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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > Japanese Government Policies in Education, Science, Sports and Culture 2000 > Part 1 Chapter 3 Section 5 3

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Part 1 Toward a Culturally-Oriented Nation
Chapter 3 Toward Actualizing a Culturally-Oriented Nation
Section 5: Promotion of International Cultural Exchange
3. Promotion of International Cooperation in the Protection of Cultural Properties


Protection of cultural properties in a country cannot be secured only by the temporary provision of funds and equipment from foreign countries. It becomes possible only when long-term efforts for preservation and repair of cultural properties are made by local specialists who are well versed in the local climate, and materials used in cultural properties and traditional methods for their preservation and repair are complimented by the understanding and support of the people of the country.

To this end, the government is planning to focus its attention on the provision of support to cultivate local human resources to protect cultural properties, based on the notion of "self-help" whereby the protection of cultural properties is carried out in a responsible manner by the local people. In particular, Japan can make significant contributions based on past experience and techniques in the Asia-Pacific region, which shares the common cultural background of "wood culture."

In this context, it is expected that the on-going programs will continue to play important roles, inter alia the technical cooperation projects for the conservation and restoration of historic buildings in the Asia-Pacific region conducted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, academic exchanges by the Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties and Nara National Research Institute of Cultural Properties, specialists dispatch programs by the Japan Foundation, technical training programs by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and bilateral projects in the framework of Cultural Grant Aid which includes the installation of necessary equipment and materials for cultural properties protection and utilization.

In addition, the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) Cultural Heritage Protection Cooperation Office was established in 1999 in Nara City. This office is expected to develop an experts' training program and facilitate training courses for specialists who are in charge of the cultural properties protection in the Asia-Pacific region, making the most of the environmental advantage of Nara City as a historic area with plenty of cultural properties.

Universities are also expected to provide specialists and experts with professional training in such fields as conservation science, restoration skills, and archaeological excavation and investigation, so that the trained specialists and experts can make a technical or scientific contribution to cultural properties protection both inside and outside the country.

Particularly, in developing countries, cultural properties protection tends to be given inferior priority under the pressure of economic development. In order to improve this situation, it is necessary not only to support cultural properties protection activities, but also, on various occasions like international conferences, to arouse people's awareness of the importance of cultural protection as one element in harmonizing economic development with environmental protection and achieving sustainable socio-economic development.

It is pointed out that, due to industrialization and social modernization in Asia-Pacific countries, many intangible cultural properties such as folk arts are facing extinction. Japan introduced a legal framework for the protection of intangible cultural properties at an early stage, and plans to contribute to the establishment of protection systems for intangible cultural properties in these countries.

At the 29th General Conference held in 1997, UNESCO decided to establish the "Proclamation of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity," an international honor for the promotion of international protection of outstanding intangible cultural properties. Currently, deliberations are underway regarding the specific details of the honor, and Japan plans to contribute to the work as necessary.

"The Conservation of Urushi (Japanese Lacquer) International Course" organized by the Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties (TNRICP) and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).

"Consultative Meeting on Regional Cooperation in Cultural Heritage Protection in Asia and the Pacific" organized by the Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU).

"Expectations from Japan" by I Gusti Ngurah Anom, Director, Directorate for Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture, Republic of Indonesia

When I think of international cultural cooperation between Indonesia and Japan on the preservation and repair of cultural properties, I particularly hope for the further development of cooperation on "the wood culture" which the two countries share.

In Indonesia, various forms of wooden architecture have survived, and they are very important not only as historical landscapes but also from an archaeological standpoint. However, the system for their preservation and repair is not necessarily sufficient. We are receiving cooperation from Japan, which maintains the same culture of wooden architecture, and we are hoping to further expand this good cooperative relationship with Japan.

Specific examples of cooperation would include, for example, on-site training in Japan for the preservation and repair of cultural properties, comparative studies of the wooden architecture heritage of both countries by specialists, and joint research projects. Also, workshops and exchanges of specialists that have been taking place need to be further developed into seminars and symposiums. Further, exchange of publications on the preservation and repair of wooden architectural heritage will be worth consideration.

I am of the view that, based on the good cooperative relationships established so far, a new relationship encompassing future cooperation systems is needed for both Indonesia and Japan. In order to realize this, it would be indispensable for us to further understand each other and aim to develop international cultural cooperation based on mutual agreements.

(Excerpt from October 1999 issue of the monthly of the Agency for Cultural Affairs)


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