Dr. SEKINO Masaru (1909-2001) was a Director General of the former Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties (now the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo). He graduated from the Department of Architecture, the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1923, promoted to a Professor of the University in 1946. He also worked for the Division of Architecture of the Agency for Cultural Affairs as Chief and made efforts for conservation and restoration of many National-Treasure architecture such as Horyu-ji Temple, Himeji-jo Castle. His father was a famous architect in the history of Japanese architecture conservation, SEKINO Tadasu and his younger brother, Takeshi, is an archeologist.

As for his international activity, he became a committee member of UNESCO in 1952, and had concerned himself with establishment some international Conventions or Recommendations on protection of cultural property. He won Petrus Gazzola Prize from ICOMOS in 1989.

After his death in January 2001, his wife donated the library to our Institute. The Center has been in charge of managing the library and making the list of the data. The library includes correspondence, reports and transactions of international conventions or workshops for establishing international Charters or Recommendations concerning protection of cultural property. The Center published the list of the library in March 2002 (in Japanese, with English abstract).

Library of Dr. Sekino Masaru

The library includes the documents about international institutions like UNESCO