Mécénat in Japan

From the results of "Investigation Survey of Mécénat Activities in Japan"

Kigyo Mécénat Kyogikai (KMK: Association for Corporate Support of the Arts) has been working to grasp the trends and understand the situations of Mécénat in Japan. 

KMK has conducted a survey research of Japanese corporations. The survey research is conducted annually, and the questionnaires are distributed to over 4000 compamies in Japan. The companies include all listed companies, top 300 of non-listed companies and member corporations of KMK.
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The results and major findings are available in press releases.

Meeting the Expectations of Society and Firmly Adhering to the Continuation of Mécénat

[Summary of the survey]
In April 2009, KMK, The Association for Corporate Support of the Arts, Japan, President: Shigeo Fukuchi) conducted a survey of a total of 4,384 companies, including all listed companies (including over-the-counter trading businesses), top 300 non-listed companies and member companies of KMK on their mécénat (arts support) activities during fiscal 2008. The questionnaires were distributed via mail. Valid results were obtained from 636 companies, and the ratio of respondents was 14.5%.

< Solid Showing for Mécénat Backed by Maturation of Initiative Structures >
The number of companies that responded that they implemented mécénat (corporate support of the arts) activities in fiscal 2008 was 464 (73.0%), with the total number of activities coming to 2,822 for an average of 6.1 activities per company.
Responses regarding the sum total of expenses for mécénat activities were received from 408 companies. The total for this came to 25,816,330,000 yen, with the average sum total of expenses for mécénat activities per company coming to 63.27 million yen and 8.78 million yen as the median. There were no significant changes in the numbers relative to the survey from the previous fiscal year, and despite going through the global financial crisis from the fall of last year, its impact has not been observed statistically at this point in time.
The fact that the number of companies budgeting mécénat activities exceeds 80% is also thought to be a reason that there have been no significant changes in the activity expenses.

Moreover, in the current survey we inquired into opinions and requests concerning artists, art NPOs, and other partners in mécénat activities. Descriptions and replies were received that included feelings that partnerships were maturing, as well as anticipation for activities that capitalize on one another’s areas of expertise. From this it appears that relations on the part of cooperative partners are deepening. 
Including responses to the effect that independent projects are on an increasing trend in terms of the methods for mécénat activities suggests an attitude whereby companies are firmly adhering to mecenat with a more voluntary inclination.

<The Trust and Expectations of Society Are the Key to Continuing Mécénat>
Regarding questions of current issues for this fiscal year, we inquired into "Issues that you feel are challenges in continuing with your current mécénat activities" and "Reasons for carrying out mécénat activities in the future" in order to gauge perceptions of continuing with mécénat. 
The most common response regarding challenges was "It is hard to evaluate mécénat activities and difficult to draw attention to their results" (46.3%), followed by "We are moving in the direction of reassessing or curtailing mécénat activities due to the deterioration of economic conditions" (40.1%).
When it comes to evaluations of mécénat activities, the number of companies that emphasize their "social significance" and that are cognizant of "internal evaluations" are increasing. From this it can be seen that how the significance of activities is expressed internally and externally and how understanding is obtained are important points.

Conversely, in terms of reasons for continuing on with mécénat, the response "Because the activities are firmly established and there are expectations that they will be continued" was raised 70.0% of the time. 
Even for "Benefits your company has acquired from mécénat activities, " which we have been inquiring into since fiscal 2004, the response "Deeper relations with the region" was the largest it has been in the past several years, with the response "Employees have come to take pride in our company" continuing to increase. 
These responses suggest that mécénat activities have a positive impact on relations between various different stakeholders, such as the regional community and employees, which in turn serves as a driving force in carrying on with mecenat. 



*On October 30 2009, the summary of the survey results was published as the “Mécénat Report 2009” and the individual activities can be accessed at “Mécénavi”www.mecenavi.info (Japanese only).