| ■Tokyo National Research
Institute for Cultural Properties |
■Center for Conservation
Science |
| ■Department of Art Research,
Archives and Information Systems |
■Japan Center for
International Cooperation in Conservation |
| ■Department of Intangible
Cultural Heritage |
|
Scene from the seminar
The front cover of the leaflet
In 2024, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) signed a memorandum of understanding for collaborative research with the Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art, Izumi, and is conducting research on artworks in the museum’s collection.
The painting “Yamazaki Bridge” depicts the extraordinary story of how the principal deity of Hōshōji Temple, the Eleven-Faced Kannon Bodhisattva, transformed into an old man and built the bridge, located between present-day Ōyamazaki Town, Otokuni District, and Yawata City, where the Katsura River, Uji River, and Kizu River converge to form the Yodo River in Kyoto Prefecture. The work blends the dramatic miraculous tale of the bridge’s construction with depictions of the common people involved in its construction against the landscapes of Mt. Tennōzan and Mt. Otokoyama, and Hōshōji Temple.
This painting has garnered attention not only in art history study, but also in history and Japanese literature. Although the subtle details and auspicious inscriptions on the painting have become difficult to read due to aging, we have conducted two optical surveys to maximize the information available on the painting. At this seminar, Ms. EMURA Tomoko gave a presentation titled “Optical Survey of the Yamazaki Bridge Painting,” and Mr. KAWADA Masayuki, director of the Kuboso Memorial Museum of Art, Izumi, spoke as a commentator about the research history and issues of the Yamazaki Bridge Painting.
A leaflet on the Yamazaki Bridge Painting, published in March 2025, will soon be made available in the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties repository. Furthermore, we plan to create digital content and publish it online to enable more researchers to view the high-resolution images. We hope that the results of this collaborative research will be widely utilized and deepen understanding of the work.
Scene from the seminar
Scene from the seminar
On September 16, 2025, the fifth seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems was held. Two presentations were given, deepening discussion on the canon and transmission of the Kano school from multiple perspectives.
Dr. MIZUNO Yuji (Associate Professor, University of Tsukuba) gave a presentation titled “Images of Confucius in the Tan’yū Style: On the Canon of Iconography,” in which he examined the significance of the pictorial style established by Kanō Tan’yū, which became widely accepted as a canonical model in early modern Japanese painting. While the Tan’yū style exerted strong influence across many genres, its role in Daoist and Buddhist figure painting—especially depictions of Confucius—has received relatively little scholarly attention.
Tan’yū formalized and refined the established medieval image of Confucius, reconstructing it into a new canonical prototype. His imagery spread widely to Confucian temples and domain schools throughout Japan, becoming a canonical image suited to ritual and educational contexts. Drawing on entries from the Kōyō Nikki (Official Diary, 1844), Dr. MIZUNO showed that the Tan’yū-style Confucius image was regarded as an institutional canon. He also noted that local versions often incorporated individual interpretations or decorative variations, showing that the canon was not rigidly fixed but dynamically transformed through both inheritance and adaptation. Furthermore, in the late Edo period, references to Wu Daozi’s style and medieval prototypes re-emerged, indicating a diversification within the canon beyond the Tan’yū model.
Next, Ms. ONO Mayumi (Head, Japanese and East Asian Art History Section) presented “A Study of Kanō Tsunenobu’s Waka Compositions.” Kanō Tsunenobu (1636–1713), patriarch of the Kobikichō branch of the Kano family, was an accomplished painter and an active waka poet. Records of poetry gatherings and existing anthologies reveal that his waka practice expanded his network among daimyō and cultured elites, contributing to the social standing of the Kano family. By exploring the relationship between his poetry and painting, Ms. ONO re-evaluated Tsunenobu as both painter and poet, highlighting his multifaceted creativity.
Through these presentations, the dynamic transformation of the Kano-school canon across time and region was underscored. The seminar provided a valuable opportunity to advance Kano-school studies through the dual perspectives of canon and individuality.
Some of the donated books
Our library has recently received a donation of books formerly owned by the late KIRA Fumio (1941–2022), a distinguished researcher in the field of ceramic history.
KIRA began his career as an editor after joining Zayuho Kankōkai, a publishing house specializing in art publications, where he worked under Saitō Kikutaro. While participating in the editing of major series such as The Complete Works of World Ceramics (1975–, 22 vols.) and The Complete Works of World Art: Oriental Art (1997–, 18 vols.), he conducted extensive field research around the world, advancing both editorial production and ceramic-historical research in parallel.
Among his wide-ranging achievements, he left particularly notable contributions to research on Southeast Asian and Korean ceramics. In 1984, he was among the first to report to Japan on the ceramic wares excavated in Mae Sot, Tak Province, in northwestern Thailand—finds that would later be recognized as highly significant in the study of Southeast Asian ceramic history. He served for many years as an executive committee member of the Oriental Ceramics Society of Japan and received the 20th Koyama Fujio Memorial Prize in 1999.
With the cooperation of his bereaved family, and as part of the project “Bibliographical Research on Japanese Oriental Art History [シ02],” in January 2025, researcher TASHIRO Yuichiro conducted a survey of the books remaining in KIRA’s home in Kagawa. The institute has received a selected portion of these materials, consisting primarily of foreign-language publications concerning Southeast Asian and Korean ceramics. Some of these volumes are not held by any other library in Japan, making this institute the sole holding institution.
Taken together, these resources are expected not only to support research in ceramic history, but also—when viewed in a broader perspective—to serve as Japan’s only available scholarly sources for deepening the understanding of this aspect of Asian culture. As a core institution for cultural heritage research in Japan, it is our hope that, rather than pursuing short-term results alone, we may preserve and pass down the scholarly legacy accumulated by our predecessors from a long-term viewpoint, thereby contributing meaningfully to Japan’s foundation of knowledge.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to the KIRA family for donating these academically invaluable materials.
Scene of the seminar (photo by Mr. YAMASHITA Yoshihiko)
Newly created dance performance “Dance of Mother-of-Pearl Doors, Pleasure of Japan and Thailand”
Explanation by an expert of FAD about the tools and materials using real objects
On September 10, 2025, the Fine Arts Department (FAD) of the Ministry of Culture of Thailand held an academic seminar titled “Ratchapradit Fine Arts: Connecting the Two Countries Through Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Art” at Wat Ratchapradit. Ms. FUTAGAMI Yoko, head of the Cultural Properties Information Section in the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, participated in the seminar.
Wat Ratchapradit is a first-grade royal temple established by King Rama IV. The doors and windows of its ordination hall feature lacquered panels crafted in Japan during the period of the temple’s establishment. The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) provided technical support for the restoration of the panels and conducted research on them. The temple has also provided financial support for a study by the institute, with the objective of on-site preservation of the panels following their restoration.
The seminar began with opening remarks by Mr. Phnombootra Chandrajoti, the Director General of FAD. In the morning, Part One, titled “Preserving and Creating Art: A Heritage of Two Lands,” was held. During this section, monks from the temple and FAD experts presented on the restoration project for the door panels at Wat Ratchapradit. From the Japanese side, Ms. FUTAGAMI presented the concept of the panels’ restoration and study project. In the afternoon, Part Two, titled “From Integration to Creative Inspiration: Expanding for the Future,” was held. During this session, FAD experts presented outlines of an investigation conducted in June 2025 on the on-site preservation of the door panels after restoration and an investigation from November 2024 in northern Thailand on lacquering materials. TOBUNKEN experts participated in both investigations. From the Japanese side, Mr. YAMASHITA Yoshihiko, a lacquering expert and researcher, presented on the unique mother-of-pearl inlay with underpainting technique used for the door panels. Ms. FUTAGAMI presented the results of an investigation conducted in Japan in June 2024 regarding traditional materials, in collaboration with FAD.
On the same day, several events related to Japanese lacquered door panels were held at Wat Ratchapradit. The event featured an exhibition of real objects and informative panels detailing the techniques and materials used, a newly created dance performance titled “Dance of Mother-of-Pearl Doors, Pleasure of Japan and Thailand” performed by dancers from FAD, and Japanese food offered in food booths. Participants enjoyed all of these events. For the author, the seminar was also a good opportunity to share information about our activities with various Thai stakeholders.
Discussion in Session 3
Meditation at Jingwansa
ISHIMURA Tomo (author) of our institute participated in the 2025 World Forum for Intangible Cultural Heritage, an international forum held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on September 17th and 18th. This international forum is held annually by the National Heritage Service of the Republic of Korea and the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP). The forum was held at Jingwansa, a Buddhist temple located north of downtown Seoul. The opening ceremony featured a demonstration of a Buddhist ritual called “Suryukjae,” and traditional vegetarian cuisine was served for lunch. After the forum on the final day, participants also had the opportunity to try meditation.
This year’s theme was “Exploring Economic Activities of Intangible Cultural Heritage,” and discussions focused on the economic aspects of intangible cultural heritage. The forum consisted of a keynote speech by Mr. Ahmed Eiweida, followed by Session 1, themed “Exploring the Economic Value of ICH,” Session 2, “Community-Based Economic Activities and Sustainable Development,” Session 3, “Ethical Commercialization of ICH,” and a special session, “Local Perspectives: Economic Practices of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Korea.” Experts from around the world (Singapore, Timor-Leste, Hong Kong, Nepal, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Botswana, the Philippines, Japan, and the Republic of Korea) participated as presenters and/or moderators.
The author gave a presentation in Session 3 titled “Protecting while promoting: Two designation systems for traditional crafts in Japan.” In Japan, there are two designation systems for safeguarding craft techniques: the Important Intangible Cultural Properties designation system under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties,” and the designation system of Traditional Crafts under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s “Act on the Promotion of Traditional Craft Industries.” The former primarily aims to protect craft techniques, while the latter primarily aims to promote them. While the two systems may appear contradictory by their names, they rather complement each other and contribute to the survival of craft techniques.
In the discussion part of in Session 3, issues surrounding intangible cultural heritage and intellectual property rights were also discussed. Concerns were expressed, particularly about intangible cultural heritage falling out of the hands of communities and into a state of over-commercialization and decontextualization. Regarding traditional crafts in Japan, the author spoke about the risk of inexpensive counterfeits being imported from abroad. The author also mentioned a case in which a foreign celebrity had previously attempted to use the name “Kimono” for a brand she designed, which sparked strong criticism from Japan. The relationship between intangible cultural heritage and artificial intelligence (AI) was also mentioned during the discussion, an issue that the author felt has not yet been sufficiently discussed in Japan overall.
The slogan “utilizing cultural properties” has been around for a long time in Japan, but participating in this forum reaffirmed that balancing preservation and utilization remains an important issue. It also gave me an opportunity to think about the possibility of further increasing the value of cultural properties/cultural heritage by having communities take an active role in preserving and utilizing them.
Oral presentation at Stone 2025
Study tour: visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral
From September 8 to 12, 2025, Dr. MIZUTANI Etsuko (author) participated in the 15th International Congress on the Deterioration and Conservation of Stone (Stone 2025), held at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and delivered an oral presentation. This congress, which takes place every four to five years, is an international forum on the conservation and restoration of sculptures and architectural structures made of stone and brick.
The congress brought together a wide range of participants, including conservation scientists and geologists studying the deterioration of stone and brick, practitioners involved in conservation and restoration, and experts in architecture and building physics. Presentations covered diverse topics, from fundamental studies on deterioration caused by air pollution and salt weathering, to new restoration techniques and practical conservation measures, as well as sustainable environmental control strategies and the evaluation of climate change impacts.
In her presentation, the author reported on research conducted at the Center for Conservation Science, Preventive Conservation Section, which focuses on improving the humid environment inside a rock cave housing a Buddhist wooden architecture, without relying on air conditioning, to preserve the structure. Following the presentation, the author received many questions and comments from researchers engaged in the preservation of cultural properties facing similar high-humidity challenges and others interested in sustainable environmental control. This provided an opportunity to exchange views on the potential for future collaboration.
Going forward, the author intends to continue actively disseminating research outcomes internationally, while also gathering the latest knowledge from around the world to further contribute to the preservation of Japan’s cultural heritage.
Scene from a research presentation in GCI
Scene of researcher exchange
As global warming has become a pressing global issue, the need for sustainable environmental management in cultural heritage preservation has also gained importance. In 2014, a joint declaration was issued by the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) and the International Council of Museums – Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC), calling for environmentally responsible approaches to preservation practices. At the Center for Conservation Science, Preventive Conservation Section, we have been pursuing research to explore sustainable environmental management methods suited to the preservation of cultural properties in Japan.
As part of these efforts, in August 2023 (Reiwa 5), a team from the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) participated in the “Changing Climate Management Strategies Workshop: Sustainable Collection Environments and Monitoring Object Response,” co-hosted by the Getty Conservation Institute and The National Gallery of Victoria in Australia, and since then have continued exchanges with researchers at the Getty Conservation Institute.
From September 24 to 26, 2025 (Reiwa year 7), we visited the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles. Two years after the workshop, members of both TOBUNKEN and the Getty Conservation Institute presented updates on their respective research and engaged in discussions. Representing TOBUNKEN, Dr. MIZUTANI Etsuko (Researcher, Preventive Conservation Section, Center for Conservation Science) and Assoc. Prof. IBA Chiemi (Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University; Visiting Researcher of TOBUNKEN) delivered the presentations. Active discussions were held on topics such as Japan’s climatic conditions, the unique structural characteristics of cultural property materials, and measurement methods required for risk assessment of deterioration.
Following the discussions, we toured the research facilities and had the opportunity to interact with researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The Japanese case provides valuable insights into the challenges of managing conservation environments for cultural heritage in countries with humid temperate climates. This visit was a highly meaningful opportunity to re-examine environmental conservation research from an international perspective and to explore possible directions for future collaboration.
Practical work in restoration techniques for mounts
Visiting a hand-made paper (Homminoshi) studio
The ‘International Training Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper’ is jointly organized by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) and the intergovernmental organization ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property). The course started in 1992 and has a good reputation. This year, 166 candidates applied and 10 trainees participated in the program from 25 August to 12 September.
Washi, traditional Japanese paper, is made of plant fiber from the kozo, a kind of mulberry tree. Characterized by its long fibers, it is thin yet strong, and its durability and texture that does not damage cultural properties make it an excellent restoration material. It is used for restoration of artworks in various countries.
The program included lectures on protection systems for paper and cultural properties of Japan and practical training in ‘Restoration Techniques for Mounts,’ which is a national designated restoration technique. While participants have already gained experience as paper conservators in their respective workplaces, the workshop provided an opportunity to reinforce appropriate knowledge, including skills of using Japanese tools and materials. Participants’ feedback has been positive and mentioned that they would share their experiences with colleagues and students upon returning home and recommend this training program to others.
This training program also aims to facilitate interaction among trainees themselves, between trainees and Japanese expert instructors, and with manufacturers of restoration materials and tools through field visits. These interactions are not only a benefit for participants but also an opportunity to motivate Japanese experts and manufacturers of tools and materials. We also intend to continue organizing future training programs with the aim of serving as a bridge between experts and manufacturers, who are experts in Japan and overseas engaging in conservation and restoration of cultural properties, and manufacturers of tools and materials for restoration of cultural properties.
Cleaning test at the Somma Vesuviana archaeological site
Survey of stucco decorations in the storage facility of the Selinunte Archaeological Park
Since 2021, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation (JCIC) has been involved in a research survey on stucco decoration and clay statues under the research project “Technology for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage” program.
As part of this research, a team from JCIC visited Italy from September 8 to 26, 2025, to study archaeological sites of the Greek and Roman periods, including the Roman ruins of Somma Vesuviana, the Pompeii Archaeological Park, and the Selinunte Archaeological Park.
At the Somma Vesuviana site, we focused on a Roman-era decorated gateway excavated by a team led by the University of Tokyo. Based on a research plan prepared in the previous fiscal year, we conducted studies on the techniques and materials of the stucco decorations present at the site, and carried out various experiments on modern conservation and restoration methods.
Meanwhile, at the Selinunte Archaeological Park in Sicily, a meeting was held with the Director of the park to present and explain the objectives and significance of this research. As a result of the Director’s understanding and approval, official consent was obtained to include the park’s Greek-period stucco decorations as research subjects, and full cooperation was kindly extended to our study. Furthermore, since physical and chemical deterioration has been observed in the limestone used for the temples, the park expressed an interest in having us conduct research on possible measures to mitigate such deterioration.
In addition, the Soprintendenza di Palermo (Superintendence of Cultural and Environmental Heritage of Palermo), after reviewing and expressing its understanding of the aims of this project, kindly proposed that we also consider including Roman archaeological sites under its jurisdiction in the Palermo area as potential research subjects.
In summary, through the present field mission, it was confirmed that understanding and support for the objectives of this study are steadily expanding among relevant institutions. Moving forward, we plan to continue comparative research on the techniques and materials of stucco decorations from the Greek and Roman periods—focusing on the sites visited during this mission—to deepen our understanding of their structure and characteristics, while also advancing research on appropriate methods for conservation-restoration and site management.
The consultation meeting at TOBUNKEN
On August5, 2025, Dr. Simon Kaner, Head of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC), and Dr. Eugenia Bogdanova, a researcher at SISJAC, visited the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN), and we held a consultation on our joint project, “Shaping the Fundamentals of Research on Japanese Art.” This project began in 2013. As part of the project, SISJAC staff provide information on literature produced and exhibitions held that are related to Japanese art and culture outside Japan, primarily in the UK, to TOBUNKEN for inclusion in the archives database (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/archives/). Also, researchers of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems have been visiting the UK annually to conduct lectures, workshops, and research on such works.
At this consultation, we presented a report on our database project and discussed our researchers’ planned visit to the UK to take place in December. In the latter part of the consultation, Mr. Matthew James, a SISJAC staff member responsible for database operations, participated online from the UK. We specifically examined the methods and standards employed for gathering information outside Japan, and also the data entry procedures.
During the three years of the pandemic, when travel was restricted, trips to the UK and Japan were not possible, and research discussions were conducted primarily online. We have since resumed in-person research exchanges among staff members. However, we will continue to priorities convenience when arranging exchanges, for example by conducting discussions with overseas partner institutions using a combination of online and in-person methods.
Some of the donated materials of MATSUSHIMA Ken
A handwritten notebook of MATSUSHIMA Ken
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been engaging in collecting and publishing materials left by researchers who were once affiliated with TOBUNKEN. The materials left by Mr. MATSUSHIMA Ken, donated by his family in 2023, are among such materials.
Mr. MATSUSHIMA was a researcher of Japanese Buddhist sculpture, and served as Chief of Cultural Administration at the Agency for Cultural Affairs and as Head of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems of TOBUNKEN. He passed away in 1998 due to illness.
Since our receipt of the materials from his family, we have been gradually organizing them, and we are now pleased to announce that all the materials have been made available to the public (松島健旧蔵資料 :: 東文研アーカイブデータベース).
The contents include materials related to cultural property designations, restoration records, research materials, paper prints, survey records of Buddhist sculptures, and handwritten research notes that Mr. MATSUSHIMA handled while working at the Agency for Cultural Affairs. These demonstrate his activities as both a cultural property administrator and a Buddhist sculptural historian. The donated materials were largely classified from the outset or organized chronologically into files. Handwritten notes, such as those compiling Buddhist sculptures with known production dates into a chronological table, revealed his meticulous and earnest character as a researcher. These collections of materials, which were left behind by researchers, contain valuable and unique information. However, some of the materials lacked suitable management and public access venues, and, in the worst cases, some have been discarded.
Since its foundation, TOBUNKEN’s mission has been to create an archive of materials for art research. Although our staff and budget are limited, we will continue to work hard to collect and publish research materials.
Some of the donated materials on Enkū
Organizing the donated materials
Mr. HASEGAWA Masashige (1933~2023) devoted his life to researching Enkū, a Buddhist sculptor of the Edo period, as an independent researcher. Enkū had travelled around Japan as a Shugendô monk. He created many Buddhist statues wherever he went, and his works are estimated to number in the thousands throughout Japan. Mr. HASEGAWA served as Chairman of the Enkū Academic Society for many years.
Following the death of Mr. HASEGAWA, his family expressed to us that they would like to donate his materials, particularly those relating to research, to The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). Thereafter, Ms. MAIZAWA Rei from the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, regularly visited his house in Aichi with Dr. MITA Kakuyuki from Nara National Museum to organize the materials. These materials were officially donated in October 2024, and we have finally received them all.
Mr. HASEGAWA travelled all over Japan searching for works by Enkū. He took a number of photographs and made records of every work he saw, and his house was filled with these materials. These materials are extremely important, not only because they contain hard-to-obtain reference materials and photos of Enkū’s works from across Japan, but also because they include photos of works that have been lost due to theft.
Ms. EMURA Tomoko, Mr. TASHIRO Yūichirō, and Ms. KUROSAKI Kao from TOBUNKEN, and Mr. ŌSAKI Rui from Kuwansei Gakuin University, participated in the work of organizing the materials. Mr. FUNAHASHI Masayasu, Mr. KATŌ Susumu, and Mr. OCHIAI Katsuyoshi, who were engaged in research with Mr. HASEGAWA, also helped immensely. We will be organizing the donated materials over the next few years, so that they can be accessed and used by many people as the “Enkū Archive.”
Workshop at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
Symposium at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, under the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ grant-in-aid project entitled “Activities for Exchanges in International Cooperation for Conservation of Cultural Heritage,” is conducting the “Project for Sudanese Cultural Heritage Expert Capacity Building Workshop” in fiscal year 2025. As part of this project, a four-day workshop was held at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties from August 13th to 16th, and a related symposium, “Protecting Cultural Heritage and Museums Affected by Armed Conflict: The Case of the Republic of Sudan,” was held in the afternoon of the 16th.
Ongoing armed conflict broke out in the Republic of Sudan in April 2023, and many cultural heritage sites and museums remain at risk. The purpose of this project was to discuss how cultural heritage experts in Sudan and Japan can cooperate to protect cultural heritage amid such armed conflict.
Three Sudanese experts and one British expert were invited to Japan for this project, with six Japanese experts participating. During the four-day workshop, participants shared information about the current state of Sudan’s cultural heritage and discussed specific methods of international support for its protection.
A related symposium was co-hosted by the ICOM Japan Committee and the ICOMOS Japan National Committee. In addition to speeches by the three Sudanese experts, five Japanese presenters offered reports and recommendations for cultural heritage protection and international cooperation during armed conflict. The symposium was open to the public and attracted 70 participants. Many participants commented that it was a valuable opportunity to learn about the situation in Sudan, which is still little known in Japan.
While the situation in Sudan remains unpredictable, various initiatives, including the rehabilitation of museums, have begun. We hope to continue our international cooperation efforts to protect cultural heritage in the Republic of Sudan.
Interview at a sake brewery (Gose City, Nara Prefecture)
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and the Intangible Heritage Bureau of the National Heritage Service of the Republic of Korea have been conducting research exchanges since 2008. This includes a joint research exchange program in which staff from one institution are dispatched to the other for two to four weeks. In 2025, Ms. Cho Sun Young was dispatched from Korea from July 14 to August 2 to conduct joint research on Japan’s “traditional sake brewing.”
It is still recent news that “traditional sake brewing” was registered as a National Intangible Cultural Property in 2021 and subsequently inscribed on UNESCO’s “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” in 2024. In the Republic of Korea, Munbaeju (a distilled liquor from the Pyongan Province region), Myoncheon Doju (a brewed liquor from the Myoncheon region of Chungcheongnam-do), and Gyeongju Gyodong Beopju (a brewed liquor from Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang Province) are designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage with certified holders or holding groups, while Makgeolli brewing is a traditional community brewing method without a certified holder or holding group. Each of these items of cultural heritage is being protected and promoted with efforts to safeguard them.
Field research was conducted in the cities of Aizuwakamatsu and Kitakata in Fukushima Prefecture and Nishinomiya in Hyogo Prefecture, Gose City in Nara Prefecture, Kyoto City in Kyoto Prefecture, and in Tokyo. During the research, we visited sake breweries and brewing companies, interviewed people involved in sake brewing, and heard about the current state, challenges, and outlook for traditional sake brewing.
What was interesting while listening to these stories was that at every place we visited, we heard the following comment: “Even though it’s traditional sake brewing, we actively introduce mechanization and automation where possible. However, only humans can make the decisions on adjustments of the flavor. The parts that humans are involved in won’t change, and we think that’s tradition.” We heard the same comments from sake breweries that produce on a large scale in factories as from breweries that produce on a small scale with a staff of just approximately a dozen people.
We tend to think of “tradition” as preserving the same old forms without changing them. However, intangible cultural heritage is living heritage of today and change often leads to continuity. Through this joint research, we had the opportunity to rethink the intrinsic qualities of intangible cultural heritage.
Ms. Cho Sun Young’s preliminary research results were presented at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties on August 1st. The results of this project will be compiled into a report entitled “Japan-Korea Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Report.”
Study group, presentation by Dr. Chinghsin Wu
From a sketch by SAMIZU Kōhei. The upper right corner reads “October, in Yogyakarta,” indicating that it was drawn in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in October 1942.
From April to August of this year, Associate Teaching Professor Chinghsin Wu of Rutgers University in the United States visited our institute as a visiting researcher. Specializing in modern art, Dr. Wu had previously visited Japan as a visiting researcher at our institute in 2007, conducting research on Japanese surrealism centered on the work of KOGA Harue. During this recent stay, she focused her research on the portrayal of imagery in Taiwan in modern Japanese art.
On July 17, we held a hybrid seminar, featuring presentations by Professor Wu and Ms. MORIKAWA Monami, a curator at the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art. Dr. Wu gave a presentation titled “The Activities and Development of Modern Japanese Painters in Taiwan: Focusing on the Works of KINOSHITA Seigai and Other Japanese Painters of the Same Era Before and After Their Move to Taiwan,” in which she discussed the changes in the themes and styles of paintings by Japanese painters who were active in Taiwan during the colonial era, such as KINOSHITA Seigai (1887-1988) and GOHARA Kotoh (1887-1965), after their move to Taiwan. Ms. MORIKAWA’s presentation, “SAMIZU Kōhei’s Southern Military Sketches: Records of Japan’s Occupied Territories and Colonies during Wartime,” introduced the wartime military sketches of oil painter SAMIZU Kōhei (1904–1997) and pointed out the historical value of sketches he created in Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Manchuria, and other locations as visual records of Japan’s occupied territories. In the discussion following the presentation, the presenters exchanged opinions on the image of the “South” as depicted by Japanese painters before the war. Researchers from inside and outside the Institute also joined in the discussion, which focused on the painting styles seen in the flower-and-bird paintings of Seigai and Kotoh, as well as the significance of SAMIZU’s sketches of the occupied territories during the war.
Tour of the laboratories
Lecture on analytical investigation
Group discussion on the conservation environment
Q&A lecture on deterioration and conservation of outdoor materials
An annual course, called the “Training Course for Museum Curators in Charge of Conservation (Advanced Course) in 2025,” was held from July 7 to 11, 2025. This training course, which has been held at the Institute since 1984, was originally a single general course, and was reorganized into a “Basic Course” and an “Advanced Course” in 2021, with the aim of enabling curators in charge of conservation at museums to acquire appropriate expertise necessary for their work, from basic to advanced.
The “Basic Course,” conducted by the National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties, is designed to provide curators in charge of the conservation environment in museums with a wide range of knowledge and skills.
The “Advanced Course” covers not only the conservation environment, but also general conservation of cultural properties, and is conducted by the Center for Conservation Science. In the 2025 Advanced Course, lectures and practical training based on research results in various research fields were conducted by the Center for Conservation Science, and lectures on the conservation and restoration of various cultural properties and cultural property rescue were provided by external lecturers. This year, as the use of fumigants that are effective against mold has been restricted, there was a lot of interest in lectures and practical training on alternatives.
The lecture topics were as follows:
・Theory of restoration of cultural properties
・Scientific investigation of cultural properties
・Air quality (about air quality / effects of air pollution on cultural properties / concepts of ventilation)
・Theory and discuss of storage environment
・Introduction and practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for cultural properties
・Types and characteristics of restoration materials
・Deterioration and conservation of outdoor materials
・Protection of heritage of modernization
・Conservation and restoration of various cultural properties
・Disaster prevention in museums
・Conservation and restoration of folk artifacts
・Preservation of large volumes of documents, and countermeasures against deterioration
・Conservation and restoration of works on paper
・Preservation and management of photographs
Participants commented, “I was able to gain a lot of knowledge that can be used in cultural heritage preservation throughout the region, not just at my own museum, so I would like to share the information with curators in the area and put the knowledge I gained into practice from a broader perspective,” and “Throughout the training period, I was able to connect with other participants, and it was a good opportunity to meet colleagues from all over the country who are in the same position and with whom I can consult more professionally about practical issues.” These comments suggest that this training served as a forum for building connections with other museums, which was one of the aims of the training. There were also comments that it would be good to have more opportunities for discussion and practical training in addition to lectures, and we will consider further enhancing the content of the training in the future.
UNESCO Headquarters: Venue of the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee
A scene from the deliberations in Salle I (main hall) during the session
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) dispatched three staff members to participate in the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from July 6 to 16, 2025. This year’s committee session was originally planned to be held in Bulgaria, which had been appointed to the presidency. However, the venue was changed during the preparation process due to security concerns.
Although the session usually proceeds smoothly, this time it began in an unusually chaotic manner, due to a proposal requested by the delegation of Türkiye for the exclusion of the NGO “Save the Tigris Foundation” as an observer and the addition of an agenda item to discuss Japan’s response to the World Heritage Committee’s decision at its 39th Session regarding the “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution” requested by the delegation of the Republic of Korea. The proposal to add the agenda item was finally rejected by secret ballot among the Committee members, as consensus could not be reached despite exhaustive discussions that exceeded the scheduled time. On the other hand, the proposal to exclude the NGO from observer status was approved with minimal discussion, prompting widespread concern and objection from State Parties regarding how the Committee members handled the matter.
In the review of the state of conservation of inscribed properties, 248 sites were discussed, including 56 listed as “World Heritage in Danger,” and 3 sites were successfully removed from the Danger List. Recently, an increasing number of properties remaining on the Danger List for extended periods has been recognized by the Committee as a serious concern. State Parties are strongly encouraged to make greater efforts to improve the conditions of these sites. In the establishment of the World Heritage List, 31 sites were discussed, and 26 sites were newly inscribed. A continuing trend of the Committee to overturn the evaluations of the Advisory Bodies has been noted, as evidenced by the fact that only 16 sites received a recommendation for inscription from the Advisory Bodies. However, some progress can be seen in bridging the gap between the evaluations of the Advisory Bodies and the perspectives of State Parties, as many properties have been inscribed with revised nominations that incorporate recommendations to improve their conservation status. As a result of this session, 170 out of 196 State Parties now have properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, with Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau joining for the first time. The uneven regional distribution of inscribed properties has been a long-standing issue for the Committee, as it undermines the representativeness of the World Heritage List. Efforts to correct systemic imbalances have been undertaken, including an updated and in-depth gap analysis conducted by the Advisory Bodies.
In addition, after discussions involving both supporting and opposing views, the outcome of the International Conference on Heritage Authenticity in Africa, held in Nairobi last May with support from the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Capacity-Building of Human Resources, was ultimately adopted by the Committee. This is expected to mark a turning point in the revision of value evaluation criteria within the World Heritage system.
The next session of the World Heritage Committee will be held in Busan, Korea, in July next year. TOBUNKEN will continue to monitor developments related to World Heritage and will actively collect and share a wide range of information.
The wall painting before and after cleaning
Scene of the work in progress
The apse after cleaning
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage is conducting a joint research project on the conservation and restoration of mural paintings on the interior walls of St. Michael’s Church (Keşlik Monastery) in Cappadocia, Turkey, in cooperation with domestic and international experts and academic institutions.
From June 21 to July 15, 2025, an on-site investigation was conducted in accordance with a conservation and restoration plan formulated based on the findings of the previous year’s field study. The work focused on cleaning the apse area of the church and reinforcing deteriorated plaster layers in the nave that were at risk of detachment. The wall paintings in this church had been obscured by a thick layer of soot for over a century, and no one in recent times had seen their full imagery. Through the careful and safe removal of these long-accumulated deposits during the recent cleaning process, the original colors and fine details of the paintings have been vividly revealed. This has enabled a more detailed examination of the initial iconographic design and painting techniques, yielding new insights into the chronology and stylistic characteristics of the works. Of particular significance is the fact that the practicality of the technical approach taken to the conservation and restoration, systematically developed through this research, was validated during the actual intervention. This constitutes a highly meaningful outcome, both academically and in terms of conservation practice.
This joint research project is an international conservation and restoration initiative led by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, in collaboration with specialized institutions and universities both within and outside of Turkey. In the current phase of the project, scientific conservation methods and three-dimensional measurement technologies were introduced with the aim of assessing the condition of the wall paintings during the conservation and restoration process. By examining the subject from multiple scientific and physical perspectives, the project seeks to establish conservation and restoration methods that are closely aligned with the specific characteristics of the wall paintings. This multifaceted and meticulous approach has been highly regarded as a pioneering case without precedent even within Turkey and has drawn significant attention. Moving forward, we aim to continue these meaningful activities in response to such expectations, contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of cultural heritage.
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025. a delegation of researchers from the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), Korea, visited our Institute. The NRICH is an agency under the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, dedicated to the research and investigation of various aspects of Korean cultural heritage. The institution traces its origins to the Cultural Heritage Research Office of the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau, established in 1969. Currently, it operates with an organizational structure comprising two divisions, six departments, and one team—namely, the Division of Administrative Operations, the Division of Research Planning, the Department of Archaeological Research, the Department of Art and Cultural Heritage Research, the Department of Architectural Cultural Heritage Research, the Department of Conservation Science Research, the Department of Restoration Technology Research, the Department of Safety and Disaster Prevention Research, and the Digital Cultural Heritage Research Information Team, respectively. In addition, the NRICH maintains seven regional research centers (located in Gyeongju, Buyeo, Gaya, Naju, Jungwon, Seoul, and Wanju), as well as a Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center.
Since 2023, the NRICH has been contributing information on Korean artists to the Union List of Artist Names (ULAN, https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/ulan/), a database managed by the Getty Research Institute (GRI) in the United States. Prior to this, our Institute had already begun collaborating with the Getty Research Institute in 2016, supplying digital data and bibliographic information on our library holdings to the Getty Research Portal (GRP, https://portal.getty.edu/)—a digital collection of art-related literature from institutions around the world. This prior collaboration served as a model case and facilitated the current exchange.
The delegation, consisting of five researchers led by Ms. Kim Eun-young, Director of the Department of Art and Cultural Heritage Research, was welcomed by Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki (Head, Modern and Contemporary Art Section, Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems) and Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro (Researcher, The Archives Section, Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems). After a presentation on our Institute’s initiatives, both parties engaged in a productive discussion. Although based in different countries, both institutions share commonalities in the cultural context of East Asia. The discussion addressed ways to effectively disseminate information on East Asian art and culture to Western audiences, and explored avenues for future collaboration.
Our Institute is currently the only institution in Japan engaged in joint projects with the Getty Research Institute. Building on this priority status, we hope to further expand our international network and fulfill our role as a central “hub” for scholarly exchange between Japan and the world, thereby contributing more comprehensively to academic research in Japan.
(Materials from Our Institute’s Collection Registered in the GRP)
・Japanese Art Exhibition Catalogs（951 records）
・Complete series of Japanese Art of Meiji period（64 records）
・Compilation of Artist’s Seals（85 records）
・Ranking List of Japanese Artist（61 records）
・Oda Kazuma Collection （135 records）
・Maeda Seison Collection（269 records）
・Rare Books （335 records）
・Japanese Wood Print Books（210 records）
etc.
A prototype database of Bibliograhic Records from Yearbook of Japanese Art (Nihon bijutsu nenkan)
Nihon bijutsu nenkan (Year Book of Japanese Art, hereinafter called “NENKAN” https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/publication/nenkan/nenkan.html) is a data book that compiles trends in the art world in Japan over the course of a year. It was first published in 1936, and been published annually since, by the Art Research Institute of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, the predecessor of Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). Starting with the 2022 edition, published in January 2025, a major revision was made by removing a “References Published in Periodicals” section that had long been included in the NENKAN, and instead making them available only on the database.
As an associate fellow of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, I conducted a presentation titled “Current Status and Issues of Nihon bijutsu nenkan” on June 5, 2025. I reported on the recent revision of NENKAN and also discussed future issues for NENKAN. The exhibition information published in the NENKAN, which is based on media available in Tokyo, is naturally biased toward the Kanto region. As one solution to this problem, I proposed a new means of information gathering through collaboration with other institutions. In the discussion following the presentation, opinions were exchanged on the significance of the institute continuing to publish NENKAN and compiling a chronological historical record, as well as anticipated issues in collaboration with other institutions.
In the future, we aim to further improve the “References in Exhibition Catalogues” section, a unique section of NENKAN, and to build a database that reflects the classification system we have developed to date for describing and understanding the art world, and to introduce a system for instantly publishing “References in Periodicals” information entered within the institute. Not only will we continue the publication of NENKAN, which has a long history, but we will also strive to provide information that is more accessible to many people, based on modern methods of providing information.
