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Education and Culture in Toyama Prefecture
Respect for Higher Education/To be a Society for Continuous Learning/
A Stage on the World/Museums Lure People from All Over the Japan/
Traditional Art Forms Still Flourish
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Respect for Higher Education
In 1997, 98.8 per cent of Toyama middle-school students advanced to high school ranking No.1 in the nation. The ratio of students proceeding from high school to university or college is 46.0 per cent, placing the prefecture in 11th position nationwide.
Recently, policies have been implemented to improve the standards of higher education facilities. In 1986, National Takaoka Junior College opened its doors. In 1989, the Takaoka University of Legal Studies opened. In 1990, Toyama Prefectural Universities and Toyama International University admitted their first students. The prefecture is actively investing in the development of new educational facilities to meet the needs of the times.
To be a Society Where Education is a Continuous Process
Toyama Prefecture is aiming to create an open society in which all citizens of any age can have access to life-long education. In 1988, the Prefectural Life-long Education College opened its doors to allow "anybody, anytime, anywhere, to study whatever they want." The college offers more than 300 courses to meet the educational needs of Toyama citizens.
A Stage on the World
During the past ten years, Toyama has become the setting for new artistic and cultural movements. In July 1982, the First World Drama Festival in Toga was held in Toga Village, Gokayama, under the slogan: "The World in not just Japan. Japan in not just Tokyo. From here in Toga Village you are in contact with the World."
The initiative was taken by the Waseda Small Theater (now called Scot Company) led by Tadashi Suzuki, which invited avant-garde theater groups from all over the world to perform in settings such as Toga Mountain Cottage--made by converting a traditional gassho-zukuri-style house--and on a Greek-style open-air stage.
Since then, the Toga Festival has developed into a major annual event supported by the whole village. Every summer, this village of little more than 1,000 people turns into a mecca for more than 10,000 theater enthusiasts from around the world.
The Tateyama MuseumMuseums Lure People from All Over the Japan
The Toyama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art was opened in 1981. Visitors can admire a wide variety of 20th-century art, from the works of artists such as Lautrec ad Picasso, through pop art. The museum boasts the finest collection of woodblock prints by the French religious artist Georges Rouault.
In 1991, the Tateyama Museum is opened at Syomyoji, Tateyama Town , in the outskirts of Mt. Tateyama. It features various exhibits about wonderful nature of Mt. Tateyama, mountainous religion of the people, "Tetayma Mandara. "
Traditional Art Forms, Shaped by the Local Environment, Still Flourish
Although the traditional art forms of Toyama have their own distinctive character, they are also undergoing innovation.
Takaoka copperware is a refined art form with a history dating back 380 years. It has been designated a National Traditional Art Form by the Japanese Government. Superb casting techniques are used t fashion a wide range of different objects, including temple bells, bronze statues, vases, implements used in the tea ceremony, Buddhist altar fittings, and ornaments of many kinds. In recent years, younger heirs to the tradition have displayed great enthusiasm in developing new and innovative designs.
Other arts designated as National Traditional Art Forms or National Artistic Materials are Takaoka lacquerware, Inami wood carving, Shogawa grained wood used in turnery, and Etchu washi (traditional paper making.) Each is testimony to the attention to detail and the craftsmanship of the people of Etchu.
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