| ■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 |
|
An explanation of the Performing Arts Recording Studio (July 2)
Nineteen visitors from the Musashino Elderly Citizens’ Association for Life-long Education “Happy 76 Club”
On July 2, nineteen visitors from the Musashino Elderly Citizens’ Association for Life-long Education Happy 76 Club visited the Institute in order to view the work involved in the conservation and restoration of cultural properties.
They toured the Performing Arts Recording Studio in the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, as well as the Restoration Studio and the Chemistry Laboratory in the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques.
The staff members in charge of each section explained the work they do.
An explanation at the Reading Room (July 5)
Seven Visitors from Bunka Gakuen University, Faculty of Fashion Science
On July 5, seven visitors from Bunka Gakuen University, Faculty of Fashion Science visited the Institute in order to view work involved in the conservation and restoration of cultural properties.
They toured the Reading Room in the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, the Performing Arts Recording Studio in the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Chemistry Laboratory in the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques.
The staff members in charge of each section explained the work they do.
An explanation at the Biology Laboratory (July 19)
Thirty-six New Staff Members from the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
On July 19–20, thirty-six New Staff Members from the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage visited the Institute as part of their training.
They toured the Reading Room of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, the Performing Arts Recording Studio of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Chemistry Laboratory and the Biology Laboratory of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques.
The staff members in charge of each section explained the work they do.
An explanation at the Chemistry Laboratory (July 24)
Four Visitors from the Special Research Office of the House of Councilors:
On July 24, four visitors from the Special Research Office of the House of Councilors visited the Institute in order to observe Institute’s facilities.
They toured the Reading Room in the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, the Performing Arts Recording Studio in the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Chemistry Laboratory in the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques.
The staff members in charge of each section explained the work they do.
An explanation at the Radiography Laboratory (July 31)
Thirty-five Visitors from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Support Project for Study Programs on Radiation and its related Topics for High School Students”
On July 31, thirty-five visitors from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Support Project for Study Programs on Radioactivity and its related Topics for High School Students” visited the Institute in order to study methods of scientific analysis on cultural properties and how X-rays are used in their research.
They toured the Radiography Laboratory, the Chemistry Laboratory and the Scanning Electron Microscope Laboratory in the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques.
The staff members in charge of each section explained the work they do.
Interview with NOMURA Mansaku, a Kyogen performer
The second research exchange between the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the South Korean National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage has begun according to the agreement signed last November. Following TAKAKUWA’s research in Korea in May, Ms. Lee Myoung-Jin, a researcher from Korea, visited Japan in July, and conducted research on Kyogen for a month.
The ideas regarding intangible cultural heritage in Korea are different from those in Japan: the Korean ICH does not distinguish important intangible cultural properties from important intangible folk cultural properties, as they do in Japan.
Most performing arts in Korea can be categorized as important intangible folk cultural properties under the Japanese classification system, and also the basic idea of “what is traditional?” differs from Japan to Korea. Thus, it is necessary to learn the differences in order to compare performing arts and their protection systems. However, during her visit, Ms. Lee seems to have deepened her cognizance of the meaning of tradition in Japan while interviewing the Kyogen performer of the Izumi School.
Practice identifying insect pests that damage cultural properties
Training for Museum Curators in Charge of Conservation is intended to imbue curators with the knowledge and skills needed to conserve cultural properties. This year’s training was conducted over 2 weeks starting on July 9th, and participants consisted of 30 curators and administrators from around the country. The training curriculum primarily consisted of lectures and practice in 2 areas: (1) conservation conditions grounded in the natural sciences and (2) causes of the degradation of different types of cultural properties and steps to prevent that degradation.
“Case studies” that involved putting conservation conditions into effect in actual settings took place at the National Museum of Japanese History in Sakura city, Chiba prefecture. Participants divided into 8 groups and conducted field studies and assessments of set conditions such as temperature, humidity, and illuminance. The following day, they reported their results.
Training participants are anticipated to constitute a local nexus for conservation of cultural properties as they continue their work in museums. Application guidelines are distributed to individual facilities via municipal boards of education every February or so, so we look forward to your application.
A demonstration of Japanese painting production techniques in the basic course
A demonstration of emergency treatment of hanging scroll in the applied course
This workshop is held annually as a part of the Cooperative Program for the Conservation of Japanese Art Objects Overseas. This year, it was held at the Asian Art Museum, National Museums in Berｌin, with the basic course, “Japanese paper and silk cultural properties,” from July 11th through 13th, and again with the applied course, “Restoration of Japanese hanging scrolls,” from the 16th through the 20th.
In the basic course, following the practical process of cultural properties from creation, through mounting, exhibition and up to appreciation, we gave lectures, demonstrations and training for materials such as paper, pigmnets, paste,and animal glue, techniques of creating paintings,and caligraphy, mounting culture and handling of those cultural properties.
In the applied course, we gave a workshop centered on practices in relation to restoring hanging scrolls using restoration techinques based on traditional Japanese mounting. We focused on the diagnosis of hanging scrolls, structure consiting of multiple paper layers of hanging scrolls, the emergency treatment and usage of traditional brushes and edged tools.
Recently, the restoration techniques based on traditional Japanese mounting have been renowned abroad, and have come to be put to use in foreign paper cultural properties. However, for many foreign conservation specialists, the techniques are learned through reference books and hearsay. Through this workshop, we would like to offer an opportunity to understand the authentic materials and techniques to as many foreign conservation specialists as possible.
Hands-on training for how to work with a total station
State of the measurement survey
An architectural survey training course began at the Ta Nei temple in Angkor as a new human resource development project based on a cooperation agreement with the Cambodian government’s Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (ASPARA). This training course provides a combination of classroom lectures and field practices, with the goal of learning by the Cambodian staffs the basic sequence of steps for surveying architectural remains using GPS and a total station and CAD drawing. This was the first of four planned training courses through the next fiscal year. Twelve young and core staff members, who specialize in architecture and archeology, from the ASPARA, the Preah Vihear National Authority and the JASA team participated in the training, which took place for five days from July 30 through August 3. The trainees were all enthusiastically making an effort to learn the skills. The current goal is to complete an up-to-date planimetric map of the entire temple complex.
Group Photo
During the Meeting
At the request of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage participated in the First Meeting of the ASEAN Plus Three Cultural Cooperation Network (APTCCN) held from July 20–23, 2012 in Bohol, Philippines. Representatives of ASEAN countries and three East Asian countries, Japan, China and South Korea, participated in the meeting, gathering information regarding future cooperation for safeguarding cultural heritage in these countries. Until last year, this meeting was called the Networking of East Asia Culture Heritage (NEACH), but the name was changed because the current five-year plan includes broader issues, as follows:.
1. the enhancement of regional cooperation in cultural fields through the establishment of a network of experts in related tangible and intangible fields;
2. the development a sense of regional identity among the ASEAN countries, Japan, South Korea and China;
3. and the necessity of common understanding in the areas of cultural heritage management, human resources development in the cultural context, and small- and medium-sized cultural enterprises development.
The 40th anniversary of the ASEAN-Japan exchange is 2013. This meeting will be increasingly important in enhancing relations between ASEAN countries and Japan.
