Taneo Kato
Executive Director, KMK

Since being appointed Section Director of the Asahi Breweries Ltd. Corporate Cultural Activities Department in 1990, Kato has been involved in all of the company’s cultural activities, and has continued to be a leader in wide-ranging corporate support for the arts. Kato became Director at the Association for Corporate Support for the Arts (KMK) in 2010 and has held the Executive Director position since 2012. He also contributes as advisor and board member for a number of non-profit art organisations, charities, corporations and government agencies.

Yasuko Ogiwara
Executive Secretary, KMK

Ogiwara has served at the Association for Corporate Support of the Arts since 2011, eventually rising up to her current rank as executive secretary in 2011. Throughout her tenure, she has taken charge of the Mécénat Awards, published the Mécénat Note’ bulletin, hosted seminars and coordinated an art exhibition series by the Asahi Group Arts Foundation. She also had a significant hand in the establishment of GBFund (The Great East Japan Earthquake Restoration Fund for the recovery of arts and culture).

Prior to joining the KMK, the Musashino Art University graduate was involved in the management and study of multiple Artists in Residence programmes and was a member of the Culture Promotion Department at INAX. Since 1996, Ogiwara has managed multiple art exhibitions and helped realise the construction of an art museum.

Association for Corporate Support of the Arts
Kigyo Mécénat Kyogikai

The Association for Corporate Support of the Arts or KMK was established on February 14, 1990 by private entities as Japan’s first non-profit organisation that aims promote corporate mécénat (support of the arts and culture). As of May 2013, the association has 130 full members and 36 associate members, including some of Japan’s leading corporations. Associate members comprise the arts foundations of companies and local governments, as well as diverse Chambers of Commerce and business networks.

KMK advocates the principle that corporations should support the arts independently and under their own initiative. It aims to create a cultural infrastructure for the encouragement and development of business and arts alliances by organising a variety of programmes that connects artistic and cultural communities to the commercial sector.

In addition, KMK undertakes efforts to promote and heighten public awareness of its mission, including lobbying for tax reform vis-a-vis corporate support of the arts. In 1994, it was granted the status of “Specific Public Interest Promoting Corporation” by the Agency of Cultural Affairs. Under this status, KMK initiated the Arts Project Assistance Approval Programme that provides corporations based in Japan with tax-deductible advantages upon supporting arts projects.

KMK continues to raise awareness of corporate arts support, building a cultural infrastructure for the encouragement and development of business and arts partnership.