The Cultural Affairs Agency was in Kyoto on Monday after relocating from Tokyo.
The relocation was part of the government's effort to correct the over-concentration of population in Tokyo and to boost non-metropolitan communities.
This is the first time that a central government office has been moved to a local region.
Some of the agency's operations will be in Tokyo and work with the Kyoto office on measures to protect cultural properties and promote Japanese culture overseas, among other initiatives.
The new office is located in the three-story former main building of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Headquarters, and a six-story administrative building newly built next door. It is located on the premises of the Kyoto prefectural office.
On Monday morning, a ceremony was held to unveil the nameplate of the new government building, with agency commissioner Shunichi Tokura, local officials and others in attendance.
Five of nine divisions of the agency are being moved from Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district to Kyoto. There is a division related to cultural properties among the five.
There are about 390 employees, or 70% of a total of 590 staffers, who are expected to work in Kyoto.