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Cultural properties are vital to the accurate understanding of Japanese history and culture. They also form a foundation for the future improvement and development of culture. It is therefore extremely important to ensure that these items are appropriately protected and utilized.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs selects key cultural properties for designation as important cultural properties, historic sites, places of scenic beauty, natural monuments, important intangible cultural properties, and important tangible and intangible folk-cultural properties. The Agency also selects important preservation districts for groups of historic buildings. Skills that are important to the conservation of cultural properties are selected as traditional conservation techniques ( Figure II.9.2). To ensure the protection of these cultural properties, subsidies and other assistance are provided for the conservation, repair, purchase, and so on, of tangible cultural properties and for the training of successors and the preparation of records, and so on, in the case of intangible cultural properties.

The designation and selection of cultural properties are implemented by the Minister of Education, Science and Culture on the basis of submissions to and recommendations by the Council for the Protection of Cultural Properties. The numbers of cultural properties designated by the government as of July 1, 1994, are shown in Table II.9.2.

Present systems based on the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties enjoy wide public acceptance. It is necessary, however, to provide for a number of new factors, including a dramatic rise in public interest in traditional culture, changes in Japan's industrial structure, the continuing process of land development, and the demand for international exchange and cooperation. In July 1994 the Special Committee for Cultural Properties Protection Planning of the Council for the Protection of Cultural Properties submitted its final report, titled "Improvement and Expansion of Protection Measures for Cultural Properties in a Time of Change." The Agency for Cultural Affairs will take the necessary steps, including institutional measures, to enhance the conservation and utilization of cultural properties in line with this report.