Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION,SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1989 > PART Chapter8 4

PART Issues and Developments of Policies in Education, Science and Culture

Cultural properties are indispensable for the proper understanding of our history, tradition and culture, and for the foundation of cultural development in the future.

In order to preserve and use cultural properties as precious national assets of our nation, the government designates and selects important cultural properties, on the basis of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, as National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties, Special Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monuments, Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monuments, Important Intangible Cultural Properties, Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties, Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties, or Important Historic Structure Group Preservation Zones. In FY 1988, 53 fine and applied arts and 13 architectural structures were designated as Important Cultural Properties, 8 historical and 1 scenic places were designated as Historic Sites and Places of Scenic Beauty, 2 districts were classified as Important Historic Structure Group Preservation Zones, 2 persons were additionally recognized as holders of Important Intangible Cultural Properties, and l Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property and 4 Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties were designated.

The Agency provides owners of such properties and local governments with subsidies for the maintenance, safe-keeping and repair of National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties and other properties as well as for bringing historic sites and other places into public ownership, and the development of such places. Subsidies are also provided for public display of traditional arts and the preservation of folklore. The Agency is also trying to publicize the idea of preserving cultural properties.

It is now necessary to harmonize the preservation of cultural properties and socio-economic development amid a rapidly changing society. It will become increasingly more important to make cultural properties more accessible, for example, by exhibiting cultural properties widely among the public.