Poster Presentation at the 29th Annual Training Session of the Association for Conservation of National Treasures

Scene from the poster presentation

Posters on display

　Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been involved in a project called the “Investigation of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts”—part of a project headed by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the “TAKUMI Project,”—since the 2022 fiscal year. On October 3, 2025, at the 29th annual training session organized by the Association for Conservation of National Treasures (ACNT), a key deliverable of this project was presented as a poster presentation highlighting the Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts).

　ACNT is a group of specialists dedicated to the conservation and restoration of cultural properties, particularly fine arts and crafts such as paintings, calligraphies, books, documents, and historical materials. As of the 2025, ACNT had ten member studios with approximately 140 registered specialists. ACNT is certified as the preservation organization for mounting and restoration techniques, which are nationally designated as “Selected Conservation Techniques.” Many technicians and specialists from across the country participate in its annual training session, with 376 attending in the 2025 fiscal year.

　On the presentation day, Mr. ASAKA Hiroshi (Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan) and Mr. WATADA Minoru (First Cultural Properties Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs) delivered lectures on the appreciation and preservation of portraits and ink paintings. Alongside reports of restoration cases by member studios, TOBUNKEN participated in the poster presentation under the title “On the Database of Restoration Records for Cultural Properties (Fine Arts and Crafts): Project Report of the Investigation of Tools and Materials Used for the Preservation and Restoration of Fine Arts and Crafts” (presenters: Ms. YAMANAGA Naomi, Mr. OYAMADA Tomohiro, Mr. TARASHIMA Satoshi, and Ms. EMURA Tomoko from the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems). The presentation included details on research procedures, database structure, scope of content, outlook and challenges, and methods of use.

　At the venue, numerous questions and comments were received from restoration technicians, museum personnel, and graduate students studying cultural property restoration. Furthermore, valuable information was obtained on restoration records that have become increasingly difficult to inherit in recent years for various reasons. These insights will be fed back into the project, ensuring ongoing resource development of restoration records and effective operation of the database.

Survey of Art and Archival Materials in Italian Institutions

Exhibition honoring the Giuseppe Tucci Collection (Museo delle Civiltà, Rome)

Research room of the Historical Archives of the Italian Chamber of Deputies

Exterior view of the Alinari Foundation for Photography

　The Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems conducts investigations on Japanese art materials and the historical documents that reveal their historical context. In October 2025, we carried out field research in Italy, visiting institutions in Rome and Florence to examine related materials.
　In Rome’s EUR district, we visited the Museo delle Civiltà (Museum of Civilizations), which houses collections formerly belonging to the National Museum of Oriental Art and the Luigi Pigorini National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography. At the museum’s Arti e Culture Asiatiche (Asian Arts and Cultures) department, we met with Dr. Pierfrancesco Fedi to conduct object-based research and consult on the museum’s holdings. Our discussion included valuable exchanges of information concerning the Giuseppe Tucci Collection—the foundation of the museum’s Asian holdings—and the Pigorini Collection, which incorporates works from the collection of Vincenzo Ragusa and KIYOHARA Tama.
　We also visited the Archivio Storico della Camera dei Deputati (Historical Archives of the Italian Chamber of Deputies), located in Rome’s Rione Pigna district, and met with the Director, Paolo Massa. During the meeting, we were able to confirm the existence and location of primary sources related to cultural exchanges and artistic diplomacy between Japan and Italy during the Mussolini regime. These documents are invaluable records that illuminate the realities of cultural administration within Italo-Japanese diplomatic relations and offer crucial evidence for understanding the intersection between cultural policy and political intent in that period.
　The Historical Archives of the Chamber of Deputies was established in 1848 during the Kingdom of Sardinia to support parliamentary activity. After moving to the Palazzo Montecitorio in 1865, the archives served as the intellectual foundation of the legislature for more than a century. The archives were opened to the public in 1988, and in 2007 the Polo Bibliotecario Parlamentare (Parliamentary Library Center) was established to coordinate services with the Senate Library. The documentary heritage of the Chamber of Deputies comprises original records produced and acquired by the Chamber since 1848, as well as private papers related to parliamentary politics. Digitized inventories, photographic archives, and portions of digital collections can be accessed through the archive’s website (https://archivio.camera.it/).
　In Florence, we visited the Fondazione Alinari per la Fotografia and met with its Director, Dr. Claudia Baroncini. The foundation inherits the legacy of the company Fratelli Alinari—Italy’s first photographic studio established in the nineteenth century—and is dedicated to the preservation of its photographic heritage and the promotion of a culture of photography. The foundation is currently preparing to open a museum and makes its holdings accessible online. Many photographs donated to TOBUNKEN in 2023 by the family of MORIOKA Ryūzō were produced by Fratelli Alinari, and the art-historical photographs collected by YASHIRO Yukio are also known to be linked with a photographer who belonged to the studio. During our meeting, we introduced TOBUNKEN’s photographic archives and ongoing research activities, and exchanged information concerning potential collaboration.
[On Materials of MORIOKA Ryuzo https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/ekatudo/2059906.html] .
　Through this trip, we gained a renewed appreciation for the Italian understanding of archives not merely as repositories of documents, but as “sacred spaces for the preservation of memory.” This perspective is essential for treating cultural properties as a form of shared knowledge and offered us valuable insight into the relationship between the sharing and responsibility of knowledge within cultural heritage research.

Understanding the Mechanisms of the Art Market — The 7th Seminar Held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems

Scene from Mr. KAWASHIMA's presentation

Scene from Mr. YAMGUCHI's presentation

Scene from the Q&A session (left: Mr. KAWASHIMA Tadashi; right: Mr.YAMAGUCHI Katsura)

　Among the important book collections held by the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, is that of uritate mokuroku (sale catalogues). These catalogues were booklets produced and distributed for the purpose of selling artworks owned by private individuals or distinguished families through uritatekai (sealed-bid sales). The Institute currently holds a total of 2,532 such catalogues published from the late Meiji period through the Showa period. This constitutes the largest collection of its kind among public institutions in Japan and is used on a daily basis for provenance research and other art-historical investigations.

　In these uritatekai, artworks were traded through a unique bidding system mediated by facilitators and fudamoto (agents responsible for handling bids). This system differed significantly from auctions in which prices are driven upward through openly competing bids, and was instead grounded in traditional Japanese commercial practices. Today, however, while the catalogues themselves are frequently consulted, the institutional background and operational realities of the sales system are not always fully understood, and cases in which uritatekai are mistakenly equated with Western-style auctions are not uncommon. The Japanese art market has developed and evolved within a distinctive framework of transactions different from those of Europe and North America. To provide researchers with an opportunity to understand these mechanisms and deepen their comprehension of related materials, the 7th Research Meeting of the Department of Art Documentation and Archives, entitled “Understanding the Mechanisms of the Art Market,” was held on October 9.

　The meeting was moderated by Mr. TASHIRO Yuichiro (Department of Art Documentation and Archives), who also organized the event. First, Mr. KAWASHIMA Tadashi (Chairman, Tokyo Art Dealers Association; President and Representative Director, Mayuyama Ryusendo) delivered a lecture entitled “On Uritate and Kokankai (Exchange Sales),” in which he explained the characteristics of the Japanese-style art market. This was followed by a presentation entitled “On Auctions” by Mr. YAMAGUCHI Katsura (President and Representative Director, Christie’s Japan), who introduced the Western model of the art market. Through these presentations, the structural differences between the Japanese and Western art markets emerged clearly. A question-and-answer session was held afterward, making the meeting a valuable opportunity for researchers to learn about the mechanisms of the art market, an area with which they rarely have the chance to engage in depth.

　Art-historical research is not sustained solely by the knowledge of professional researchers such as museum curators and university faculty members. It is hoped that the Research Meetings of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems will continue to provide opportunities to incorporate diverse perspectives and to acquire insights broadly beneficial to scholarly research.

(Reference)
Uritate Mokuroku Digital Archive:
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/japanese/uritate.html

Reservation for dedicated terminals:
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/joho/japanese/library/application/application_uritate.html

Japan-Korea Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Exchange Project in 2025

Figure 1
Training room of the Gangneung Danoje Educational Training Center (equipped with musical instruments and costumes for training)

Figure 2
Theater associated with the Gangneung Danoje Educational Training Center

Figure 3
Dissemination Performance of Hahoe Byeolsingut Mask Dance Drama performance, fully occupied (temporary space, as the theater is under construction)

Figure 4
The outcome presentation held on the last day (at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Bureau of the Korea Heritage Service)

　The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been conducting research exchanges with the Korea Heritage Service (formerly the Cultural Heritage Administration) of the Republic of Korea since 2008. As part of this project, we conduct human resource exchanges by mutually dispatching researchers for research. In 2025, Ms. MAEHARA Megumi, Head of the Intangible Cultural Properties Section, conducted research in Korea on the theme of “Systematic Approach to Promoting Traditional Performing Art Training and Education Without Reliance on Heredity.”

　Like Japan, Korea is experiencing a declining birthrate. This situation can impact the transmission of traditional performing arts to the next generation. Considering this circumstance, the research at this time focused on the activities of preservation societies for traditional performing arts in Korea and the “National Intangible Cultural Heritage Training” system, in which universities selected by the government participate in nurturing successors for traditional performing arts and others.

　Gangneung Danoje festival (selected as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Korea: formerly 13th National Important Intangible Cultural Property) held in the Dano festival on the Lunar calendar and Hahoe Byeolsingut Mask Dance Drama (selected as the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Korea: formerly 69th National Important Intangible Cultural Property), in which dancers wearing wooden masks perform welcoming dances for deities of villages, are both listed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. Both preservation societies of these traditional performing arts have educational training centers and performance spaces (Figures 1, 2, and 3), and conduct performances and exhibitions for their dissemination, establish various curricula to nurture successors, and hold presentations of their activity outcomes at their centers. Furthermore, Gyeongsang National University, Chonnam National University, and the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, which were selected in the “National Intangible Cultural Heritage Training” system, make efforts to organize training for potential successors of traditional performing arts and craft techniques as a part of the university education, exploring ways to collaborate with preservation societies, though they are different organizations.

　We recognized that we can learn a lot from these environments and systems to pass down traditional performing arts in Japan. Obviously, the participants face various challenges: how to manage an academic career while performing art skills, problems of over-tourism, how to build comprehensive collaborative relationships, and so on. We believe that Japan shares these challenges. We will make efforts to find ways to contribute to the transmission of traditional performing arts in Japan while further understanding traditional performing arts of Korea.

　We thank the members of the Intangible Heritage Bureau of the National Heritage Service of the Republic of Korea for their heartfelt support from the research to the outcome presentations on the last day of the research trip (Figure 4).

A Field Survey of Brush Making in Kumanocho, Hiroshima

Survey of brush making

Lecture at Fudenosato Kobo

　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 Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems at Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been involved in commissioned research on “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 article introduces a field survey of brush making in Kumanocho, Hiroshima, held on October 21, 2025.

　Brushes have been used for a long time traditionally in Japan as tools of painting and drawing, as well as for the preservation and restoration of cultural property. Makiefude brushes in particular are used for the preservation and restoration of lacquerware crafts, and there are not many craft artisans who can make them. For the project to reproduce the Hatsune Furnishings from the Tokugawa Art Museum’s Collection, brushes that could faithfully reproduce the intricate and exquisite techniques were needed.

　For this survey, we visited Fudenosato Kobo and Hakuhodo Company, Limited. We were able to gain an overview of the history and techniques of making brushes in Kumano. A craft artisan carefully removed any hair that was damaged or facing the wrong direction at each step in the brush-making process and selected suitable hairs from a variety of types with diverse characteristics to produce the best possible brushes for a user. On observing this, we gained appreciation for the effort of craft artisans.

　Like other traditional techniques, the brush-making industry also faces difficulties in procuring tools and raw materials. For example, hair is among the most important materials for brush-making, along with ramie threads for binding the base of the brush, combs for the refinement of hair condition during each process, and high-quality bamboo for the brush handle.

　Over a long period of time, Hakuhodo Co., Ltd., and Mejiro Institute of Urushi Research and Restoration have established direct relationships with users and creators through interactive communication. Thanks to this, hope for improved procurement of the needed materials is beginning to appear little by little. Going forward, the Agency for Cultural Affairs and TOBUNKEN will join the relationship and make efforts to expand the network of raw materials producers.

Basic Science Lecture Course for Conservators, Curators, and Archivists in 2025

Participants at the opening ceremony

Lecture on basic chemistry using molecular models

Practical session on waste solvents and their disposal

　Since FY2021, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been offering training sessions that provide the scientific information necessary for cultural property restoration. These sessions incorporate insights gained from our research at TOBUNKEN. The program is designed for specialists with restoration experience in cultural properties, museum materials, library materials, and so on, and is intended for professionals with extensive practical field experience.

　The fifth iteration of the training was held over three days from September 30 to October 2, 2025, with 16 participants in attendance. The lectures, which included practical sessions, covered the fundamental scientific knowledge considered essential for cultural property restoration. Researchers from TOBUNKEN delivered lectures on the essential chemistry required for cultural property restoration, including adhesion and adhesives, the science of paper and its deterioration, responses to biological issues, and the necessary precautions when using and disposing of laboratory equipment and chemicals.

　In response to requests from conservators, we developed a more practical and field-applicable curriculum. Despite the limited time available, participants were highly engaged in proposing scientific approaches to real-world challenges, networking, and sharing information. Post-event surveys revealed positive feedback, with many participants rating the program as “extremely beneficial.” We also received specific requests for scientific insights to be applied in future restoration work. Taking these opinions into account, we plan to continue offering similar training programs on an ongoing basis.

Workshop on Conservation of Cultural Heritage “History, Technique and Conservation of Picture Frames” and Its Associated Lecture “The History and Conservation of Picture Frames in Britain and Japan”

Participants after the opening ceremony

　Since FY2019, the Center for Conservation Science of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has put effort into training programs related to restoration treatments for cultural properties, inviting international specialists and implementing these programs in collaboration with partner institutions. Until last year, the workshops had been co-organized with the National Center for Art Research, Japan (NCAR). This year, the National Museum of Western Art (NMWA) was also added as a partner, making it a three-institution collaborative initiative.

　The theme of this year’s program focused on “frames,” which, much like hyōsō (mounting) in East Asian paintings, have long played an essential role in the display and protection of paintings. Despite their close connection with artworks, the importance of frames has yet to gain sufficient recognition in Japan, and information on their conservation practice remains scarce. In light of this situation, Ms. BARROW Yukiko, Senior Conservator at the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), was invited as the instructor for a three-day workshop titled “History, Technique and Conservation of Picture Frames,” held from October 29 to 31, 2025.

　The morning lecture sessions took place in the seminar room of TOBUNKEN, where participants (67 in total) received a wide-ranging introduction, from the history and production techniques of frames to contemporary conservation approaches in the UK. In the afternoon, the venue shifted to the Conservation Studio of NMWA, where 15 selected participants engaged in hands-on training in gilding, toning, cleaning, and other conservation techniques currently practiced in the UK.

　On November 1, an associated lecture titled “The History and Conservation of Picture Frames in Britain and Japan” was held. Ms. Barrow spoke on the history of frame conservation and the work of conservators in the UK, while Ms. NAKAE Kana, Curator at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (MOT), gave a lecture on the history of Western-style frames in Japan. The event was attended by 69 participants.

　This workshop, marking the first collaborative effort among the three institutions, offered an integrated opportunity to study both the theoretical and practical aspects of frame history and conservation. The program proved highly fruitful and is expected to contribute to the future advancement of conservation and restoration practices in Japan.

Workshop on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Surveying of Archaeological Sites in Kuwait

UAV surveying on Filaka Island

Participants working on 3D model creation

　The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation held a workshop, titled, “Workshop on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Surveying of Archaeological Sites” in Kuwait on October 10-17, 2025, as a part of the Activities for Exchanges in International Cooperation for Conservation of Cultural Heritage sponsored by the Agency of Cultural affairs. This workshop built upon previous workshops conducted in Bahrain and Japan, focusing specifically on large-scale surveying of archaeological sites such as cities and fortresses.

　This training program was conducted in collaboration with the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), Department of Antiquities and Museums, and Kuwait University. A total of 15 experts from the institutions and the Kuwait National Museum participated. Participants received lectures on UAV, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and 3D digital documentation techniques, and then worked on creating 3D models of archaeological sites using sample data. Additionally, on Failaka Island in eastern Kuwait, all participants conducted UAV surveys of archaeological sites of the Hellenistic period. Using the captured data, they created 3D models and learned how to utilize the data for studies and how to perform large-scale surveys of archaeological sites.

　Not only Kuwait, but other Gulf countries possess numerous cultural heritage sites. However, there is concern over a shortage of personnel to document and preserve this cultural heritage. It is hoped that learning such efficient methods will help resolve some of these challenges.

Workshop on 3D Digital Documentation of the Cultural Heritage and Its Application ‘3D Documentation of Built Heritage’ held in Bahrain

Practice of 3D photogrammetry at the burial mounds in Janabiyah

　The Japan Centre for International Cooperation in Conservation of Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) and Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) co-organized a workshop for 3D digital documentation at Bahrain National Museum from 28th to 30th October, 2015. This series of workshops was started from a request from BACA, which has been promoting the introduction of 3D digital documentation techniques to the field of conservation of cultural heritage. As previous workshops had been held in Bahrain and Japan, this time the workshop focused on the ‘3D documentation of built heritage’ for intermediate-level practitioners, welcoming 13 experts of cultural heritage, 11 from Bahrain and 2 from UAE.

　On the first day of workshop, lectures were held regarding the documentation methods and utilisation examples of 3D digital documentation for built heritage. After the lectures, the participants tried to document a building by themselves using 3D photogrammetry and Lidar on smartphones at the Fakhro House in the World heritage site, the ‘Pearling path.’ On the second day, participants practiced the documentation with 3D laser scanning in the exhibition room of Bahrain National Museum in the morning, and documentation with 3D photogrammetry and RTK-GNSS of the burial mounds in Janabiyah in the afternoon. The third day’s topic was 3D data utilization. The participants learned methods to create contents for an online digital museum utilising the 3D data of the exhibition room of museum that they had documented by themselves on the previous day. They also learned to create 3D models of the burial mounds in Janabiyah with photogrammetry, and published the models on the digital twin platform ‘3D DB viewer,’ which was co-developed by The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.

　The participants showed high motivation in applying these technologies in their daily practice in their respective fields of expertise such as archaeology and architecture, and expressed a willingness to learn further advanced methods. We would like to continue organising these opportunities for knowledge sharing in response to their needs.

　This workshop was organized as a part of the project for Exchanges in International Cooperation for Conservation of Cultural Heritage funded by the Agency of Cultural affairs.