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

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Chapter 3. For the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Properties
�3 Promotion of the Preservation and Utilization of Cultural Properties
1. Tangible Cultural Properties
(2) Historic buildings



1) Designation

Designation for buildings (mainly shrines and temples) constructed prior to the Japanese Medieval Ages has nearly been completed. As for historic buildings of the Early Modern Age, urgent nationwide investigations have been carried out in preparation for the designation of private dwellings followed by temples and shrines. Based on the results of these investigations, designations of private residences were made first, with attention presently being devoted to the designation of shrines and temples of the Early Modern Age.

Regarding historic buildings of the Modern Age, buildings representing Western style architecture constructed during the Meiji Period (1868-1912)and Taisho Period (1912-1926) have under zone the designation process. Buildings constructed during the early part of the Showa Period (1926-1989) must also be included in the sphere of structures to be protected, because of the rapid pace of remodeling and rebuilding that takes place in today's changing social milieu. A "Nationwide Overview Investigation of Japanese Modern Period Traditional-style Buildings" is being conducted since 1992in relation to structures built during and after the Meiji Period which display traditional styles and techniques.

Industry, transportation and engineering related architectural structures such as those related to shipbuilding, mining, iron manufacture, silk reeling, railroad construction, harbor facilities, dams, water supply works and so on, all of which have played an important role in the process of Japan's modernization, have undergone demolition as a result of technological innovations and changes in industrial structure. Not even the former locations of these buildings were sufficiently investigated prior to their demolition. Therefore, because it has also become necessary to study means of conserving this heritage from the recent past, a "Nationwide Overview Investigation of Japanese Modernization Period Monuments (Buildings'" has been conducted since 1990. Among these structures, in August 1993, the "Usui-toge Railway Facilities" in Gunma Prefecture were included in a number of buildings designated as Important Cultural Properties, the first instance of buildings designated under this new category.

An effective means of assuring complete preservation of historic buildings such as temple or shrine compounds and lots of private dwellings is to designate them together with their lands and other properties, which determine their value in terms of an inseparable unit. The designation of private dwellings together with the lots upon which they are built is now being promoted, with priority being placed on buildings that are in the most need of protection. Designation of shrine compounds, temple compounds and structures built during the period of Japan's modernization is also being discussed.

The preservation of the historic milieu around historic buildings helps to heighten the value of the cultural property as a whole. This point requires further active study in order to further the utilization of properties.


2) Maintenance and repair

As of April l, 1993, 3,429 historic buildings. 90%, of which are constructed of wood, have been designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties. In order to preserve these buildings for future generations, it is necessary to conduct periodic large and small scale maintenance and repairs. This is to be taken care of by the owner or the custodial body and except for small repairs, most of the servicing of these protected properties takes place under subsidies from the national government. About 100 such undertakings are carried out annually.

While the focus has thus far been on the repair of shrines, temples, castles and private dwellings built prior to the Japanese Medieval Ages, recent repairs made on large-scale religious buildings constructed during the Early Modern Age, such as the Buddhist Temple Complex of Zuiryu-ji in Toyama Prefecture, as well as repairs made on Early Modern structures such as the Former Yamagata Prefectural Office and the Assembly Hall (both brick structures) in Yamagata Prefecture have been on the increase. Because plans for the effective utilization of Early Modern buildings after repair are also an important part of their preservation, they have been opened up to the public in a diverse number of ways, for example, as galleries and conference rooms.

Apart from these, large-scale historic buildings whose repairs require a high level of technical skill or which have been designated as National Treasures having special importance in architectural history are treated as "special repair" cases. Examples of such "special repair" cases include there pair of two shrines and a temple in Nikko (Tosho-gu, Rin'no-ji and Futarasan-jinja) in Tochigi Prefecture, the main hall of the Buddhist temple Hokekyo-ji (Hokekyo-ji Soshi-do) in Chiba Prefecture, the Tokyo Holy Resurrection Cathedral of the Orthodox Church in Japan (Nikolai-do) in Tokyo, the main hall of the Buddhist temple Kongosho-ji (Kongosho-ji Hondo) in Mie Prefecture, the monks' living quarters in the Zen monastery Myoshin-ii (Myoshin-ji Kuri) in Kyoto Prefecture and the main hall of the Buddhist temple Shinyakushi-ji (Shinyakushi-ji Hondo) in Nara Prefecture.

Recruiting and training experts to plan and superintend repair work and craftsmen who are skilled in traditional repair techniques is an important task. Although the Japanese Association for the Conservation of Architectural Monuments and other corporations are conducting programs towards this end, there is a serious shortage of personnel who can continue to carry out this type of work into the future. Securing materials such as "hiwada" (Japanese cypress bark used for roofing) and trees of sufficient diameter to be used in building repair is also becoming more difficult, and is a problem to which urgent attention must be devoted.


3) Disaster prevention

Almost all of the historic buildings that are a part of Japan's body of cultural properties are constructed of wood j many of them are roofed using thatch and hiwada. Because these materials burn quite easily, custodians of these buildings have always taken great care in the area of fire prevention, from centuries ago up until the present.

Responsibility for the custody of cultural properties is in principle, the duty of the owners. The Agency for Cultural Affairs offers the owners guidance regarding the installation of fire prevention equipment and when necessary, provides financial support. However, because care on the part of the owner alone is not sufficient in preventing fires, to provide adequate protection for these buildings, it is important that the community has a sense of affection and interest regarding cultural properties. To this end, community activities to prevent cultural properties including fire prevention drills are being promoted in cooperation with fire authorities and other agencies.


4) Conservation of surrounding environments of cultural properties in the form of historic buildings

Progress in urbanization and changes in local communities have made the preservation of the surrounding environments of cultural properties in the form of historic buildings an important task. Shrines and temples, along with the towering trees and natural thickets that flourish on their grounds have survived as a part of the community from long ago to create a restful, historic setting and have served as places of relaxation and recreation for all members of the community from young to old. However, the environments surrounding these historic buildings have recently become endangered due to land development as well as other factors. To combat this trend, local governments have begun to pass cultural properties protection by laws which contain provisions for historic environment conservation districts. The preservation of the grove of the village shrine "Chinju no Mori" is a notable example of one of the measures for creating a pleasant life environment while involving members of the community.


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