The Asahi Art Festival is a celebration of art that began in 2002 by Asahi Beer in cooperation with citizens’ groups and nonprofit organizations engaged in activities related to the arts. P3 art and environment provided general guidelines for the first AAF 2002 and has been serving as its managing office since AAF 2003. By eliminating the position of general director, the festival has adopted a unique organizational style of being managed by an executive committee. By implementing an open process, the festival has become a meeting place for various art-related activities taking place all over Japan, on both a big and small scale. As a result, a fusion of ideas and activities has seeded more ideas and projects that have led to new developments in local art scenes. The festival is considered to be one of many activities accelerating the tendency of citizens to take the initiative in launching actions instead of the government. It is also expected that its function as a factory or seed bed for self-generated ideas and projects will have tremendous potential.

http://www.asahi-artfes.net/