The 20th Conference on Intangible Folk Cultural Properties: Safeguarding and Utilizing Folk Cultural Properties through Networks
On December 5, 2025, the 20th Conference on Intangible Folk Cultural Properties, titled “Safeguarding and Utilizing Folk Cultural Properties through Networks,” was held at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
Six years have passed since the 2019 amendment to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, which explicitly emphasized the “utilization” of cultural properties. However, amid the ongoing reduction of budgets and personnel, many local governments continue to struggle with how cultural properties can be effectively utilized in practice. In the field of folk cultural properties in particular, preservation and transmission themselves remain pressing challenges, even before utilization can be considered.
This year’s council focused on “networking” as one possible approach to addressing these issues. Presentations introduced practical examples of networks not only for intangible folk cultural properties—such as folk performing arts and folk techniques—but also for tangible folk cultural properties that are inseparably connected to them. Reports were given on initiatives being undertaken in various regions across Japan.
Through the presentations and subsequent discussions, the significance of networks and the roles they can play were reaffirmed on the basis of concrete case studies. Presenters noted that incorporating external and comparative perspectives through networks can lead to the rediscovery of cultural value and foster more positive attitudes toward preservation. Sharing challenges and solutions was also shown to broaden the range of options and reference points when facing critical decisions. In addition, the presence of “peers” within a network enables day-to-day consultation and mutual encouragement, becoming an important support mechanism for preservation and transmission efforts. The discussions also addressed practical measures for sustaining networks, including organizational frameworks and the securing of human and financial resources.
Some participants commented that “this council itself functions as a network.” The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage aims to continue serving as a hub for information sharing and dissemination through conferences such as this, thereby supporting the further development of networks.
A full report of the conference will be compiled within the current fiscal year and made available in PDF format on the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage website.