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

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Chapter 3. For the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Properties
�3 Promotion of the Preservation and Utilization of Cultural Properties
3. Folk-cultural Properties
(1) Tangible folk-cultural properties



1) Designation

Intangible folk-cultural properties are defined as manners and customs associated with eating, clothing, domicile, work, religion, annual events etc., and folk performing arts. Those which are extremely valuable are designated as Important Intangible Folk-cultural Properties by the national government.

The manners and customs and folk performing arts that are designated as Important Intangible Folk-cultural Properties are those which community members can preserve and pass on to the next generation. Those which change easily along with changes in life style, or manners or customs which may possibly place restrictions on people's life or religious faith are not considered for designation. The main ' subjects of designation are folk performing arts and annual events. As of the end of May 1993, 104 folk performing arts and 50 kinds of manners and customs, a total of 154 items, were designated as Important intangible Folk-cultural Properties.

As compared to folk performing arts, there is a great need for further expansion of designation in the area of manners and customs. Recently, Shiga Prefecture's "Potato Competition Festival (Imo-Kurabe Matsuri)" and Gunma Prefecture's "Tea Drinking Meet (Ochako)", not formerly objects of recognition, have now been designated as Intangible Folk-cultural Properties. It is still highly necessary to expand the field of designated objects even further.

Besides the designation "Important Intangible Folk-cultural Properties", the national government also selects "Intangible Folk-cultural Properties Which Should be Recorded and Preserved". The government itself makes records of these cultural properties and also subsidizes the making of records. By the end of May 1993, 436 items had been selected. Those items related to folk performing arts include the "Fukura Ennen" of Yamagata Prefecture and the "Saeki Doro" of Kyoto Prefecture, while those items related to manners and customs include "Kisarazu Nakajima no Bonten-date" of Chiba Prefecture and "Kasuga no Muko-oshi" of Fukuoka Prefecture.


2)

Intangible folk-cultural properties are supported by people, who act as "agents" for transmission, These human agents, who are the vehicles by which heritage is communicated, need to be maintained, and they themselves need to pass their knowledge on to others. Therefore, the fostering of their successors is an absolute necessity.

To promote local government projects which preserve and transmit intangible folk-cultural properties, the national government subsidizes projects which compile materials on manners and customs, folk performing arts and so on, projects which disseminate information about them to the general public and projects which exhibit, them and stage public performances in the community. Since 1993 the national government has also been providing a "Grant for Supporting Activities for the Preservation and Utilization of Folk-cultural Properties", which subsidizes the cost of repairing old and making new implements, clothing, equipment and such that are used in festival events and folk performing arts, for the purpose of systematically preserving Important Intangible Folk - cultural Properties.

Although intangible folk-cultural properties are best displayed primarily in a suitable framework of place and time, that is, in their respective localities in the proper season, it is also important that they be widely publicized and popularized among the Japanese people. The Agency for Cultural Affairs is endeavoring to publicize, intangible folk cultural properties in various ways, for example, by introducing them in the National Culture Festivals and subsidizing All-Japan Folk-cultural Performing Arts Festivals. Further, amidst a growing international interest in Japanese culture, there are not only more opportunities to exhibit Noh and Kabuki, but also an increased number of chances for overseas exhibits of folk performing arts, as they have also attained status as representing basic Japanese culture and national character.

There are several cases where activities which publicize community activities surrounding intangible folk-cultural properties constitute a part of regional development. In September 1992, the "Law Concerning Promotion of Sightseeing and Commerce and Industry in Specified. Localities by Practicing Events Utilizing Local Traditional Performing Arts. etc., was enacted under the joint jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation, The Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery, the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Under this law, the national government grants support for events which make use of traditional performing arts and the manners and customs of the localities. In carrying out this law, the Agency for Cultural Affairs duly considers the importance of preserving the originality of traditional performing arts and other local folk cultural properties. On the other hand, it is the Agency's desire that these events promote traditional performing arts in the community by energizing organizations that protect intangible folk-cultural properties and by deepening people's understanding, thus leading to the eventual encouragement of all local cultures.

The keeping of accurate records is necessary in order to gain a complete overview of intangible folk-culture properties, so that they maybe firmly grasped and handed down to future generations. The national government makes records about Important Intangible Folk-cultural Properties and Intangible Folk-cultural Properties Which Should be Recorded and Preserved. It also subsidizes local governments to make such records. Records that have been made thus far are presently in the custody of either the Agency for Cultural Affairs or the prefectures, and are used as basic reference materials for the formation of protective policies. In the future it will be necessary to allow increased access and utilization of these records to a broad audience, including members of the general public.


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