Evaluating culture and arts from an economic point of view : calculation of the cultural GDP of Kyoto Prefecture in 2015

This paper aims to evaluate the culture and arts of Kyoto Prefecture through the calculation of its cultural GDP in 2015. The method for calculating the cultural GDP in Japan is mainly based on the criterion of the UNESCO Culture Satellite Account (CSA). Results reveal that the ratio of the cultural GDP to the total GDP in Kyoto Prefecture (about 2.0%) is slightly higher than that of the whole country in Japan (about 1.8%) and each domain shows different characteristics from the national situation. Considering the growth strategies of cultural industries formulated by Japanese government, Kyoto Prefecture should focus on developing its competitive tertiary industry and vigorously promote its cultural industries as well as activate the development of the traditional culture.