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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1993 > CHAPTER 3 �1 1 (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
1. Systems for the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Properties
(2) Enactment of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties


During and after World War 11, many of Japan's cultural properties had fallen into a state of disrepair as a result of the social and economic confusion that occurred, necessitating the radical reconsideration of a system for the protection of cultural properties. It was the accidental fire in the Horyu-ji Kondo in January 1949 that led to legislation for the protection of cultural properties. The Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties was enacted in May 1950 and went into effect in August of the same year.

The Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties incorporated the National Treasures Preservation Law and other related laws, and established a comprehensive system for the protection of all types of cultural properties, including the designation, custody, and utilization of cultural properties. Under this law, the scope of cultural properties receiving protection was expanded, and measures for their protection were strengthened. At the same time, the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Properties was set up as an external organ of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (abolished in 1968 upon the establishment of the Agency for Cultural Affairs), thus further promoting policy for the protection of cultural properties.

In 1954 and 1975, sweeping revisions were made in the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties in order to cope with sudden changes taking place in the environments surrounding cultural properties. These revisions included the creation of a system for custodial bodies for important cultural properties, the creation of a system for the designation of Important Intangible Cultural Properties and the recognition of their holders, the reinforcement of a system for protecting buried cultural properties and the establishment of a system for protecting Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings. The protection of cultural properties has since been carried out under this system.


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