| ■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 |
|
Oral presentation at Stone 2025
Study tour: visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral
From September 8 to 12, 2025, Dr. MIZUTANI Etsuko (author) participated in the 15th International Congress on the Deterioration and Conservation of Stone (Stone 2025), held at the Sorbonne University in Paris, France, and delivered an oral presentation. This congress, which takes place every four to five years, is an international forum on the conservation and restoration of sculptures and architectural structures made of stone and brick.
The congress brought together a wide range of participants, including conservation scientists and geologists studying the deterioration of stone and brick, practitioners involved in conservation and restoration, and experts in architecture and building physics. Presentations covered diverse topics, from fundamental studies on deterioration caused by air pollution and salt weathering, to new restoration techniques and practical conservation measures, as well as sustainable environmental control strategies and the evaluation of climate change impacts.
In her presentation, the author reported on research conducted at the Center for Conservation Science, Preventive Conservation Section, which focuses on improving the humid environment inside a rock cave housing a Buddhist wooden architecture, without relying on air conditioning, to preserve the structure. Following the presentation, the author received many questions and comments from researchers engaged in the preservation of cultural properties facing similar high-humidity challenges and others interested in sustainable environmental control. This provided an opportunity to exchange views on the potential for future collaboration.
Going forward, the author intends to continue actively disseminating research outcomes internationally, while also gathering the latest knowledge from around the world to further contribute to the preservation of Japan’s cultural heritage.
Scene from a research presentation in GCI
Scene of researcher exchange
As global warming has become a pressing global issue, the need for sustainable environmental management in cultural heritage preservation has also gained importance. In 2014, a joint declaration was issued by the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) and the International Council of Museums – Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC), calling for environmentally responsible approaches to preservation practices. At the Center for Conservation Science, Preventive Conservation Section, we have been pursuing research to explore sustainable environmental management methods suited to the preservation of cultural properties in Japan.
As part of these efforts, in August 2023 (Reiwa 5), a team from the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) participated in the “Changing Climate Management Strategies Workshop: Sustainable Collection Environments and Monitoring Object Response,” co-hosted by the Getty Conservation Institute and The National Gallery of Victoria in Australia, and since then have continued exchanges with researchers at the Getty Conservation Institute.
From September 24 to 26, 2025 (Reiwa year 7), we visited the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles. Two years after the workshop, members of both TOBUNKEN and the Getty Conservation Institute presented updates on their respective research and engaged in discussions. Representing TOBUNKEN, Dr. MIZUTANI Etsuko (Researcher, Preventive Conservation Section, Center for Conservation Science) and Assoc. Prof. IBA Chiemi (Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University; Visiting Researcher of TOBUNKEN) delivered the presentations. Active discussions were held on topics such as Japan’s climatic conditions, the unique structural characteristics of cultural property materials, and measurement methods required for risk assessment of deterioration.
Following the discussions, we toured the research facilities and had the opportunity to interact with researchers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The Japanese case provides valuable insights into the challenges of managing conservation environments for cultural heritage in countries with humid temperate climates. This visit was a highly meaningful opportunity to re-examine environmental conservation research from an international perspective and to explore possible directions for future collaboration.
Pillboxes remaining at the former Aoto Airfield. Mt. Kaimon can be seen in the background.
Coral found in pillboxes (discovered during this survey)
Field survey in progress
As part of a collaborative research project with Minamikyushu City, the Restoration Technology Laboratory at the Center for Conservation Science, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) is conducting research aimed at preserving concrete structures from WW2 that remain in the city. Among these, two pillboxes that remain at the former Aoto Airfield have few construction records, leaving many unknowns, such as who built them, when, for what purpose, what materials were used, and where the materials were sourced.
In September 2025, we conducted a field survey with Mr. SAKAMOTO Kota (Minamikyushu City Cultural Properties Division), Mr. YAMAKI Satoshi (Chiran Peace Museum), and Mr. TAGUCHI Kiminori (Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History), to shed light on the procurement of concrete materials for the pillboxes. Our investigation so far has revealed that the pillbox concrete contains fragments of shells believed to be marine, as well as worn ceramic and glass fragments typically found on beaches. Based on this, it was speculated that the sand used to make the concrete was collected from nearby beaches, and that shells, ceramic fragments, and broken glass had become mixed in during the process. Furthermore, Mr. TAGUCHI’s recent observations revealed that the pillbox concrete contained 1-2 mm black sand, transparent green olivine sand, and multiple pieces of coral. This combination closely resembled the sediments found on the coast around Mt. Kaimon, so this information served as a new clue for surveys of nearby coasts and river mouths.
As a result of the survey, on a beach about 10 km northwest of Mt. Kaimon, gravel with a similar composition to the sand, shells, coral, ceramics, and glass found in the pillbox concrete was confirmed. Furthermore, the location was also found to be convenient for procuring and transporting materials, as a railway line (Ishigaki-Kiire Line, opened in 1917) connected the Aoto Airfield, where the pillbox is located, to the coast, approximately 5 km away.
We are currently summarizing the results of this survey, taking into account the results of previous surveys, and plan to publish a report in the near future.
Practical work in restoration techniques for mounts
Visiting a hand-made paper (Homminoshi) studio
The ‘International Training Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper’ is jointly organized by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) and the intergovernmental organization ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property). The course started in 1992 and has a good reputation. This year, 166 candidates applied and 10 trainees participated in the program from 25 August to 12 September.
Washi, traditional Japanese paper, is made of plant fiber from the kozo, a kind of mulberry tree. Characterized by its long fibers, it is thin yet strong, and its durability and texture that does not damage cultural properties make it an excellent restoration material. It is used for restoration of artworks in various countries.
The program included lectures on protection systems for paper and cultural properties of Japan and practical training in ‘Restoration Techniques for Mounts,’ which is a national designated restoration technique. While participants have already gained experience as paper conservators in their respective workplaces, the workshop provided an opportunity to reinforce appropriate knowledge, including skills of using Japanese tools and materials. Participants’ feedback has been positive and mentioned that they would share their experiences with colleagues and students upon returning home and recommend this training program to others.
This training program also aims to facilitate interaction among trainees themselves, between trainees and Japanese expert instructors, and with manufacturers of restoration materials and tools through field visits. These interactions are not only a benefit for participants but also an opportunity to motivate Japanese experts and manufacturers of tools and materials. We also intend to continue organizing future training programs with the aim of serving as a bridge between experts and manufacturers, who are experts in Japan and overseas engaging in conservation and restoration of cultural properties, and manufacturers of tools and materials for restoration of cultural properties.
Cleaning test at the Somma Vesuviana archaeological site
Survey of stucco decorations in the storage facility of the Selinunte Archaeological Park
Since 2021, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation (JCIC) has been involved in a research survey on stucco decoration and clay statues under the research project “Technology for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage” program.
As part of this research, a team from JCIC visited Italy from September 8 to 26, 2025, to study archaeological sites of the Greek and Roman periods, including the Roman ruins of Somma Vesuviana, the Pompeii Archaeological Park, and the Selinunte Archaeological Park.
At the Somma Vesuviana site, we focused on a Roman-era decorated gateway excavated by a team led by the University of Tokyo. Based on a research plan prepared in the previous fiscal year, we conducted studies on the techniques and materials of the stucco decorations present at the site, and carried out various experiments on modern conservation and restoration methods.
Meanwhile, at the Selinunte Archaeological Park in Sicily, a meeting was held with the Director of the park to present and explain the objectives and significance of this research. As a result of the Director’s understanding and approval, official consent was obtained to include the park’s Greek-period stucco decorations as research subjects, and full cooperation was kindly extended to our study. Furthermore, since physical and chemical deterioration has been observed in the limestone used for the temples, the park expressed an interest in having us conduct research on possible measures to mitigate such deterioration.
In addition, the Soprintendenza di Palermo (Superintendence of Cultural and Environmental Heritage of Palermo), after reviewing and expressing its understanding of the aims of this project, kindly proposed that we also consider including Roman archaeological sites under its jurisdiction in the Palermo area as potential research subjects.
In summary, through the present field mission, it was confirmed that understanding and support for the objectives of this study are steadily expanding among relevant institutions. Moving forward, we plan to continue comparative research on the techniques and materials of stucco decorations from the Greek and Roman periods—focusing on the sites visited during this mission—to deepen our understanding of their structure and characteristics, while also advancing research on appropriate methods for conservation-restoration and site management.
The consultation meeting at TOBUNKEN
On August5, 2025, Dr. Simon Kaner, Head of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC), and Dr. Eugenia Bogdanova, a researcher at SISJAC, visited the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN), and we held a consultation on our joint project, “Shaping the Fundamentals of Research on Japanese Art.” This project began in 2013. As part of the project, SISJAC staff provide information on literature produced and exhibitions held that are related to Japanese art and culture outside Japan, primarily in the UK, to TOBUNKEN for inclusion in the archives database (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/archives/). Also, researchers of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems have been visiting the UK annually to conduct lectures, workshops, and research on such works.
At this consultation, we presented a report on our database project and discussed our researchers’ planned visit to the UK to take place in December. In the latter part of the consultation, Mr. Matthew James, a SISJAC staff member responsible for database operations, participated online from the UK. We specifically examined the methods and standards employed for gathering information outside Japan, and also the data entry procedures.
During the three years of the pandemic, when travel was restricted, trips to the UK and Japan were not possible, and research discussions were conducted primarily online. We have since resumed in-person research exchanges among staff members. However, we will continue to priorities convenience when arranging exchanges, for example by conducting discussions with overseas partner institutions using a combination of online and in-person methods.
Some of the donated materials of MATSUSHIMA Ken
A handwritten notebook of MATSUSHIMA Ken
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been engaging in collecting and publishing materials left by researchers who were once affiliated with TOBUNKEN. The materials left by Mr. MATSUSHIMA Ken, donated by his family in 2023, are among such materials.
Mr. MATSUSHIMA was a researcher of Japanese Buddhist sculpture, and served as Chief of Cultural Administration at the Agency for Cultural Affairs and as Head of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems of TOBUNKEN. He passed away in 1998 due to illness.
Since our receipt of the materials from his family, we have been gradually organizing them, and we are now pleased to announce that all the materials have been made available to the public (松島健旧蔵資料 :: 東文研アーカイブデータベース).
The contents include materials related to cultural property designations, restoration records, research materials, paper prints, survey records of Buddhist sculptures, and handwritten research notes that Mr. MATSUSHIMA handled while working at the Agency for Cultural Affairs. These demonstrate his activities as both a cultural property administrator and a Buddhist sculptural historian. The donated materials were largely classified from the outset or organized chronologically into files. Handwritten notes, such as those compiling Buddhist sculptures with known production dates into a chronological table, revealed his meticulous and earnest character as a researcher. These collections of materials, which were left behind by researchers, contain valuable and unique information. However, some of the materials lacked suitable management and public access venues, and, in the worst cases, some have been discarded.
Since its foundation, TOBUNKEN’s mission has been to create an archive of materials for art research. Although our staff and budget are limited, we will continue to work hard to collect and publish research materials.
Some of the donated materials on Enkū
Organizing the donated materials
Mr. HASEGAWA Masashige (1933~2023) devoted his life to researching Enkū, a Buddhist sculptor of the Edo period, as an independent researcher. Enkū had travelled around Japan as a Shugendô monk. He created many Buddhist statues wherever he went, and his works are estimated to number in the thousands throughout Japan. Mr. HASEGAWA served as Chairman of the Enkū Academic Society for many years.
Following the death of Mr. HASEGAWA, his family expressed to us that they would like to donate his materials, particularly those relating to research, to The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). Thereafter, Ms. MAIZAWA Rei from the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, regularly visited his house in Aichi with Dr. MITA Kakuyuki from Nara National Museum to organize the materials. These materials were officially donated in October 2024, and we have finally received them all.
Mr. HASEGAWA travelled all over Japan searching for works by Enkū. He took a number of photographs and made records of every work he saw, and his house was filled with these materials. These materials are extremely important, not only because they contain hard-to-obtain reference materials and photos of Enkū’s works from across Japan, but also because they include photos of works that have been lost due to theft.
Ms. EMURA Tomoko, Mr. TASHIRO Yūichirō, and Ms. KUROSAKI Kao from TOBUNKEN, and Mr. ŌSAKI Rui from Kuwansei Gakuin University, participated in the work of organizing the materials. Mr. FUNAHASHI Masayasu, Mr. KATŌ Susumu, and Mr. OCHIAI Katsuyoshi, who were engaged in research with Mr. HASEGAWA, also helped immensely. We will be organizing the donated materials over the next few years, so that they can be accessed and used by many people as the “Enkū Archive.”
Workshop at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
Symposium at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, under the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ grant-in-aid project entitled “Activities for Exchanges in International Cooperation for Conservation of Cultural Heritage,” is conducting the “Project for Sudanese Cultural Heritage Expert Capacity Building Workshop” in fiscal year 2025. As part of this project, a four-day workshop was held at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties from August 13th to 16th, and a related symposium, “Protecting Cultural Heritage and Museums Affected by Armed Conflict: The Case of the Republic of Sudan,” was held in the afternoon of the 16th.
Ongoing armed conflict broke out in the Republic of Sudan in April 2023, and many cultural heritage sites and museums remain at risk. The purpose of this project was to discuss how cultural heritage experts in Sudan and Japan can cooperate to protect cultural heritage amid such armed conflict.
Three Sudanese experts and one British expert were invited to Japan for this project, with six Japanese experts participating. During the four-day workshop, participants shared information about the current state of Sudan’s cultural heritage and discussed specific methods of international support for its protection.
A related symposium was co-hosted by the ICOM Japan Committee and the ICOMOS Japan National Committee. In addition to speeches by the three Sudanese experts, five Japanese presenters offered reports and recommendations for cultural heritage protection and international cooperation during armed conflict. The symposium was open to the public and attracted 70 participants. Many participants commented that it was a valuable opportunity to learn about the situation in Sudan, which is still little known in Japan.
While the situation in Sudan remains unpredictable, various initiatives, including the rehabilitation of museums, have begun. We hope to continue our international cooperation efforts to protect cultural heritage in the Republic of Sudan.
Interview at a sake brewery (Gose City, Nara Prefecture)
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and the Intangible Heritage Bureau of the National Heritage Service of the Republic of Korea have been conducting research exchanges since 2008. This includes a joint research exchange program in which staff from one institution are dispatched to the other for two to four weeks. In 2025, Ms. Cho Sun Young was dispatched from Korea from July 14 to August 2 to conduct joint research on Japan’s “traditional sake brewing.”
It is still recent news that “traditional sake brewing” was registered as a National Intangible Cultural Property in 2021 and subsequently inscribed on UNESCO’s “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” in 2024. In the Republic of Korea, Munbaeju (a distilled liquor from the Pyongan Province region), Myoncheon Doju (a brewed liquor from the Myoncheon region of Chungcheongnam-do), and Gyeongju Gyodong Beopju (a brewed liquor from Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang Province) are designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage with certified holders or holding groups, while Makgeolli brewing is a traditional community brewing method without a certified holder or holding group. Each of these items of cultural heritage is being protected and promoted with efforts to safeguard them.
Field research was conducted in the cities of Aizuwakamatsu and Kitakata in Fukushima Prefecture and Nishinomiya in Hyogo Prefecture, Gose City in Nara Prefecture, Kyoto City in Kyoto Prefecture, and in Tokyo. During the research, we visited sake breweries and brewing companies, interviewed people involved in sake brewing, and heard about the current state, challenges, and outlook for traditional sake brewing.
What was interesting while listening to these stories was that at every place we visited, we heard the following comment: “Even though it’s traditional sake brewing, we actively introduce mechanization and automation where possible. However, only humans can make the decisions on adjustments of the flavor. The parts that humans are involved in won’t change, and we think that’s tradition.” We heard the same comments from sake breweries that produce on a large scale in factories as from breweries that produce on a small scale with a staff of just approximately a dozen people.
We tend to think of “tradition” as preserving the same old forms without changing them. However, intangible cultural heritage is living heritage of today and change often leads to continuity. Through this joint research, we had the opportunity to rethink the intrinsic qualities of intangible cultural heritage.
Ms. Cho Sun Young’s preliminary research results were presented at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties on August 1st. The results of this project will be compiled into a report entitled “Japan-Korea Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Report.”
Study group, presentation by Dr. Chinghsin Wu
From a sketch by SAMIZU Kōhei. The upper right corner reads “October, in Yogyakarta,” indicating that it was drawn in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in October 1942.
From April to August of this year, Associate Teaching Professor Chinghsin Wu of Rutgers University in the United States visited our institute as a visiting researcher. Specializing in modern art, Dr. Wu had previously visited Japan as a visiting researcher at our institute in 2007, conducting research on Japanese surrealism centered on the work of KOGA Harue. During this recent stay, she focused her research on the portrayal of imagery in Taiwan in modern Japanese art.
On July 17, we held a hybrid seminar, featuring presentations by Professor Wu and Ms. MORIKAWA Monami, a curator at the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art. Dr. Wu gave a presentation titled “The Activities and Development of Modern Japanese Painters in Taiwan: Focusing on the Works of KINOSHITA Seigai and Other Japanese Painters of the Same Era Before and After Their Move to Taiwan,” in which she discussed the changes in the themes and styles of paintings by Japanese painters who were active in Taiwan during the colonial era, such as KINOSHITA Seigai (1887-1988) and GOHARA Kotoh (1887-1965), after their move to Taiwan. Ms. MORIKAWA’s presentation, “SAMIZU Kōhei’s Southern Military Sketches: Records of Japan’s Occupied Territories and Colonies during Wartime,” introduced the wartime military sketches of oil painter SAMIZU Kōhei (1904–1997) and pointed out the historical value of sketches he created in Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Manchuria, and other locations as visual records of Japan’s occupied territories. In the discussion following the presentation, the presenters exchanged opinions on the image of the “South” as depicted by Japanese painters before the war. Researchers from inside and outside the Institute also joined in the discussion, which focused on the painting styles seen in the flower-and-bird paintings of Seigai and Kotoh, as well as the significance of SAMIZU’s sketches of the occupied territories during the war.
Tour of the laboratories
Lecture on analytical investigation
Group discussion on the conservation environment
Q&A lecture on deterioration and conservation of outdoor materials
An annual course, called the “Training Course for Museum Curators in Charge of Conservation (Advanced Course) in 2025,” was held from July 7 to 11, 2025. This training course, which has been held at the Institute since 1984, was originally a single general course, and was reorganized into a “Basic Course” and an “Advanced Course” in 2021, with the aim of enabling curators in charge of conservation at museums to acquire appropriate expertise necessary for their work, from basic to advanced.
The “Basic Course,” conducted by the National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties, is designed to provide curators in charge of the conservation environment in museums with a wide range of knowledge and skills.
The “Advanced Course” covers not only the conservation environment, but also general conservation of cultural properties, and is conducted by the Center for Conservation Science. In the 2025 Advanced Course, lectures and practical training based on research results in various research fields were conducted by the Center for Conservation Science, and lectures on the conservation and restoration of various cultural properties and cultural property rescue were provided by external lecturers. This year, as the use of fumigants that are effective against mold has been restricted, there was a lot of interest in lectures and practical training on alternatives.
The lecture topics were as follows:
・Theory of restoration of cultural properties
・Scientific investigation of cultural properties
・Air quality (about air quality / effects of air pollution on cultural properties / concepts of ventilation)
・Theory and discuss of storage environment
・Introduction and practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for cultural properties
・Types and characteristics of restoration materials
・Deterioration and conservation of outdoor materials
・Protection of heritage of modernization
・Conservation and restoration of various cultural properties
・Disaster prevention in museums
・Conservation and restoration of folk artifacts
・Preservation of large volumes of documents, and countermeasures against deterioration
・Conservation and restoration of works on paper
・Preservation and management of photographs
Participants commented, “I was able to gain a lot of knowledge that can be used in cultural heritage preservation throughout the region, not just at my own museum, so I would like to share the information with curators in the area and put the knowledge I gained into practice from a broader perspective,” and “Throughout the training period, I was able to connect with other participants, and it was a good opportunity to meet colleagues from all over the country who are in the same position and with whom I can consult more professionally about practical issues.” These comments suggest that this training served as a forum for building connections with other museums, which was one of the aims of the training. There were also comments that it would be good to have more opportunities for discussion and practical training in addition to lectures, and we will consider further enhancing the content of the training in the future.
UNESCO Headquarters: Venue of the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee
A scene from the deliberations in Salle I (main hall) during the session
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) dispatched three staff members to participate in the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from July 6 to 16, 2025. This year’s committee session was originally planned to be held in Bulgaria, which had been appointed to the presidency. However, the venue was changed during the preparation process due to security concerns.
Although the session usually proceeds smoothly, this time it began in an unusually chaotic manner, due to a proposal requested by the delegation of Türkiye for the exclusion of the NGO “Save the Tigris Foundation” as an observer and the addition of an agenda item to discuss Japan’s response to the World Heritage Committee’s decision at its 39th Session regarding the “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution” requested by the delegation of the Republic of Korea. The proposal to add the agenda item was finally rejected by secret ballot among the Committee members, as consensus could not be reached despite exhaustive discussions that exceeded the scheduled time. On the other hand, the proposal to exclude the NGO from observer status was approved with minimal discussion, prompting widespread concern and objection from State Parties regarding how the Committee members handled the matter.
In the review of the state of conservation of inscribed properties, 248 sites were discussed, including 56 listed as “World Heritage in Danger,” and 3 sites were successfully removed from the Danger List. Recently, an increasing number of properties remaining on the Danger List for extended periods has been recognized by the Committee as a serious concern. State Parties are strongly encouraged to make greater efforts to improve the conditions of these sites. In the establishment of the World Heritage List, 31 sites were discussed, and 26 sites were newly inscribed. A continuing trend of the Committee to overturn the evaluations of the Advisory Bodies has been noted, as evidenced by the fact that only 16 sites received a recommendation for inscription from the Advisory Bodies. However, some progress can be seen in bridging the gap between the evaluations of the Advisory Bodies and the perspectives of State Parties, as many properties have been inscribed with revised nominations that incorporate recommendations to improve their conservation status. As a result of this session, 170 out of 196 State Parties now have properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, with Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau joining for the first time. The uneven regional distribution of inscribed properties has been a long-standing issue for the Committee, as it undermines the representativeness of the World Heritage List. Efforts to correct systemic imbalances have been undertaken, including an updated and in-depth gap analysis conducted by the Advisory Bodies.
In addition, after discussions involving both supporting and opposing views, the outcome of the International Conference on Heritage Authenticity in Africa, held in Nairobi last May with support from the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Capacity-Building of Human Resources, was ultimately adopted by the Committee. This is expected to mark a turning point in the revision of value evaluation criteria within the World Heritage system.
The next session of the World Heritage Committee will be held in Busan, Korea, in July next year. TOBUNKEN will continue to monitor developments related to World Heritage and will actively collect and share a wide range of information.
The wall painting before and after cleaning
Scene of the work in progress
The apse after cleaning
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage is conducting a joint research project on the conservation and restoration of mural paintings on the interior walls of St. Michael’s Church (Keşlik Monastery) in Cappadocia, Turkey, in cooperation with domestic and international experts and academic institutions.
From June 21 to July 15, 2025, an on-site investigation was conducted in accordance with a conservation and restoration plan formulated based on the findings of the previous year’s field study. The work focused on cleaning the apse area of the church and reinforcing deteriorated plaster layers in the nave that were at risk of detachment. The wall paintings in this church had been obscured by a thick layer of soot for over a century, and no one in recent times had seen their full imagery. Through the careful and safe removal of these long-accumulated deposits during the recent cleaning process, the original colors and fine details of the paintings have been vividly revealed. This has enabled a more detailed examination of the initial iconographic design and painting techniques, yielding new insights into the chronology and stylistic characteristics of the works. Of particular significance is the fact that the practicality of the technical approach taken to the conservation and restoration, systematically developed through this research, was validated during the actual intervention. This constitutes a highly meaningful outcome, both academically and in terms of conservation practice.
This joint research project is an international conservation and restoration initiative led by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, in collaboration with specialized institutions and universities both within and outside of Turkey. In the current phase of the project, scientific conservation methods and three-dimensional measurement technologies were introduced with the aim of assessing the condition of the wall paintings during the conservation and restoration process. By examining the subject from multiple scientific and physical perspectives, the project seeks to establish conservation and restoration methods that are closely aligned with the specific characteristics of the wall paintings. This multifaceted and meticulous approach has been highly regarded as a pioneering case without precedent even within Turkey and has drawn significant attention. Moving forward, we aim to continue these meaningful activities in response to such expectations, contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of cultural heritage.
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025. a delegation of researchers from the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), Korea, visited our Institute. The NRICH is an agency under the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, dedicated to the research and investigation of various aspects of Korean cultural heritage. The institution traces its origins to the Cultural Heritage Research Office of the Cultural Heritage Management Bureau, established in 1969. Currently, it operates with an organizational structure comprising two divisions, six departments, and one team—namely, the Division of Administrative Operations, the Division of Research Planning, the Department of Archaeological Research, the Department of Art and Cultural Heritage Research, the Department of Architectural Cultural Heritage Research, the Department of Conservation Science Research, the Department of Restoration Technology Research, the Department of Safety and Disaster Prevention Research, and the Digital Cultural Heritage Research Information Team, respectively. In addition, the NRICH maintains seven regional research centers (located in Gyeongju, Buyeo, Gaya, Naju, Jungwon, Seoul, and Wanju), as well as a Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center.
Since 2023, the NRICH has been contributing information on Korean artists to the Union List of Artist Names (ULAN, https://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabularies/ulan/), a database managed by the Getty Research Institute (GRI) in the United States. Prior to this, our Institute had already begun collaborating with the Getty Research Institute in 2016, supplying digital data and bibliographic information on our library holdings to the Getty Research Portal (GRP, https://portal.getty.edu/)—a digital collection of art-related literature from institutions around the world. This prior collaboration served as a model case and facilitated the current exchange.
The delegation, consisting of five researchers led by Ms. Kim Eun-young, Director of the Department of Art and Cultural Heritage Research, was welcomed by Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki (Head, Modern and Contemporary Art Section, Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems) and Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro (Researcher, The Archives Section, Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems). After a presentation on our Institute’s initiatives, both parties engaged in a productive discussion. Although based in different countries, both institutions share commonalities in the cultural context of East Asia. The discussion addressed ways to effectively disseminate information on East Asian art and culture to Western audiences, and explored avenues for future collaboration.
Our Institute is currently the only institution in Japan engaged in joint projects with the Getty Research Institute. Building on this priority status, we hope to further expand our international network and fulfill our role as a central “hub” for scholarly exchange between Japan and the world, thereby contributing more comprehensively to academic research in Japan.
(Materials from Our Institute’s Collection Registered in the GRP)
・Japanese Art Exhibition Catalogs（951 records）
・Complete series of Japanese Art of Meiji period（64 records）
・Compilation of Artist’s Seals（85 records）
・Ranking List of Japanese Artist（61 records）
・Oda Kazuma Collection （135 records）
・Maeda Seison Collection（269 records）
・Rare Books （335 records）
・Japanese Wood Print Books（210 records）
etc.
A prototype database of Bibliograhic Records from Yearbook of Japanese Art (Nihon bijutsu nenkan)
Nihon bijutsu nenkan (Year Book of Japanese Art, hereinafter called “NENKAN” https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/publication/nenkan/nenkan.html) is a data book that compiles trends in the art world in Japan over the course of a year. It was first published in 1936, and been published annually since, by the Art Research Institute of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, the predecessor of Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). Starting with the 2022 edition, published in January 2025, a major revision was made by removing a “References Published in Periodicals” section that had long been included in the NENKAN, and instead making them available only on the database.
As an associate fellow of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, I conducted a presentation titled “Current Status and Issues of Nihon bijutsu nenkan” on June 5, 2025. I reported on the recent revision of NENKAN and also discussed future issues for NENKAN. The exhibition information published in the NENKAN, which is based on media available in Tokyo, is naturally biased toward the Kanto region. As one solution to this problem, I proposed a new means of information gathering through collaboration with other institutions. In the discussion following the presentation, opinions were exchanged on the significance of the institute continuing to publish NENKAN and compiling a chronological historical record, as well as anticipated issues in collaboration with other institutions.
In the future, we aim to further improve the “References in Exhibition Catalogues” section, a unique section of NENKAN, and to build a database that reflects the classification system we have developed to date for describing and understanding the art world, and to introduce a system for instantly publishing “References in Periodicals” information entered within the institute. Not only will we continue the publication of NENKAN, which has a long history, but we will also strive to provide information that is more accessible to many people, based on modern methods of providing information.
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.
