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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERMENT POLICICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1994 > PART II Chapter 9 Section 5 3

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PART II Recent Trends and Developments in Government Policies in Education, Science and Culture
Chapter 9. Toward a Culture-Communicating Society
Section 5. Protecting and Utilizing Cultural Properties
3. Preserving and Utilizing Historic Sites and Other Monuments



(1) Designation

Under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, "monuments" refers to shell mounds, ancient tombs, castle remains, and other historical relics; places of scenic beauty, such as gardens, ravines, and seashores; and flora, fauna, and minerals. The government designates important monuments as historic sites, places of scenic beauty, and natural monuments. Especially important items are given the status of special historic sites, special places of scenic beauty, and special natural monuments, and steps are taken to ensure their protection.

At present the designation of historic sites is focusing primarily on newly discovered sites, medieval castles, and industrial and transportation-related sites. Gardens figure prominently in the designation of places of scenic beauty, while the designation of natural monuments is focusing primarily on flora and fauna that have been shown through national surveys to merit conservation. In fiscal 1993 a total of 20 historic sites, places of scenic beauty, and natural monuments were designated, including the Jonokoshi site, Mie Prefecture, and the Jirobee yew tree, Gifu Prefecture.


(2) Conserving Historic Sites and Other Monuments

Any person intending to alter the existing state of a site or other item that has been designated as a historic site or other monument or who wishes to engage in actions that will affect its conservation is required under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties to obtain the approval of the Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. When it is not possible to reconcile development and other activities with the protection of a cultural property, the government uses subsidies to acquire the item as government property so that it can be protected. In addition, consideration is given to the payment of compensation to holders who incur economic losses due to the imposition of restrictions on activities that would alter the existing state of the item.


(3) Developing Historic Sites and Other Monuments and Providing Public Access

The government provides subsidies to finance the conservation of historic sites and other monuments for future generations and to ensure extensive utilization. The Agency for Cultural Affairs is implementing a number of programs relating to the conservation and utilization of historic sites and other monuments from new perspectives. One example is the utilization of sites under the Local Historic Park Project. In addition, since fiscal 1992 the Agency has been implementing a special project of readjusting historic sites and other monuments as nuclei of communities. Targets for development and utilization under this project include provincial temples known as kokubunji and seats of provincial government known as kokufu, which were focal points for political, economic, social, and cultural life in premodern Japan. This project was expanded in fiscal 1994.

In fiscal 1993 the Agency for Cultural Affairs inaugurated a program to encourage people to walk, see, and experience historic roads. Historic roads are vital to an understanding of Japanese history. Under this program the second Saturday in May has been designated as a day for walking historic roads and experiencing local historic sites and cultural properties. In fiscal 1994 the Agency established another program to encourage the effective utilization of natural monuments through the provision of outdoor viewing facilities and learning facilities in areas designated as natural monuments.


(4) Conserving Buried Cultural Properties

In recent times there has been a dramatic increase in the number of buried cultural properties discovered as a result of construction and other development activities. In November 1993 the Agency for Cultural Affairs issued a notice to prefectural boards of education concerning the simplification of administrative procedures for excavation surveys and the facilitation of such surveys. In fiscal 1994 the Agency continued to carry out research and surveys to develop and improve excavation survey systems. It also continued to provide subsidies to local governments for the construction of buried cultural property investigation centers and centers for the safekeeping of archaeological artifacts.


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