Promotional Council for Karuizawa, International City of Arts and Culture (KIAC)

Karuizawa is the second largest tourist city after Kyoto, with 800 million visitors per year. It is said that when the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Nagano Shinkansen) opens from Toyama to the Kansai region next year, Karuizawa will surpass Kyoto in number of tourists to become the number one city in Japan.

The purpose of the Karuizawa International Friendship, Culture and Tourism City Construction Act, enacted on August 26, 8, is stated in Article 15 as follows:
"In light of the fact that Karuizawa Town possesses a rare beauty of highlands, is an excellent resort town, and has a historical track record of contributing to international friendship, this law aims to promote international friendship and international cultural exchange to contribute to the achievement of the ideal of lasting world peace, while also developing and improving cultural and tourist facilities to attract foreign visitors and contribute to Japan's economic recovery, by establishing the town as a city of international friendship, culture, and tourism." Since then, more than half a century has passed, and Japan has recovered to become one of the world's leading economic powers. I believe that Japan in the 21st century is in a position to lead the world in the areas of art and culture as well.

This council was newly established with the goal of attracting art museums and other cultural facilities to Karuizawa, attracting audiences not only from Japan but also from Asia, Europe and the United States, and developing Karuizawa into an arts and culture city worthy of the name of international friendship.