| ■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 |
|
“Biography of HISHIDA Shunso, Part I” from “Documents from the Meiji and Taisho Art History Compilation Project” Mr. ODAKANE Taro, a researcher at the Institute of Art Research, compiled a critical biography of the Japanese painter HISHIDA Shunso in 1938. The results were made public in 1940 as the 9th series of “Bijutsu Kenkyu Shiryo” (Art Research Materials).
On May 1, information on “Documents from the Meiji and Taisho Art History Compilation Project” was released on the Institute’s website “Material Archives.”
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/
joho/japanese/library/pdf/
archives_TOBUNKEN_MEIJITAISHO02.pdf
The Meiji and Taisho Art History Compilation Project was a prewar compilation project conducted by the Institute of Art Research, the predecessor of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN), which focused on the collection of materials related to art of the Meiji and Taisho periods and the creation of critical biographies of artists. The “Meiji and Taisho Masterpieces Exhibition” held at the Tokyo Prefectural Art Museum (now the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum) in 1927 under the auspices of the Asahi Shimbun was so well received that a committee was set up to compile a history of Meiji and Taisho art. In 1932, the Institute of Art Research began a compilation project funded with the profits from the exhibition donated by the Asahi Shimbun Company. Many of the art books and magazines from the Meiji and Taisho periods in the Institute’s collection were collected through this project.
The materials that have been made available to the public at this time are review biographies of artists and manuscripts of original materials written by researchers who were involved in the project. Some of the materials, such as “Historical Materials of Oil Paintings by TAKAHASHI Yuichi” (owned by Tokyo University of the Arts), have already been published, but others are valuable because they are transcriptions of materials whose existence is unknown. Advance reservations are required to view the collection.
We hope you will make use of these materials, which convey the spirit of research on Japanese modern art during the period of the Institute of Art Research.
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/special_collection/index.html
Dedicated terminal for viewing high-resolution optical survey images in the Library
Thumbnail overview of all six volumes
Enlarged view of the calligraphic text section
We have been conducting collaborative research with domestic and international scholars on the Shuten-dōji Handscrolls by Sumiyoshi Hiroyuki, discovered in Leipzig, Germany, in 2019 (hereafter referred to as the “Leipzig Scrolls”). As of May 22, 2025, we had made the entire six-volume Leipzig Scrolls available to the public as digital content in the Library of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
Handscrolls (emaki) are a horizontal narrative painting format. When printed in books, viewing the entire work at once requires significant reduction of the size of the image, making it difficult to observe details. With the digital content, however, users can freely scroll, zoom in and out on any section, and view transcribed text alongside the text image.
Volumes 1 and 6 of the Leipzig Scrolls returned to Japan for the first time and displayed to the public at the Suntory Museum of Art as part of the Shuten Dōji Begins exhibition, which ran until June 15, 2025. The exhibition concluded successfully with positive reception.
In the digital content format, users can also view every scene from Volumes 2 through 5, which were not included in the exhibition.
Please refer to the Tobunken Library Visitor’s Guide before accessing the content.
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/library.html
Scene from the seminar
The Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems regularly invites distinguished scholars from abroad to deliver presentations as part of its research seminar series. This year, on May 21, we hosted Mr. Tim T. Zhang from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for a presentation titled “On the Grape Paintings by Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai).”
Motsurin Jōtō (d. 1492), a Zen monk also known by the name Bokusai, was a devoted disciple of Ikkyū Sōjun (1394–1481). Following Ikkyū’s death, Motsurin dedicated himself to preserving and transmitting his teacher’s legacy. For Motsurin, the brush served as a crucial means for inheriting and embodying Ikkyū’s teachings as well as maintaining his monastic order after the master’s passing, as evidenced by his numerous calligraphic works, inscriptions on portraits, and inscribed paintings. The grape painting, in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies this body of work.
In his seminar presentation, Mr. Zhang offered a close comparative analysis of the grape painting held by the Metropolitan Museum and the version housed in the Tokyo National Museum, meticulously examining the differences in artistic expression and historical context. He analyzed the five-character quatrain inscribed on the Met’s painting, which features the term rishu (lízhū in Chinese)—a precious pearl said to lie beneath a black dragon’s jaw. Mr. Zhang demonstrated how the term functions as a poetic metaphor for grapes. He argued that, within the context of Motsurin’s inscription, the grapes come to symbolize the wisdom attained through sudden enlightenment.
Mr. Zhang further observed that Motsurin appears to have touched the painted grapes with his inked fingers, leaving visible fingerprints. This physical act, he suggested, evidences his grasping of wisdom while also represents a deliberate, performative gesture grounded in the calligraphy and painting tradition of suiboku (zuìmò in Chinese, literally, “intoxicated ink”). By integrating this embodied act with the inscription’s emphasis on intoxication, Mr. Zhang revealed the work’s underlying intent to celebrate the enlightenment that Motsurin attained under his teacher’s guidance.
Mr. Zhang’s presentation illuminated the interplay between poetic symbolism and visual representation, and the immediacy of bodily traces embedded within the calculated composition. Through Motsurin’s brushwork and fingerprints, the seminar revealed how Buddhist wisdom and reverence for Ikkyū find tangible form in an interwoven practice of painting, calligraphy, and verse, known as the “Three Perfections,” leaving a deep impression on all participants.
This research seminar provided a valuable opportunity to broaden our international perspectives on the study of Zen monastic art in East Asia and opened new avenues for future collaboration and research.
We remain committed to actively inviting leading scholars from abroad and to fostering meaningful scholarly exchange on a global scale.
Performance by master HAYASHIYA Shojaku
Talk show featuring master HAYASHIYA Shojaku (right) and Mr. MIYA Nobuaki (left)
On May 23, 2025, a symposium entitled “Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties’ Recording Project for Performing Arts (Rakugo): Stories of Shohon Shibai Banashi by Master HAYASHIYA Shojaku” was held in the seminar room of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN).
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been conducting projects to record performances of intangible cultural properties, mainly classical performing arts, selecting genres and repertoires that are rarely performed in public. As part of this project, we have been recording live performances of the traditional Japanese stories called Shohon Shibai Banashi by master HAYASHIYA Shojaku since 2013, and now that the number of performances has reached sixty, we decided to hold a symposium to review the records of his performance works.
The symposium began with an opening remark and introduction given by Ms. MAEHARA Megumi, Head of the Intangible Cultural Properties Section, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, followed by a presentation by Mr. IJIMA Mitsuru, Visiting Researcher of TOBUNKEN, entitled “The Project to Record Performances of Shohon Shibai Banashi at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties,” and a presentation by Mr. MIYA Nobuaki, Associate Professor, Kyoto University of the Arts, entitled “The World of Shohon Shibai Banashi.” Next, the master HAYASHIYA Shojaku performed “Masakado” (without props) and ‘Suimon-mae’ (with props) from “Shinkei Kasanegafuchi,” and the event was recorded in front of the audience. In addition, in a discussion between master HAYASHIYA Shojaku and Mr. MIYA, master Shojaku shared stories of how he became attracted to and learned Shohon Shibai Banashi, as well as his thoughts on the future of Shohon Shibai Banashi. The event concluded with a closing remark by ISHIMURA Tomo, Director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
These recordings of master HAYASHIYA Shojaku’s performances (Shohon Shibai Banashi) will soon be available to view (with a few exceptions) at the TOBUNKEN library. An announcement will be made on our website when these become available.
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage will continue to record classical performing arts that are rarely performed, and make them available to the public in an appropriate manner, in an effort to contribute to the preservation of intangible cultural properties.
Conference venue
Presentation scene (poster session）
Presentation scene (oral session）
From May 6 to May 9, 2025, three members of the Center for Conservation Science―Dr. AKIYAMA Junko (Head of Preventive Conservation Section), Dr. Chi Chih Lien (Associate Fellow, Analytical Science Section), and Ms. TERASHIMA Kai (Research Assistant, Analytical Science Section)—participated in the International Conference on Analytical Techniques for Heritage Studies and Conservation – TECHNART 2025, held in Perugia, Italy.
TECHNART is an international conference focused on scientific approaches to the analysis of cultural heritage. The 2025 program featured the latest developments in non-invasive, imaging-based analytical techniques such as Macro X-ray Fluorescence Scanning (MA-XRF), Macro X-ray Powder Diffraction Scanning (MA-XRPD), and Reflectance Imaging Spectroscopy (RIS), as well as studies on image analysis using machine learning and the development of environmentally sustainable conservation materials. (See: TECHNART 2025 program.pdf)
Dr. Chi presented a poster entitled “Analysis of Green Coloring Materials in the Takamatsu Matsudaira Family Illustrated Book on Natural History Using Hyperspectral Imaging.” Focusing on a designated tangible cultural property of Kagawa Prefecture, the study employed hyperspectral reflectance data and principal component analysis (PCA) to classify and identify the green colorants used. This approach, which integrates large-scale spectral datasets with statistical methods, proved effective for gaining insight into painting materials and techniques. Discussions and exchanges during the session further underscored the importance of developing comprehensive pigment databases and advancing multidimensional data analysis as shared international challenges.
Ms. TERASHIMA gave an oral presentation titled “Investigation on the Use of Smalt in 17th–18th-Century Japanese Illustrations Using MA-XRF and RIS-VNIR,” focusing on two-dimensional spectroscopic analysis of Edo-period paintings. This presentation highlighted the use of smalt (blue pigments made from cobalt-containing glass), commonly seen in Western oil paintings, in Japanese artworks, and discussed its unique application and coloring effects. Presentations by participants from the United States and Portugal on similar topics reflected international interest, providing valuable opportunities for comparative perspectives and deeper discussions.
Many of the international research teams included not only experts in conservation science and cultural heritage science but also developers of hardware and software for analytical instruments, demonstrating an interdisciplinary approach. While cross-disciplinary research is advancing in Japan as well, further expansion of venues for diverse presentations will be key to future development. Insights gained through participation in this conference will be integrated into ongoing and future research activities.
Survey on the façade elements of historic houses in Kirtipur
Kirtipur, located in the southwest of Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, is on the Tentative Lists of World Heritage Sites as the “Medieval historic settlement of Kirtipur.” However, due to rapid urbanization and damage caused by the Gorkha earthquake in 2015, the historic townscape of Kirtipur has been changing; notably, the number of privately owned historic houses has been decreasing, the degree of which has not yet been ascertained.
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) and the Kirtipur Municipal Government have been taking inventory of historic houses in Old Kirtipur, along with a pilot case study of preservation of a historic house.（https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/ekatudo/2385501.html）
During a mission that took place from May 23 to 31, 2025, TOBUNKEN staff, a Kirtipur Municipal Engineer, and a Nepalese expert conducted a survey for the inventory of historic houses, including a study on the façade elements of those houses. While 137 houses were listed in the previous survey, conducted in July of last year, this time we added more cases, bringing the total number of candidate houses to 164. Studies of the façade elements of all candidates revealed the features of the historic houses and layers of time that span the unique history of Old Kirtipur.
The collected data will be analyzed, including discussions regarding the materials involved in the construction, to clarify the criteria for what constitutes a “Historic House of Kirtipur.” This inventory of historic houses is expected to be not only useful as a record of historic houses in Kiritpur, but also as basic data for creating a regulatory framework to support the preservation of historic houses in Kiritpur.
Dr. Hisham Elleithy
Prof. Miroslav Bárta
On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) held a symposium entitled “Archaeology and International Cooperation in Egypt.” This symposium is part of an annual series that has been held since 2021, each year focusing on a different region. It aims to promote the protection of cultural heritage through the sharing of archaeological research results, as well as reports on collaborative projects such as site conservation and capacity building.
This year’s symposium focused on Egypt and was structured in two parts: keynote lectures by invited researchers from Egypt and from the Czech Republic; and project reports from various sites of Japan’s international cooperation efforts in Egypt.
First of all, we were honored to receive a welcome address from Prof. Sakuji Yoshimura, President of Higashi-Nippon International University and a pioneering figure in Japanese Egyptology.
In Session I, Dr. Hisham Elleithy of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt, delivered a keynote lecture entitled “Recent and Ongoing International Joint Projects for the Egyptian Antiquities.” He presented archival work related to the Nubian Monuments Salvage Campaign, collaborative site management projects with France, South Korea, and Germany, and recent excavation achievements. This was followed by a lecture by Prof. Miroslav Bárta of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University, entitled “Cooperation on the Pyramid Fields: Abusir and Saqqara.” He presented an overview of the history of excavations conducted by the Czech team at the Abusir necropolis and introduced an ongoing re-excavation project at the so-called “Mariette Cemetery” in North Saqqara—originally explored by a French director of antiquities in the late 19th century but only fragmentarily published.
In Session II, the respective work and results of eight Japanese projects covering archaeological excavations, conservation, and capacity-building in Egypt were presented, entitled as follows:
“Conservation and Reconstruction of the Second Boat of Khufu” (Prof. KUROKOCHI Hiromasa; Ms. YAMADA Ayano)
“Wall Painting Conservation of the Mastaba Tomb of Idout” (Ms. SUITA Mariko)
“Excavation Project at North Saqqara” (Prog. Dr. KAWAI Nozomu)
“Excavation at Al-Khokha on the West Bank of Luxor” (Prof. Emeritus KONDO Jiro)
“Conservation of the Wall Paintings in the Royal Tomb of Amenhotep III” (Prof. NISHISAKA Akiko)
“GEM-CC (Grand Egyptian Museum Conservation Center) and GEM-JC (Joint Conservation) Projects” (Prof. TANIGUCHI Yoko)
“Excavation at Akoris” (Dr. HANASAKA Tetsu)
“Excavation at Kom al-Dibaʾ” (Prof. HASEGAWA So)
The symposium drew a significant number of researchers and graduate students, providing a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the importance of deepening archaeological knowledge through international collaboration. It also offered new prospects for academic contributions to cultural heritage preservation. Moreover, the event proved to be particularly meaningful by enabling participants to present their ongoing activities together with diverse Japanese projects beyond their institutional or team affiliations in one forum. The invited foreign experts also appreciated the opportunity to gain a comprehensive overview of the contributions being made by Japanese scholars in Egypt.
Investigation of artwork in the Museum of Art and Design Hamburg (Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg)
Although many artworks produced in Japan are housed in institutions overseas—particularly in Europe and North America—there are only a limited number of specialists abroad who are well-versed in their conservation and restoration. As a result, when such works are undergoing deterioration or have sustained damage, it is often difficult to carry out restoration at the appropriate time and using suitable methods. Consequently, these artworks may not only become unavailable for exhibition or educational use, but also risk further deterioration.
In response to this situation, the cooperative program offers support for the conservation and restoration of Japanese artworks housed in museums, art galleries, and libraries overseas, either by bringing the artworks to Japan for restoration or by providing expert conservation advice.
Between May 26 and 29, 2025, a detailed investigation of the current condition of the work The Moon and Autumn Plants, a two-panel folding screen by IKEDA Koson, was conducted at the Museum of Art and Design Hamburg (Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg). The museum had expressed concern regarding the condition of the work, which has not been exhibited in recent years.
The investigation revealed various forms of deterioration and damage, including flaking and loss of pigments, as well as weakening of the underlying support and lining paper. These findings confirmed that the artwork is in urgent need of conservation treatment. Additionally, it was found that the screen had undergone one or more previous disassembling restorations. During those treatments, the backing paper (karakami) and the wooden frame were reassembled in positions and orientations that differed from their original state.
Meanwhile, in the previous fiscal year, we conducted investigations and provided on-site conservation advice at the Baur Foundation, Museum of Far Eastern Art (Switzerland), the Museum Rietberg (Switzerland), and the National Museum in Poznań (Poland). Based on the findings of these investigations, preparations are currently underway to begin the restoration in Japan on the Emperor’s Visit, an eight-panel folding screen from the collection of the Museum Rietberg.
Survey of a house in Zhemgang province
Stone masonry house in Gasa province in northwest
Since 2012, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been continuously engaged in research on vernacular houses in Bhutan, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development (DCDD), Ministry of Home Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan. The DCDD promotes a policy of preserving and utilizing vernacular houses by integrating them into the legal protecting framework of cultural heritage, while TOBUNKEN supports the initiative from academic and technical aspects. During a survey mission from May 13 to 23, 2025, two staff members of TOBUNKEN, one external expert from Japan, and two DCDD officials carried out the survey of traditional houses in middle, southern, and northwestern Bhutan.
Based on location information collected in advance by the DCDD, we surveyed three stone houses, one rammed earth house, and a bamboo house with post and beam structure in Zhemgang province in the south; three rammed earth houses and six stone houses in Trongsa province in the middle area; and two stone houses in Gasa province in the northwest. Among these, some upper-class houses were found to have extremely thick and substantial stone masonry walls.
As an overview of the traditional houses in Bhutan, rammed earth structures are dominant in the western area where the capital Thimphu is located, while stone masonry structures are so in the eastern and higher northern area. The previous joint surveys revealed that the border between the areas in which these two construction methods are applied is situated around Bumthang province in the middle of Bhutan. The survey conducted on this mission confirmed the architectural features of stone masonry houses in the south and northwest area of Bhutan and clarified a part of the border area of rammed earth house distribution, which is centered on the western area. It could be considered that the differences in construction methods are defined by the various local conditions, such as geographical features, natural resources, material supplies, availability of craftsmen, or by family status, social position, and so on. Further investigation into the distribution and coexistence of these two construction methods is expected to provide additional clues to understand the transition and transmission of the architectural methods of houses in Bhutan.
The surveys were conducted with the support of a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) “Vernacular Stone Masonry Houses of Bhutan: A Study on the Architectural Characteristics and the Suitable Approach for Protection as Cultural Heritage” (Principal Researcher: TOMODA Masahiko).
Database table relationships
Since the 2022 fiscal year, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been involved in “The Investigation of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts” as part of the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “TAKUMI Project,” and the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems is in charge of the “Archiving of Cultural Property Restoration Records” initiative. As reported, on March 31, 2025, a prototype of the “Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts)” was made publicly available online. A study meeting on this database and Restoration Records for Cultural Properties was held on April 17, 2025.
The structure and operation of this database, its status as official documentation of the restoration records regarding nationally designated cultural properties, the current situation of the source materials, and future developments were reported by Mr. OYAMADA Tomohiro, Ms. YAMANAGA Naomi, and Mr. TARASHIMA Satoshi. In a discussion that took place after the meeting, in addition to questions about the presentation, various issues were raised, such as the relationship between databases of collections at museums and art galleries and repair records, and the scope of information to be collected.
It is true that there is an impression that restorations of cultural properties are unavoidable actions taken in response to deterioration due to aging or damage by other causes. For this reason, restoration records that convey the state of the property before repair have not attracted much public attention. However, in recent years, there has been a growing awareness that cultural properties cannot be preserved unless they are repaired at appropriate intervals, and that past repair records are a great help for their future repairs and preservation. We hope that the publication of this database will encourage further discussion and organization of cultural property repair records.
His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa at the event
Lecturers of the symposium
The Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 started in April, and the Kingdom of Bahrain is hosting a pavilion at the Expo. His Excellency Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), who is in charge of the pavilion, came to Japan to attend the opening ceremony of the expo.
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been undertaking various projects aiming to preserve the cultural heritage in Bahrain for many years. Following a request by H. E. Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the institute held the symposium and experience event, “The History and Culture in Bahrain” jointly with BACA on April 20th in 2025.
Japanese and Bahraini archaeologists and Marikofun, Kofun performer, delivered lectures and participants also enjoyed presentations on the history and culture of Bahrain through various XR contents such as VR experience of Bahraini archaeological sites using VR goggles.
Digital Content of “Dōshoku sai-e”
Research Report on “Kasuga Gongen Genki-e”
Research Report on “Map of the World”
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties uses cutting-edge science and technology to investigate and record the precious cultural properties that our ancestors have protected and passed down, and makes the results open to the public. We have now published Ito Jakuchu’s “Dōshoku Sai-e” (30 scrolls in total) online as part of the digital content of the optical survey conducted by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and the works stored in The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan. (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/doshokusaie/) This website publishes high-resolution photographs of Ito Jakuchu’s “Dōshoku Sai-e” taken during an optical survey conducted as a joint research project between 2001 and 2008 by the Imperial Household Agency’s Sannomaru Shozokan Museum of the Imperial Palace (as it was then) and the data of coloring material analysis using fluorescent X-rays. In addition, we have been publishing reports on “Kasuga Gongen Genki-e” (20 volumes in total), known as a representative picture scroll work from the Kamakura period, two volumes at a time, since 2017, and this is the 10th report, the final volume in the series. We have also published a comprehensive report on the “Map of the World,” including images of related works such as the “Map of the World and Four Capitals Screen” (Kobe City Museum), the “Battle of Tunis and World Map Screen” (Kōsetsu Museum of Art), “Western Kings and Princes on Horseback Screen” (Suntory Museum of Art, Kobe City Museum), and “Western Kings and Princes” (Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture). We hope that this report will be useful in future research.
Cover of the publication
Figures in the publication (items in the maki-e toolbox formerly owned by Mr. Miki Sakae)
Japan-made Lacquered door panels of Wat Ratchapradit
At the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, we have been conducting research on cultural properties located in Thailand in cooperation with the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture, Thailand since 1992. Since 2011, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has been involved in the research of the Japan-made lacquered door panels of Wat Ratchapradit, a first-grade royal temple in Bangkok, providing technical support for a full-scale restoration project of the panels that the Fine Arts Department is currently organizing.
Apart from the lacquered door panels, in Thailand other examples of Japan-made lacquerware can be seen at libraries, museums, temples, palaces and other locations. The exchange between Japan and Thailand in the field of lacquering was not limited to the trade of goods. King Rama V’s profound fascination with Japanese maki-e art prompted him to dispatch Thai students to Japan to master the intricacies of this technique. He also invited Mr. TSURUHARA Zenzaburo to Thailand to gild the principal Buddha statue of Wat Benchamabophit, a first-grade royal temple, with gold leaf. In another example of cultural exchange, Mr. MIKI Sakae had been involved in production and restoration of lacquerwork for over 30 years in Thailand, from 1911, as an expert of the present Fine Arts Department.
Our book titled “Japanese Lacquerwork and Crafrtspersons in Thailand – Study of the Japan-made Lacquerwork Found in Thailand (2) –”, published in March 2025, summarizes the research results on Japanese lacquerware found in Thailand, photographs taken in Thailand documenting such lacquerware, as well as the above-mentioned Japanese craftspersons who worked in Thailand, conducted to date by Japanese and Thai researchers involved in the joint study. These findings provide new insights into the exchange between the two countries in the field of lacquering; and are also useful for understanding the significance of the door panels of Wat Ratchapradit in the history of lacquering, as well as in the history of exchange between Japan and Thailand.
This book is available in public libraries in Japan and some overseas libraries that handle work on Japanese art. As this book presents only a small portion of the Japanese lacquerwork in Thailand, more and more documentary materials on Japanese lacquer craftspersons are being discovered, and therefore experts will continue to study these topics and publish the results.
The seminar
SEIMIYA Naobumi (1917-1991) is known as an artist who expressed his tranquil and poetic world of the mind through woodblock prints and glass paintings. Last year, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) received a donation of materials left by SEIMIYA, including his memoirs, diary, and photographs, from his bereaved family (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/ekatudo/2065846.html), and on March 6, Mr. SUMITA Tsuneo (Chief Curator, Takasaki Museum of Art), who has studied SEIMIYA for many years and acted as an intermediary in donating the materials, gave a presentation titled “The SEIMIYA Materials” at the seminar held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems.
SEIMIYA left many words deeply related to the creation of his works in his journal titled “Zakkan-roku” or “Zakki-cho.” SUMITA’s presentation showed how pictures and words were inseparably linked for SEIMIYA, who himself wrote that he was “a poet who uses ‘pictures’ as a form of expression” (“Zakki-cho,” 1971-72), and made us realize anew the importance of the materials the Institute received.
Mr. INO Koichi (Chief of the Art Division, The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki), who worked with Mr. SUMITA to organize the SEIMIYA materials, participated as a commentator in the discussion that followed the presentation. Although the Institute received only paper materials such as memoirs, diaries, and photographs, other materials left behind include woodblocks, and Mr. INO reported on the issues involved in their preservation and utilization. During the discussion, staff members of the Institute exchanged opinions on the ideal way to preserve the unique materials of the printmakers, including woodblocks.
Examples of the materials in the KUNO collection
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) houses a vast amount of materials, including photographs and research records related to cultural properties, some of which were created and collected by the researchers themselves. The valuable collection of materials left by Mr. KUNO Takeshi (1920-2007), a leading authority on the history of Buddhist sculpture and a member of TOBUKEN, which was donated to the Institute by his bereaved family after his death, is among such materials (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/ekatudo/217654.html).
Some examples of this collection, mainly photographs, are already available in the TOBUNKEN library, and now a list of his handwritten notebooks (312 volumes, 13422 entries), which were KUNO’s favorite item throughout his life, has been sorted and the works are now available to the public. These notebooks contain records of his research on Buddhist sculpture in Japan and abroad, notes on the exhibitions he saw, and the research lectures he attended, and are truly a record of KUNO’s trajectory as a researcher. We have published a list of the contents of the notebooks on our website (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/kuno_note), and the actual notebooks are available in the TOBUNKEN library. We hope that these notebooks will be useful for your research.
Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts)
Year range of authoritative sources and restoration records in this database
Since the 2022 fiscal year, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been involved in the “Investigation of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts” as part of the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ “TAKUMI Project.” In April 2025, we launched a website for this project, providing video documentation, scientific research results, and a database of restoration records related to the tools and raw materials required for restoring fine arts and crafts (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/conservation-arts-crafts/).
In recent years, there has been a growing demand to appropriately preserve and pass down important information such as records of cultural property restoration for future generations. Restoration records not only transmit information about the condition, materials, and structure of works to future generations, but also serve as crucial resources for the management and preservation of cultural properties. However, in the field of fine arts and crafts among nationally designated cultural properties, there have been no comprehensive reports or databases covering restoration records since the enactment of the Law for the Preservation of Ancient Shrines and Temples (Koshaji Hozon-Hō) in 1897. Additionally, restoration reports created in various places have lacked uniformity in content and format, resulting in challenges for information sharing. For these reasons, there is an increasing need today to build a platform for the consolidation and central management of information related to the restoration of cultural properties in the field of fine arts and crafts.
One of the outcomes of this project is the creation and release of a prototype version of the “Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts)” (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/conservation-arts-crafts/records-archives). This database will be continuously updated with restoration information extracted from restoration reports published by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, national museums with conservation-restoration facilities, conservation studios across Japan, and other related organizations. We hope that this database will be widely used for various purposes, including the restoration and management of cultural properties, sharing restoration information, and research activities. In addition, the results obtained through our research will be shared at conferences, symposia, and workshops.
Public image “A Draft Certificate of Authenticity” by SATAKE Tozaburo
In 2021, TOBUNKEN received a donation of paper-based documents (a total of 2,235 items) owned by OIKAWA Takeo (1942 – 2018). He was known as a collector of traditional Japanese musical instruments and related documents. The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been organizing the donated documents and since 2022 has made a database of the documents open to the public on the TOBUNKEN website, as the OIKAWA Takao Collection. The collection covers a wide variety of paper-based documents, with varying formats and period of establishment, based on Japanese traditional musical instruments originating within and outside Japan.
These documents are available for viewing at the TOBUNKEN library by reservation. However, aiming to make these documents more widely available, the department has started to digitize the rare works and those in such condition that their handling is to be avoided. The documents that have already been digitized and are now available are listed in the “pdf” column in the database, available here (Japanese only). We are now continuing our work on digitizing the rest of the documents.
Mr. OIKAWA exhibited his musical instrument collection, which he had collected by himself, at the “Oikawa Museum of Musical Instruments”, and guided the visitors as the museum director from 2003-2015. He wanted visitors to handle these instruments and make sounds with them. Therefore, we believe that making his paper-based documents available to a wider audience follows his aspiration. We hope you will make use of the database.
Certificate of Appreciation for the donation
The Japan Aviation Association (JAA) has donated 19,517 volumes of scientific journals and other materials collected by Mr. YAMAZAKI Yoshio to the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN).
Mr. YAMAZAKI (1903-1981) joined the Aeronautical Research Institute of Tokyo Imperial University before World War II, and was later involved in glider design, production, promotion, and engineering while working as a sports official at the Ministry of Education. Mr. YAMAZAKI collected a wide range of materials related to aircraft development, including documents, drawings, photographs, and materials for model airplanes, as well as scientific magazines (including aviation magazines) mainly from the Taisho and early Showa periods. These scientific journals are in good condition and are valuable documents for research and study of the history of modern heritage.
TOBUNKEN has been conducting joint research with JAA since 2007, and hopes to utilize these materials for future historical research on science and technology. These documents can be searched using the general search function on the TOBUNKEN website (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/archives/?lang=en). The original materials can be viewed in the TOBUNKEN library. Please feel free to use them.
Investigation of the condition of wall paintings in a church using a checklist
Example of a wall painting under investigation
Since 2021, The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation has been involved in Joint research on the maintenance, management, and conservation-restoration of mural paintings under the “International Research on Conservation and Restoration Techniques for Cultural Heritage” program.
As part of this initiative, we are collaborating with the Ministry of Culture and Media of Croatia, the Museum of Istrian History and Maritime Heritage, and the University of Zagreb to develop a maintenance management system for wall paintings in churches in the Istrian region, located in the northwest of Croatia. This region is home to numerous mural paintings created from the medieval period to the Renaissance, with over 150 works currently documented. The aim of this research is to investigate and record the state of conservation of thesewall paintings, and to share the collected data among experts to help in their maintenance and management.
From March 10 to 14, 2025, we conducted a pilot test on site at 12 churches using the checklist on the state of conservation prepared in the previous survey. The checklist was structured based on three main focal points: the building in which the wall paintings were painted, the techniques and materials used for the wall paintings, and the state of conservation. Through the test, we were able to review the checklist items and evolve the checklist into something more practical and effective. We plan to continue implementation testing with the goal of building a digital archive.
The Seminar
The Flyer of the Exhibition
A study meeting on the Shuten-dōji Scroll was held on February 25, 2025. This research has been carried out since 2022 as a project for Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) centering on the Shuten-dōji Scroll (6 volumes, collection of the Grassi Ethnological Museum in Leipzig, hereinafter, “the Leipzig Scroll”) by Sumiyoshi Hiroyuki, and two previous meetings had been held and reported on this theme1. This time, in the final year of the research funded by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, the following presentations were made:
EMURA Tomoko, “The Mysterious Charm of Shuten-dōji”
NAMIKI Seishi (Specially Appointed Professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology), “The Kano School and Shuten-dōji Scroll”
KOBAYASHI Kenji (Professor Emeritus at the National Institute of Japanese Literature), “Resonating Noh and Scrolls”
After the three presentations, UENO Tomoe (Deputy Director of Curatorial Department of the Suntory Museum of Art) spoke as a commentator, and then a Q&A session was held with the audience and online participants. This research project is also cooperating with an exhibition called the “Shuten-dōji Begins: Tales of the Demon Slayer Throughout the Ages,” which will be held at the Suntory Museum of Art from April 29 to June 15 this year. The Leipzig Scroll was specially created as a wedding furnishing for Tanehime, who was adopted by the 10th shogun, TOKUGAWAI Ieharu, and married the 10th Lord of the Kishu clan, TOKUGAWA Harutomi, and this exhibition will be the first time the Leipzig Scroll has been showcased in Japan. We hope that many people will come to see it at the exhibition venue.
For more information about the exhibition, please click here.
