Painter Ikuo Hirayama and other prominent figures in the Japanese art world on Wednesday protested a proposal to integrate two national museums and a research institute on cultural assets because of financial difficulties.
The three institutions affected are the National Museum of Art, the Tokyo National Museum and the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
"These facilities are cultural symbols in any country and are the face of the country," said a written statement presented to Education, Culture Sports, Science and Technology Minister Kenji Kosaka and Cultural Affairs Agency Commissioner Hayao Kawai.
"If a reform is implemented just to seek profitability, (the nation's) attitude toward arts and culture will be called into question internationally," the statement said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.