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 FY2023 are explained below, along with a list of donors and programs supported by 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 FY2023 are listed below 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.
  • These donations are deposited to the Japan Foundation’s funds, and the accrued interest is used for program expenses in perpetuity. The FY2023 implementation of special programs established and named at the request of the benefactors in the past is outlined below 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 FY2023 are listed below 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 FY2023 are listed below 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 FY2023 are listed below 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 the Designated Public Benefit Organization or the maximum deductible donation amount to the Designated Public Benefit Organization, whichever is smaller, is treated as a loss.

  1. 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 × Number of months for the period/12 × 0.375% + Amount of income × 6.25%) × 1/2
  • Normal donations
    (Amount of capital × Number of months for the period/12 × 0.25% + Amount of income × 2.5%) × 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 FY2023

Number Amount (JPY)
General donations 52 163,406,000
Supporting members 27 5,400,000
Donations for program expenses 25 163,006,000
Private endowments 0 0
Designated donations 16 356,583,923 (NB2)
  1. NB 2:From the designated donations received, 393,842,307 JPY (including 58,091,284 JPY carried over from FY2022) were given as subsidies to 13 programs (see Programs Supported by Designated Donations below). The remaining 20,832,900 JPY of the designated donations will be provided as subsidies to six programs in FY2024.
  2. NB 3:From the establishment of the Japan Foundation in 1972 to the end of FY2023, the cumulative amount of general donations it has received was approximately 3,273,670,000 JPY and the cumulative amount of designated donations received was approximately 72,421,660,000 JPY.
  3. NB 4:A total of approximately 100,000,000 JPY of non-donations was received from the private sector in FY2023 as financial cooperation (cooperation funds, grants, etc.)

List of Donors, Contributors, and Supported Programs in FY2023

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

  • YANAI Tadashi (Japanese humanities research at UCLA led by Professor Michael EMMERICH)
  • OBAYSHI Takeo, Minamigata Holdings Ltd., ARFLEX JAPAN LTD., regist ART Inc., and four other corporations and 14 individuals (60th International Art Exhibition La Biennale de Venezia)
  • KUME Makoto, NAKAYAMA Hironori (General project expenses)

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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs official WATANABE Ken, who passed away in an accident during training in the U.S.)

Corporate Members (As of end FY2023, in Japanese syllabary order)

(1) Special Members

SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. / Shochiku Co., Ltd. / Mizuho Bank, Ltd.

(2) General Members

Asuka Foundation / Ikenobo Society of Floral Art / Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. / NHK Foundation / Katolec Corp. / Kodansha Ltd. / Kodokan Judo Institute / Urasenke 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. / 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)
  • Mikasanomiya Foundation Support Program (Turkey)
  • CWAJ Cultural Exchange Scholarship Program for Women (Japan and other countries/regions)
  • LSH Asia Scholarship (Japan)
  • 27th Honolulu Festival (U.S.)
  • MOGU Picture Book Project (Vietnam)
  • Inami International Wooden Sculpture Camp in Nanto City 2023 (Japan)
  • Balkan Chamber Orchestra World Peace Concert 2023 (Japan)
  • Music from Japan 2024 Festival Artist Residence (U.S.)
  • JACSO overseas performance project 2024 (Italy)
  • Shitennoji Wasso (Japan)
  • Japan–Korea Festival 2023 in Tokyo (Japan)
  • Japan Institute: Premier Art Studio and Theater (U.S.)

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

  • Support for implementation of projects by the Amicale au Japon pour la Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris (70 member companies as of the end of FY2023)
  • Ishibashi Foundation, donations and grants for the Fellowship for Research on Japanese Art Program, The Ishibashi Foundation / The Japan Foundation Art Curatorial Exchange Program, and the Japan Pavilion at the international art exhibition La Biennale di Venezia
  • The Obayashi Foundation, support for the Japan Pavilion at the international art exhibition La Biennale di Venezia
  • Takenaka Corporation, Voce, Taihei Building Service Corporation, co-sponsorship of the Japan Pavilion at the international architecture exhibition La Biennale di Venezia
  • CoMix Wave Films Inc., co-sponsorship of Japanese Film Festival in India programs
  • Shoyu Club, provision of visiting Japan for PhD program, Graduate School of Japanese Studies, Thammasat University
  • The Kamenori Foundation, co-sponsorship for programs related to the Japanese Speakers’ Forum, and others

Back to the Annual Report 2023‒2024 Contents page

About Us