| ■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 |
|
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.
Director Kim Daljin (Kim Daljin Art Research & Consulting) introducing a digital terminal for viewing archival materials
Researcher Ms. Im Jeong-eun (Leeum Museum of Art) explaining the preservation status of the Lee Gu-yeol Collection
Researcher Ms. Lee Ji-hee (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea) outlining the current state of art archive
As part of a research initiative of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, “Comprehensive Research on the Sharing of Research Findings and Scholarly Information on Cultural Properties” (Project Code: SH01), we have been conducting collaborative research with domestic and international institutions to organize and disseminate the outcomes and data of investigations on cultural properties conducted by our Institute in alignment with international standards.
In fiscal year 2025, to examine the current state of art archives in the Republic of Korea—where recent developments in both IT infrastructure and cultural initiatives have attracted growing attention—Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki (Head, Modern and Contemporary Art Section) and Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro (Researcher, The Archives Section) conducted a field study in South Korea from Monday, June 23 to Thursday, June 26.
Their visit began at Kim Daljin Art Research & Consulting, one of South Korea’s pioneering institutions in the field of art archives. There, they met with Director Kim Daljin and Chief Archivist An Hyo-re. Although a privately operated archive, Kim Daljin Art Research & Consulting shares many points in common with our Institute, particularly in the collection of archival materials related to contemporary artists, such as through the acquisition of materials donated by Mr. SASAKI Shigeo. This visit allowed for a fruitful exchange of views concerning the preservation and utilization of archival resources.
They then visited the Leeum Museum of Art, one of Korea’s foremost private art museums. Guided by researcher Ms. Im Jeong-eun, they toured the document consultation room and viewed archival materials—including those related to the renowned modern art critic Lee Gu-yeol (1932–2020)—which had been collected in conjunction with oral history projects.
Their next destination was the Seoul Museum of Art Archives, newly established in 2023 by the Seoul Museum of Art. There, they met with curator Mr. Yu Ye-dong and records researcher Mr. Cho Eun-seong, and were introduced to cutting-edge archival preservation technologies, a comprehensive management system, and an AI-assisted art thesaurus—a systematically structured vocabulary system for art-related knowledge.
They also visited the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), South Korea’s representative institution for modern and contemporary art. Researcher Ms. Lee Ji-hee led a tour of the museum’s archival holdings. Unlike the Museum of Contemporary Art in Japan, the MMCA encompasses both contemporary and modern art dating back to the late 19th century. After visiting each of the MMCA’s branches—Gwacheon, Deoksugung, and Seoul—they held a discussion with Mr. Kim In-hye, Director of Curatorial Affairs, on the development of art archives tailored to the characteristics of the museum’s respective collections.
Since the early 2000s, the development of art archives in South Korea has advanced rapidly. Noteworthy is the active engagement of professionally trained archivists—many of whom have studied archival science at the graduate level—in overseeing and operating archival institutions. In addition, South Korea’s emphasis on the use of advanced digital technologies such as AI in both the preservation and utilization of records is particularly remarkable.
This research trip yielded significant insights into the future of art archives in Japan. It also provided an opportunity to reflect anew on the value of our Institute’s soft-content assets. At the time of the visit, the MMCA was hosting the exhibition “Surrealism and Modern Korean Painting” (April 17–July 6, Deoksugung Branch), curated by Mr. Park Hye-seong, a researcher who had previously conducted investigations at our Institute in November of the prior year into materials related to Korean students who had studied in Japan before 1945. The visit not only allowed for a meaningful reunion, but also offered a valuable opportunity to view an exhibition that had directly benefited from research conducted at our Institute.
The materials accumulated by our Institute since the 1930s include many items of great value for considering the modern history of East Asia. The long-term compilation of modern art resources, as well as the ongoing efforts to make archival holdings publicly accessible, have begun to attract the attention of researchers across East Asia. As such, it is our hope that by continuing to collaborate with various institutions, and by actively disseminating our collections, we can enhance international recognition and promote their use in research, thereby contributing to the advancement of East Asian art historical studies.
Visual investigation of damage made by termites that intruded through cracks in the floor and observation of living termites
Observation of lacquered door panels with pest damage and confirmation of sampling points
Visual investigation of decorations made by colored lacquer maki-e technique
Wat Ratchapradit, located in Bangkok, Thailand, is a first-grade Royal temple founded by King Rama IV in 1864. Since the temple’s foundation, the double-door openings of the windows and entrances of the ordination hall have been adorned with many lacquered panels made in Japan. Mother-of-pearl inlay with underpainting and colored lacquer maki-e were used to apply motifs such as flowers and birds, as well as Chinese legends, on these panels, which are highly decorative. Over time, deterioration has been detected on the panels, and therefore the Fine Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture of Thailand has been restoring them. TOBUNKEN has provided technical assistance for the restoration and conducted studies on the panels.
To maintain the solemn atmosphere of the ordination hall as a place of worship, the lacquered door panels will be returned to their original positions. However, some panels were damaged, presumably by insects. The same problems may recur if the panels are returned to their original positions without protective measures. For that reason, a research project for on-site conservation of the lacquered door panels was launched as a funded study by Wat Ratchapradit, and we conducted an on-site investigation on June 9-11, 2025.
We observed the general condition of the ordination hall, as well as the presence of wood-boring pests such as termites. We also visually inspected the lacquered door panels that were damaged by insects. Initially, we thought the panels had not been damaged recently and that insect activity had ceased. However, through our investigation, we discovered that termites currently enter the ordination hall through small cracks in the floor and that the panels may still be further damaged by termites. We will propose protective measures to the Thai side to maintain the condition of the lacquered door panels in their original positions.
In addition, we examined the lacquered door panels. Some uncertainties remain regarding the materials and techniques used for the panels, and therefore we are conducting visual investigations and scientific analyses of the fragmented materials. Based on the results of the study, we will make suggestions for the restoration and replication of the lacquered door panels.
Peeling bark from a tree using a customized spoon
Peeling off the outer parts and extracting the inner parts
Children focusing on washi-making with Mr. Fukunishi
People engaged in noriutsugi supplies intently listened to the explanation by Mr. Fukunishi
“Neri,” a substance extracted from noriutsugi trees, is essential for making Uda washi (Japanese traditional paper) that is used for cultural property restoration. Under the strong sunshine in early summer, people in Shibetsu Town, Hokkaido, carefully remove bark from noriutsugi and peel off its outer parts by hand to extract the inner parts. Furthermore, to reduce reliance on the wild species, they have begun to grow noriutsugi trees in nurseries.
Four members of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN), Mr. NISHIDA Noriyoshi, Head of Analytical Science Section, Center for Conservation Science, Ms. ICHIMIYA Yae, Associate Fellow of the same Center, Ms. MAEHARA Megumi, Head of Intangible Cultural Properties Section, the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Mr. ODAWARA Naoya, Associate Fellow of the same Department, visited Shibetsu Town from June 24 to 27, 2025. They inspected the process of barking noriutsugi and peeling off its outer parts, and video-recorded the way to grow nursery trees with talks provided by the related parties. They also participated in and video recorded dissemination activities, including a workshop by Mr. FUKUNISHI Masayuki, a holder of selected conservation techniques for handmade washi essential for mounting (Uda washi paper) held at the Shibetsu Town Culture Hall, targeting elementary school students and the wider public. These videos are planned for use in research, education, and dissemination related to the succession of cultural properties after editing.
TOBUNKEN concluded an agreement on collaboration and cooperation on materials for cultural property restoration with Shibetsu Town on November 2, 2023. Recording and disseminating the activities to ensure sustainable supplies of noriutsugi and dissemination activities are expected to benefit this collaboration and cooperation.
Measuring the outside diameter of common reeds (at Kurita Trading Co., Ltd.)
Common reeds grown to over three meters
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage is investigating the common reeds (Phragmites australis) used to make the rozetsu (reed) of hichiriki (Japanese traditional flute) as a part of a project to investigate the raw materials essential for intangible cultural properties. Accompanied by Ms. NAKAMURA Hitomi, a hichiriki player who also makes rozetsu by herself, we conducted a survey of common reed fields around Watarase-yusuichi (retarding basin) on June 16, 2025. Watarase-yusuichi, a Ramsar-designated wetland since July 2012, is one of the largest common reed fields in Japan, as 2,500 ha of the area is covered by various plants, around half of which comprises the common reed fields.
We started this investigation by visiting Kurita Trading Co., Ltd. We asked them to select thick common reeds suitable for the rozetsu of hichiriki and provide them to us as sample materials. We plan to request several rozetsu creators to use the samples to make rozetsu and assess the suitability of common reeds grown in Watarase-yusuichi for rozetsu.
The Council for Conservation and Utilization of Watarase-yusuichi was organized, consisting of local governments, representatives of local community associations, and related associations of four cities and two towns: Tochigi City, Oyama City, and Nogi Town, Tochigi Prefecture; Itakura Town, Gunma Prefecture; Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture; and Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture. With the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Environment as observers, the Council is seeking a future vision for Watarase-ryusuichi and submitting requests based on accumulated discussions on damage caused by animals and the means of water control, while conducting activities to raise awareness through the creation of a guidebook for learning about its environment.
Furthermore, as it is essential to burn common reeds every year to maintain the common reed bed in good condition, the related four cities and two towns, their related fire departments, the Joint Association of Watarase-yusuichi Utilization Unions, the Acclamation Promotion Foundation, and the River Management Office of Upper Tone River set up a Common Reed Burning Network, and conduct the burning of common reeds together.
While the demand for domestic common reeds is limited and the number of business operators utilizing common reeds and Amur silvergrass has decreased to five, the network of business operators, local governments, local community associations, and related associations, manages to maintain the common reed beds in Watarase-yusuichi, and makes continuous efforts to promote public awareness and wider understanding. We are continuing to investigate the characteristics of common reeds in Watarase-yusuichi, and to explore their usage, as some gagaku players believe that they are suitable for rozetsu of hichiriki.
Applying agricultural sheets to prevent weed growth as part of cultivating kōzo.
Mr. Fukunishi explaining about kōzo raw material.
Although a wide range of tools and raw materials are used in the preservation and restoration of cultural property, fine arts, and crafts, many are at risk of being discontinued in the future due to a lack of skilled successors and increasing difficulty in securing the necessary materials. In response to this situation, the Center for Conservation Science, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been involved in the commissioned research of “Investigation of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts” as part of the project of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, “Support for the Management of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts.” This report introduces a field survey of the cultivation of kozo (paper mulberry), the raw material for washi (Japanese paper), which is essential for the restoration of cultural property. It also presents the current use of wood ash in the cooking process used to obtain kozo fibers.
We visited four kozo fields in Yoshino Town and Gojo City, Nara Prefecture, on June 9-10, 2025, and learned about the meticulous work involved in tasks called mekaki (the removal of unnecessary new shoots and buds to concentrate nutrients on the remaining ones) and weed control, as well as the various innovations and challenges involved in the cultivation process. There is no end to the challenges, such as determining the cause of “red streaks” that appear on the inner bark, which reduce the usable amount of raw material because they discolor the fibers, and dealing with insects that were not seen in the past. The number of people responsible for this type of cultivation management is decreasing year by year, which poses a significant challenge in terms of ensuring a stable supply of this raw material.
We also visited the paper-making factories of Mr. FUKUNISHI Masayuki and Mr. UEKUBO Ryoji. The raw materials and wood ash are carefully selected and the delicate process of removing inclusions one-by-one by hand is repeated, because such inclusions make the material unsuitable for the restoration of cultural property. The issue of ensuring a stable supply of wood ash in the future was also discussed. An alkaline solution obtained from wood ash is essential for extracting kozo fibers, but it is also becoming increasingly difficult to procure the ash to obtain good quality fiber.
Going forward, we will conduct scientific research into the interactions between ash derived from various plant species and various raw materials and woods, with the aim of addressing specific challenges. In parallel, we will focus on strengthening our role as a network hub, connecting experts and knowledge across related fields, while continuing our ongoing efforts to document production techniques and processes.
Situation of the scattered stones around the Cruciform Terrace (in December 2024)
Excavation for locating the scattered stones
In a previous article, we reported on our preliminary survey to examine conservation and restoration procedures for the Cruciform Terrace in front of the Central Complex at Ta Nei Temple. Subsequently, following discussions with the Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA National Authority), it was decided to carry out a more extensive survey of scattered stone components to facilitate recovery of those buried in the sedimentary soil around the collapsed terrace.
In late May 2025, archaeological staff from the APSARA National Authority started excavation in advance, and from June 1 to 22, two staff members from the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation were dispatched to cooperatively check and record the scattered stone components .
As a result, additional terrace components were identified, and the upper bodies and hands of several statues of Avalokitesvara were discovered. However, many of the components of the middle layers of the side wall on the south side of the terrace are still missing, which suggests that this terrace may have been somehow destroyed, for example, by its masonry stones being used as building material for another temple building, and that the materials are likely to have been removed and relocated. To examine the restoration of the terrace composition, including the lost materials, it is necessary to refer to terrace-like structures at other temples of the same period, and therefore a comparative survey was carried out at a total of seven temples during this time.
On June 12, ad hoc experts responsible for providing technical recommendations on various restoration projects at the Angkor Monuments visited our excavation site. Following this, at a Technical Session of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Sites of Angkor and Sambor Prei Kuk (ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk) held on June 19-20, we proposed a basic policy for the restoration of the Cruciform Terrace, and received approval from the Committee to start the work to study the implementation plan.
“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.
