Kabuki actor Danjuro Ichikawa has called for a review of the government's plan to cut funds for cultural and artistic projects in the fiscal 2010 budget.

A government cost-cutting panel had earlier decided that the allocation of funds for workshop programs that introduce performing arts to elementary and junior high school students should be downsized.

Ichikawa claimed that the decision should be reviewed because "the screening was conducted based solely on economic efficiency."

(I wonder what other criteria he thinks a cost-cutting should have used.)