TOKYO >> The Cultural Affairs Agency is looking to create a music award to honor Asian artists as early as 2025, Commissioner Shunichi Tokura said in a recent interview.

The agency plans to hold the ceremony for an Asian version of the Grammy Awards in Kyoto, where it relocated its headquarters in March, and hopes to optimize the event by using the awards as a means for Japanese artists to enter the global market, Tokura said.

The agency aims to accelerate its cultural promotion and has set the goal of developing Japan’s music and video products into an industry that can be exported globally.

Asian pop music dominating the international market comes mainly from Korea groups such as BTS and ­NewJeans.

“Japan has a relatively large domestic market, so (success in) the domestic market has been considered sufficient,” said Tokura, who is also a well-known composer.

“In order to promote J-pop music overseas, we would like to hold a music awards ceremony in Kyoto that will attract worldwide attention,” he said.