (Japan)
• The Mahabharata - Chapter of Desire/Chapter of Tempest (Japan)
• International Graduate Students Exchange Programs of Nagoya Ryugakusei Net (Japan)

Primary Examples of Non-Donation Financial Support(Listed in random order)

• Ishibashi Foundation Donations and grants for the Fellowship for Research on Japanese Art Program, donations and grants for the Japan Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia
• Shoyu Club Provision of Japanese-language educational materials and equipment to Hue University College of Foreign Languages, The University of Danang - University of Foreign Language Studies, Ha Long University and Lac Hong University
• Inoue Yasushi memorial cultural foundation Co-sponsorship for the 5th Inoue Yasushi Awards