芸術祭の補助金不交付＝「申請手続きに問題」－文化庁

　国際芸術祭「あいちトリエンナーレ２０１９」の企画展が中止された問題で、文化庁は２６日、芸術祭への補助金約７８００万円を交付しないと発表した。申請手続きに問題があったと判断し、同日付で補助金適正化法などに基づき全額不交付とすることを決定した。
　芸術祭では、企画展「表現の不自由展・その後」で従軍慰安婦を象徴する少女像などが展示されたことに批判や抗議が相次ぎ、企画展は３日で中止された。
　文化庁は不交付の理由として、申請者の愛知県が「展示会場の安全や事業の円滑な運営を脅かすような重大な事実」を認識しながら、問い合わせるまで申告せず、実現可能性や事業継続の見込みを同庁が適正に審査できなかったと指摘。「補助事業の申請手続き上、不適当な行為だった」と結論付けた。（2019/09/26-18:00）

Japan's Cultural Affairs Agency said Thursday it will not give a subsidy for the ongoing Aichi Triennale 2019 art festival, including a canceled exhibition featuring a statue symbolizing so-called comfort women.
   The agency decided not to grant any of the 78.2 million yen expected for the festival in the central Japan prefecture of Aichi, concluding there was a defect in the application process.
   The decision, effective the same day, is based mainly on a law on the normalization of grants, the agency said.
   The exhibition, "After 'Freedom of Expression?'" was closed two days after its Aug. 1 opening, following a storm of criticism and protests.
   Comfort women refer to those forced into prostitution for Japanese soldiers before and during World War II. This remains a sensitive issue between Japan and South Korea as the women included many Koreans.