Part 2 Trends and Developments in Cultural Policies
Chapter 8 Measures for Cultural Promotion
Section 6: Preserving Cultural Properties for Future Generations
9. Revision of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties Towards Decentralization
The Law Concerning Legal Amendments for the Promotion of Decentralization was passed in July 1999 and came into effect on 1 April 2000. This law includes revisions related to the protection of cultural properties, such as the transfer of ownership rights for archaeological artifacts whose ownership is unclear from the national government to the prefectural governments, in principle, as well as revisions regarding the assignment of excavation studies for buried cultural properties, such as the designation by government ordinance giving prefectural boards of education, etc., the right to commission excavation studies to developers. The practice of the national government to delegate administrative functions to local governments was also abolished.
