In 2013, the governor of Osaka Prefecture was criticized for trying to cut funding for Bunraku groups, with some accusing him of not valuing traditional performing arts and culture. However, I agreed with his decision.
I grew up in a household where my grandmother and mother were teachers and performers of traditional Japanese music, such as koto and shamisen. Students would come to our house to learn these instruments, and as far as I know, we did not receive any grants or subsidies from the national, prefectural, or municipal governments. As was the case with my family, our business was based on students paying their own money for what they were interested in. As a result, when the economy was bad, the number of students decreased, and our family’s income also decreased. But we managed to get by.
I believe that for any art form to survive, even if it is only barely, it needs a certain level of popularity. If an art form cannot survive without subsidies, then it is probably not popular enough. And if an art form is not popular, doesn’t that mean that it is not needed by society? It seems strange to me that we would use the hard-earned tax money of everyone to support such a thing. I still feel the same way today.
