Taiwan has opened the Taipei Cultural Center at its representative office in Tokyo with the aim of promoting cultural exchanges with Japan, including a plan for an exhibition of artwork from the massive collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
Tokyo and Taipei have agreed to hold the National Palace exhibition at an early date. However, Taiwan is concerned that China could seek to seize exhibits in the absence of a law in Japan to guarantee protection of artifacts and artwork on loan from overseas museums, according to sources familiar with Japan-Taiwan relations.
At the ceremony to inaugurate the center Wednesday, Takeo Hiranuma, chairman of a Japan-Taiwan lawmakers' conference and leader of Tachiagare Nippon (Sunrise Party of Japan), unveiled his plan to introduce legislation next month to ensure arrangements for loaning artwork from overseas.
The center at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Minato Ward is the first in Asia.