Cultural policy and private initiative: The performing arts at the Japan Society, New York

Since its establishment in 1907, the Japan Society, New York, has developed into one of the most influential cultural organizations in the world in the areas of Japanese drama, dance, and music. The influential position that the Society has attained in the performing arts is built on a set of strategic relationships in five sectors: creative personnel; academic-as well as non-academic-specialists in the performing arts and Japanese culture; arts administrators; funding agencies; and individual audience members represented by the newly-formed "Friends of the Performing Arts." Once an exponent of the "traditional"-equal-"authentic" model of Japanese culture, the Japan Society now takes the lead in presenting innovative and experimental work that forthrightly addresses issues of culture, society, and history.