In a recent article in The Japan Times, former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa dealt with a topic rather unusual for a politician: the importance of culture and the awareness of it in post-1970s Japan. I endorse his view wholeheartedly. A few years ago I wrote similar thoughts in one of the first articles in the series celebrat ing the 100 years of The Japan Times. Its title, "Tradition continues amid today's change," reflected my hope that a country with such a rich cultural heritage would strike the right balance in an era of all-out consumerism, and draw a new dynamism from its traditional roots.

Hosokawa rightly emphasizes the positive trend in various prefectures in Japan that are promoting local cultural activities. In my years as ambassador here, I had the opportunity to cross Japan's rural areas during my visits to "shimai-toshi" (sister cities) connected with Greece. During those trips, I was always met with requests to help local authorities sponsor cultural events from abroad. (Incidentally, this led to the creation of "CAC 21," or Culture Exchange Association Center 21, an independent organization that aims at coordinating and sponsoring cultural events from all over the world, in the prefectures of Japan and independent of parallel national governmental undertakings.)

The warmth and spontaneity of the local audiences as well as the dedication of those officials are admirable. Among many such endeavors, the yearly "Shizuoka Forum," inspired by the prefecture's dynamic governor, Yoshinobu Ishikawa, could be singled out as an outstanding example, involving not only scholars and panelists, but local audiences too.