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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1993 > CHAPTER 3 �1 3 (2)

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Chapter 3. For the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Properties
� 1 Systems for the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Properties
3. Preservation and Utilization of Cultural Properties in Local Areas
(2) Promotion of the protection of cultural properties by local governments


In the "Cultural Property Consciousness Survey", only 4.2% of those who responded answered that cultural properties "are adequately protected ". This suggests that although local governments are paying a great degree of attention to the' preservation of cultural properties, that they are doing so amidst shortages in personnel and budget allocation (Chart I-3-5). (Chart I-3-6). Only 4.6% of those responding felt that there "are sufficient opportunities "in the area of in-service training systems for officials in charge of protecting cultural properties. Expectations exist for the strengthening of administration for cultural property protection in local areas, including the enrichment of in- service training systems for officials in charge of protecting cultural properties.

Chart l-3-5 Consciousness about Protection of Cultural Properties

Chart l-3-6 Reasons Why Cultural Properties Protection is Difficult

Local governments play a role in preserving cultural properties that have been designated as such by the national government, in that they conduct basic investigations prior to the national government's designation, and in that they foster cultural organizations which are engaged in preserving intangible folk cultural properties. In cases where local governments have been designated as custodial bodies, they are also in charge of the custody and repair of cultural properties. Local governments also provide subsidies to owners of cultural properties at their own initiative, for custody, repair and public display of cultural properties, and enact by laws for the protection of cultural properties existing in their areas of administrative jurisdiction, whereby cultural properties considered valuable to the local community are designated for preservation and utilization.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs has long been encouraging local governments to enact bylaws for the protection of cultural properties. As of May l, 1992, all of the prefectures and 3.055 out of a total 3.261municinalities (93.7%) had their own bylaws for the protection of cultural properties. These bylaws normally stipulate designation and selection of cultural properties by local governments as well as annulment of a property's designated status; custody, repair, public display and other relevant activities of the owner; restrictions concerning alterations of the state of designated cultural properties; subsidizing systems operated by prefectures or municipalities; owners' obligations to report alterations with regard to ownership and so on.

The majority of properties designated under such bylaws are tangible cultural properties, intangible cultural properties, folk-cultural properties and monuments. Some prefectures or municipalities also select traditional techniques for the conservation of cultural properties. The number of designated pronerties (including those selected ; the same hereinafter) has been increasing yearly, as is shown in Table I-3-3. As of May 1. 1992, a total of 17,860 items had been designated as cultural properties by prefectures, and a total of 67.801 items by municipalities.

Table l-3-3 Number of Cultural Properties Designated by Prefectures and Municipalities


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