OUR MISSION
Cultural heritage has been protected by particular groups of people as a source of the identity they inherited from their ancestors. It is also an irreplaceable testimony to the history of mankind that should be referred to in building man’s future. On the other hand, it is also a fact that much cultural heritage is facing the risk of degradation, destruction, and disappearance without being given sufficient protection for different reasons. Cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage is becoming increasingly important as a means of facilitating cultural exchange and mutual understanding among various countries.
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation, the national center for promoting international cooperation in terms of conservation and restoration as well as research of cultural heritage, continues to conduct cooperation projects in various parts of the world actively. The Center’s activities range over diverse areas related to the protection of cultural heritage, such as the collection, study, and dissemination of international information, the implementation of cooperation projects, and capacity development in conservation.
The Center consists of three sections, namely Resource and Systems Research Section, Conservation Design Section, and Conservation Practice Section. It also coordinates activities with the International Cooperation Section of the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, connecting the two research institutes for cultural properties based in Tokyo and Nara, for effective implementation of the Institutes’ internationally-related activities.
News & Column
- Inviting Cambodian Colleagues from the APSARA National Authority
To enhance mutual exchanges related to the ongoing cooperation project for the conservation and sustainable development of the Angkor archaeological site in Cambodia, TOBUNKEN invited technical staff members from the Authority for the Protection of the Site and the Management of the Region of Angkor (APSARA National Authority) from February 13th to 19th. The individuals… Read more: Inviting Cambodian Colleagues from the APSARA National Authority - Study Tour on the JPC 2023
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) is co-sponsoring a three-week training program called the "International Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper" in collaboration with ICCROM. The program begins on Monday, August 28th. In the second week, from Monday, September 4th to Friday, September 8th, participants embarked on a study tour to Mino… Read more: Study Tour on the JPC 2023 - International Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper 2023 starts
We are pleased to announce the beginning of the International Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper 2023, jointly organized by the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). The course, previously held in 2019, received 212 applications. After… Read more: International Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper 2023 starts - COMPREHENDING JAPANESE HERITAGE CONSERVATION
First and foremost, I would like to share a memory that marked my first step toward Japan. In 2019, while studying at my Architecture school in France, Paris La Villette, I attended a History of Architecture class where my professor introduced us to Japanese Metabolist thought and presented its projects. Suddenly, he showcased the Nakagin… Read more: COMPREHENDING JAPANESE HERITAGE CONSERVATION - A warm welcome to a new colleague of the Center
We welcome an intern this coming July. Ms. Elise Renaud Charpentier has studied at the graduate school of Waseda University as an exchange student from Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Architecture de Paris la Villette (ENSAPLV). As a part of her study in Japan, she has a wish to be involved in practical work for architectural conservation, and… Read more: A warm welcome to a new colleague of the Center