Participation in a Symposium Held by the History of Science Society of Japan
Mr. CHIBA Tsuyoshi, a researcher of the Center for Conservation Science, participated as a panelist in the public symposium “Considering the Preservation of Historical Materials on Science and Technology in Modern Japan: What Should We Preserve, and How?” organized by the he History of Science Society of Japan and the Graduate School of Language and Society, Hitotsubashi University, held on May 31, 2026. He presented a paper entitled “Historical Materials on Science and Technology as Cultural Properties: Focusing on Modern Transportation Movable Cultural Properties.”
In his presentation, Mr. CHIBA first provided an overview of how “historical materials on science and technology” have been positioned within Japan’s Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. He then introduced the current state of designation systems at the national, prefectural, and municipal levels, focusing primarily on cultural properties related to transportation and mobility.
With regard to aircraft in particular, Mr. CHIBA highlighted the striking gap between their recognized scientific and technological value and their actual status under cultural property designation: no aircraft has been designated as an Important Cultural Property at the national level or as a prefectural cultural property, and only a handful of municipal designations are on record. He suggested several possible reasons for this situation: the idea of evaluating aircraft “from a cultural property perspective” has yet to gain broad acceptance in society; adequate research and investigation to establish such an evaluation has not sufficiently advanced; and there exists a sense of aversion toward materials associated with the military and warfare.
As the sole example of an actual aircraft designated as a cultural property, Mr. CHIBA discussed the Imperial Japanese Army Type 4 Fighter Hayate (No. 1446), designated as a cultural property of Minamikyushu City, Kagoshima Prefecture in 2020. He explained that this designation was driven by an affirmative recognition of the aircraft’s local ties — its local significance as a type with a specific connection to the region. He further noted that since the former town of Chiran purchased the aircraft in 1995, it has been continuously preserved and studied in Minamikyushu City. This ongoing stewardship, he argued, generates new value in itself — not only through the knowledge gained from research, but through the very act of preservation carried out by its owners together with those involved. This can be understood, he suggested, as an effort to reconstruct the aircraft’s local ties within the broader life history of the airframe.
Mr. CHIBA also touched on certification schemes established by academic societies and industry associations, noting that these play an important role alongside official government designation, with the two serving as complementary pillars of evaluation.
At the same time, he pointed out that many modern historical materials on science and technology are inherently perishable, making long-term preservation difficult in numerous cases. Such materials are currently being lost at a rapid pace, and he emphasized the importance of bringing together diverse stakeholders — including government bodies, researchers, museums, and enthusiasts — to collectively confront the difficult question of “what to preserve” (and, by extension, “what not to preserve”).
Following the panelists’ presentations, a discussion was held with fellow panelists Dr. ARIGA Nobumichi, Dr. SAITO Yurika, and Dr. HISHIKI Fuka. A wide range of topics were explored in lively debate, with participation from the floor, including the preservation of related materials as a coherent body or collection, the risk of large-scale dispersal of undesignated cultural properties, questions around the cultural property evaluation of materials related to accidents and incidents, and the long-term sustainability of corporate museums.
The proceedings of the symposium are scheduled to be published in the Journal of the History of Science, Japan.