Strategies for Cultural Economic Development in Kamakura: Managing Digital Contents and Cultural Assets

Abstract

Over recent years, the circumstances surrounding regional cultural assets have been significantly changed. A series of IT promotion projects implemented by the national government since the early 2000s have intensified regional initiatives in managing digital contents of cultural assets. Behind this, there has been a growing expectation toward regional development through wide dissemination and proactive use of cultural information resources. In reality, though, many challenges still remain to become a driving force of regional economy. This means, in practice, a more strategic approach should be taken in the management of human, financial, and information resources. Using Kamakura as a case-study, we present an integrated model that develops underlying value of cultural assets into regional economic strength.