| ■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 |
|
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.”
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.
Performance by master HAYASHIYA Shojaku
Talk show featuring master HAYASHIYA Shojaku (right) and Mr. MIYA Nobuaki (left)
On May 23, 2025, a symposium entitled “Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties’ Recording Project for Performing Arts (Rakugo): Stories of Shohon Shibai Banashi by Master HAYASHIYA Shojaku” was held in the seminar room of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN).
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been conducting projects to record performances of intangible cultural properties, mainly classical performing arts, selecting genres and repertoires that are rarely performed in public. As part of this project, we have been recording live performances of the traditional Japanese stories called Shohon Shibai Banashi by master HAYASHIYA Shojaku since 2013, and now that the number of performances has reached sixty, we decided to hold a symposium to review the records of his performance works.
The symposium began with an opening remark and introduction given by Ms. MAEHARA Megumi, Head of the Intangible Cultural Properties Section, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, followed by a presentation by Mr. IJIMA Mitsuru, Visiting Researcher of TOBUNKEN, entitled “The Project to Record Performances of Shohon Shibai Banashi at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties,” and a presentation by Mr. MIYA Nobuaki, Associate Professor, Kyoto University of the Arts, entitled “The World of Shohon Shibai Banashi.” Next, the master HAYASHIYA Shojaku performed “Masakado” (without props) and ‘Suimon-mae’ (with props) from “Shinkei Kasanegafuchi,” and the event was recorded in front of the audience. In addition, in a discussion between master HAYASHIYA Shojaku and Mr. MIYA, master Shojaku shared stories of how he became attracted to and learned Shohon Shibai Banashi, as well as his thoughts on the future of Shohon Shibai Banashi. The event concluded with a closing remark by ISHIMURA Tomo, Director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
These recordings of master HAYASHIYA Shojaku’s performances (Shohon Shibai Banashi) will soon be available to view (with a few exceptions) at the TOBUNKEN library. An announcement will be made on our website when these become available.
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage will continue to record classical performing arts that are rarely performed, and make them available to the public in an appropriate manner, in an effort to contribute to the preservation of intangible cultural properties.
Public image “A Draft Certificate of Authenticity” by SATAKE Tozaburo
In 2021, TOBUNKEN received a donation of paper-based documents (a total of 2,235 items) owned by OIKAWA Takeo (1942 – 2018). He was known as a collector of traditional Japanese musical instruments and related documents. The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been organizing the donated documents and since 2022 has made a database of the documents open to the public on the TOBUNKEN website, as the OIKAWA Takao Collection. The collection covers a wide variety of paper-based documents, with varying formats and period of establishment, based on Japanese traditional musical instruments originating within and outside Japan.
These documents are available for viewing at the TOBUNKEN library by reservation. However, aiming to make these documents more widely available, the department has started to digitize the rare works and those in such condition that their handling is to be avoided. The documents that have already been digitized and are now available are listed in the “pdf” column in the database, available here (Japanese only). We are now continuing our work on digitizing the rest of the documents.
Mr. OIKAWA exhibited his musical instrument collection, which he had collected by himself, at the “Oikawa Museum of Musical Instruments”, and guided the visitors as the museum director from 2003-2015. He wanted visitors to handle these instruments and make sounds with them. Therefore, we believe that making his paper-based documents available to a wider audience follows his aspiration. We hope you will make use of the database.
Mr. TANAKA Naoichi
Mr. HIYOSHI Shogo
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been recording live performances of Heike (or Heike Biwa). Heike faces the crisis of not being inherited by the next generation because of the recent absence of sufficient successors. This series of recordings has been conducted with the cooperation of the Heike Narrative Research Society, led by Prof. KOMODA Haruko, Musashino Academia Musicae, and other members of the society, including Mr. KIKUO Yuji, Mr. TANAKA Naoichi, and Mr. HIYOSHI Shogo since 2018. The seventh recording session of “The Visit to Chikubushima” (the entire piece) and “the Uji River” (the first half of the piece) was held in the Tokyo Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) Performing Arts Studio on January 31, 2025.
In “The Visit of Chikubushima,” an episode of a fortunate omen is narrated. Taira no Tsunemasa, adjutant general of the Taira clan and also an excellent poet and singer, visited the Chikubushima (the island of Chikubu) by a small boat on his way heading north along Lake Biwa. In Chikubushima, when he played secret music on the biwa instrument that was handed to him, a white dragon appeared above his sleeve. As Benzaiten (Goddess Saraswati), who is also a deity of performing arts, is enshrined in Chikubushima, this story implies harmony with the biwa instrument. “Uji River” features the fight for the vanguard between Kajiwara Genta Kagesue and Sasaki Shiro Takatsuna of the army of Minamoto no Yoritomo on the way to chase Kiso no Yoshinaka. In the first half, the following two highlights were well expressed: Kagesue and Takatsuna escalated their competitive spirits, triggered by the event in which an excellent horse called Ikezuki was given to Takatsuna, though Kagesue had asked for it. This led to a rising of tensions in the Minamoto army and the Kiso no Yoshinaka army facing each other across the raging Uji River.
We recorded the live performances in which Mr. Kikuo and Mr. Tanaka played “The Visit of Chikubusima” (the entire piece) and Mr. Hiyoshi played “the Uji River” (the first half of the piece).
The Department will continue to archive the traditional and reconstructed pieces of “Heike” live performances by the Heike Narrative Research Society.
Using a komogeta stand and tsuchinoko weights to weave cattails with a yamakage rope
Cattail waist baskets: that on the right was made more than 50 years ago.
On February 22, 2025, a survey was conducted in Hiruzen, Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture, on techniques for making cattail craft using himegama (Typha domingensis).
Prior to the period of rapid economic growth, cattails were used throughout Japan as materials for a variety of daily utensils, such as backpack baskets, storage containers, traditional gaiters, snowshoes, and rugs. As an aquatic plant, cattails have a hollow structure, and are characterized by their light weight, excellent heat retention, and waterproof properties, as well as their extremely beautiful luster. Because of their durability, in some regions, cattails were used to make more “formal” baskets or gaiters, which are thought to be of a higher quality grade than straw crafts.
Since many of these cattail crafts were made for private uses, the production techniques have been lost in most parts of the country due to changing lifestyles and the rise of chemical products. However, craftsmen in Hiruzen succeeded in revitalizing cattail craft as a local industry during the period of rapid economic growth, and the technique has been passed down to the present day. In 1982, Hiruzen Cattail Craft was designated as a local traditional craft by the prefecture, and today, the Hiruzen Cattail Craft Production Promotion Association (8 members) is working to carry on the craft.
Cattail crafts are made by peeling off the bark of first-year cattail harvested by hand around October and weaving them with a strong rope made from the inner bark of the Japanese linden tree (Yamakage in local name). The rope is made by cutting down a 20-year-old yamakage tree during the end of June to July (before the end of the rainy season), soaking the peeled inner bark in a pond or swamp for about four months to let them rot, washing and drying them, then thinly pealing them layer by layer and twisting them into a thin, thread-like rope. The rope used for old cattail baskets in the Hiruzen Folk Museum collection is more loosely woven than the current version, which suggests that a thinner, more beautiful rope was pursued in the process of refining it as a fine craft.
Hiruzen is about 500 to 600 meters above sea level, and is a region with heavy snowfall, said to be “under snow for a hundred days” from December to March. In the past, good quality himegama could be gathered in abundance in the wetlands of the plateau, but due to climate change and animal damage, the natural good material has no longer been growing in recent years, and now the producers have switched to cultivation in fallow fields to secure the material. However, cultivated cattails have problems such as being too soft or having uneven color or staining. Since it is difficult to secure high quality material as in the past, the craftsmen of Hiruzen are continuing their trial-and-error efforts to improve the situation.
The inability to sustainably and stably secure the raw materials used for traditional techniques has become a major challenge throughout the country. The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage will continue to survey the current situation in each region regarding the techniques for using materials rooted in the local environment and the issues involved.
A scene from the rehearsal (Front: Mr. FUJIMA Kiyotsugu (tachikata) / Back: Mr. FUJIMA Taichi (koken))
A scene from the rehearsal (Mr. FUJIMA Kiyotsugu (tachikata))
At the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, we are working to develop new methods for recording traditional performing arts. The “Free Viewpoint Video System” places cameras around the subject, records the subject’s movements from all directions, and allows the footage to be viewed from any angle. In theatrical genres such as classical performing arts, where a certain direction on stage is perceived as the front, the system makes it possible to analyze movements and postures at a certain point in time from various angles (for example, the side or back), which may lead to new approaches in the transmission of techniques and analytical research of performing arts.
On July 10, 2024, a performance was conducted with the cooperation of Mr. FUJIMA Kiyotsugu, a tachikata performer of the Fujima school of the Nihon-buyo, and was filmed with 16 cameras, showing a suodori dance (danced without costume or wig) of “Musume Dojoji” to focus on the body movements when using props. After filming, the footage was reviewed from various perspectives, and on December 18, 2024 and January 10, 2025, the performer Mr. FUJIMA Kiyotsugu, system developers from the Denkosha Co., Ltd., and researchers from our institute Mr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Ms. MAEHARA Megumi, Head of the Intangible Cultural Properties Section, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Ms. KAMATA Sayumi, Researcher of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, exchanged opinions and provided feedback from their respective positions on the expected purposes of use, points to be aware of when using the system, operability, and desired functions. In addition, on January 11, 2025, the preliminary results of this research were orally presented at the second plenary meeting of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research “Materia-Mind: Constructing a New Human Historical Science of the Co-creation of Material and Mind”* under the title “Performing arts and kinesiology: Analysis of the performer’s physical movements” by Mr. ISHIMURA.
We will continue working with performers and system developers to explore approaches that can serve as new recording and research tools for traditional performing arts.
*Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Area (A) FY 2024-2028 “Materia-Mind: Constructing a New Human Historical Science of the Co-creation of Material and Mind” (Principal Investigator: MATSUMOTO Naoko / No. 24A102)
Public lecture
On Friday, December 6, 2024, the 18th Public Lecture was held at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN), in the basement seminar room and lobby. From 2015 to 2018, TOBUNKEN had conducted surveys on silk manufacturing techniques of Mr. SHIMURA Akira (certified individual practitioner of “conventional silk manufacturing” a selected conservation technique) and Ms. AKIMOTO Shigeko of the Silk Textile Manufacturing Research Institute of Katsuyama Co. Ltd (hereafter, Silk Textile Manufacturing Research Institute) located in Iijima Town, Nagano Prefecture. These techniques are used for the production of textile restoration materials. Based on the surveys, we published a research report, “Manufacturing Techniques of Silk Textile Research Report on Transmission of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Traditional Craftsmanship)” and an associated DVD (TOBUNKEN Publication Repository) (hereafter “Manufacturing Techniques of Silk Textile Research Report”) in 2021. This public lecture featured those techniques and served to introduce the surveys and documentation project conducted by TOBUNKEN and to share the situation of the textile restoration techniques and restoration material manufacturing techniques with a wider audience.
At the public lecture, Ms. KIKUCHI Riyo, Senior Researcher of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, explained the purpose of this lecture event, Ms. TAHIRA Namiko, Senior Specialist of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and Dr. BANNO Yutaka, Director of the Komagatake Silk Museum and Professor Emeritus of Kyushu University, delivered lectures respectively titled “Conservation Techniques for Cultural Properties: Conventional Silk Manufacturing” and “Conservation of Silkworm Eggs in Japan.” After the lectures, time was allocated for the audience to view a lobby exhibition, which displayed cocoons of various types of silkworms borrowed from Dr. Banno, five kimono costumes made of silk textiles manufactured at the Silk Textile Manufacturing Research Institute using different reeling techniques and woven patterns, and drawstring pouches made from the same textiles as the exhibited Kimono costumes.
After a break, a video titled “Widespread Adoption Phase Manufacturing Techniques of Silk Textile Research Report” was screened, Ms. AKIMOTO reported on “the Current Situation and Inheritance of Silk Textile Manufacturing Techniques,” and Ms. YODA Naomi from Shokakudo Co., Ltd. and Ms. AKIMOTO joined in a discussion titled “Textile Restoration and Requests for Restoration Materials through the Actual Cases.”
This public lecture gave us a good opportunity to think about the importance of inheriting the current techniques by featuring intangible techniques associated with tangible cultural properties. Our department will continue to publish the research results on intangible techniques and hold opportunities to discuss the challenge.
A scene from the gallery talk (October 26)
A scene from the symposium (November 10)
A photo exhibition entitled “Practices of Daily Life as Living Heritage in Sudan” ran from October 5 to November 17 at the Tobacco and Salt Museum (Sumida Ward, Tokyo). The exhibition was co-organized by the Tobacco and Salt Museum and the KAKENHI project “Heritage studies for realization of cultural diversity and peacebuilding in post-conflict countries” (Principal Investigator: Mr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage), supported by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Japan.
The exhibition featured twelve photographs, including those provided by Mr. IMANAKA Ko (Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) Sudan Office), Mr. KANAMORI Kensuke (Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies (ASAFAS), Kyoto University), Mr. HORI Jun (journalist, Representative of 8bitNews) and Prof. Mohamed Adams Sulaiman (Sudan University of Science and Technology), as well as photographs from the collections of the British Museum, Tokyo National Museum, and the Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Tokyo. Among them, the photographs provided by Prof. Mohamed Adams Sulaiman are particularly valuable, capturing the daily life of Sudan in the midst of armed conflict. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to him.
A gallery talk was held on October 26, during which Mr. ISHIMURA provided information on the exhibited works, and Mr. KUMAGAI Kentaro (cyanotype blueprint artist) (note 1) gave a talk on the relationship between gum arabic and Sudan, since gum arabic is an essential ingredient for blueprints.
A related symposium was held on November 10. The first half was a panel discussion, where Mr. AOKI Zen (Tobacco and Salt Museum), Mr. KANAMORI, Mr. HORI, Ms. SEKIHIRO Naoyo (Kyoto City Archaeological Research Institute), and Mr. SHIMIZU Nobuhiro (Hokkai Gakuen University) gave talks on site, Mr. IMANAKA and Mr. SAKANE Koji (Global Peacebuilding Association of Japan, former Chief Representative of JICA Sudan Office) gave a talk online, Mr. Ali Mohamed Ahmed Osman Mohamed (Chargé d’affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Sudan in Japan) gave a video message, and Mr. ISHIMURA acted as a moderator. In addition, a young Sudanese man living in Japan contributed with a comment for the panel discussion.
In the second half of the event, there was a performance by a Sudanese dance group led by REIKA, including Reika, Miyuki, Yoko, Reiko Miho, Akiko, and Yoko (stage names). During the final song, the audience also joined in dancing the Sudanese dances. The event was a great success, with eighty participants.
A book written by the panelists of this symposium, “Aspiring to Sudan’s Future – eyewitnesses of revolution, coup and conflicts” (edited by SEKIHIRO Naoyo and ISHIMURA Tomo, published by Akashi Shoten, 2024) was available at the museum shop during the exhibition.
Finally, we would like to thank Dr. Julie Anderson (British Museum), Mr. Mohammed Nasreldein (University of Tübingen), and Mr. Ali Mohamed Ahmed Osman Mohamed for their cooperation in making this exhibit possible.
Note 1: Cyanotype blueprinting is a photographic method invented in the 19th century that produces a monochrome, blue-colored print. The prints were often used to copy mechanical and architectural drawings. Although they are rarely used for practical purposes today, they are often considered as artworks for their unique expression.
Performance by Mr. ICHIRYUSAI Teikitsu
Talk show featuring Mr. ICHIRYUSAI Teikitsu (right) and Mr. IJIMA Mitsuru
On October 3, 2024, a symposium entitled “Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties’ Recording Project for Performing Arts (Kodan): In Memory of Master ICHIRYUSAI Teisui” was held in the seminar room of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN).
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been conducting projects to record performances of intangible cultural properties, mainly classical performing arts, selecting genres and repertoires that are rarely performed to the public. From 2002 to 2020, we have filmed and recorded 145 performances of kodan(storytelling) by ICHIRYUSAI Teisui (1939-2020), a holder of the Nationally Designated Important Intangible Cultural Property “Kodan” [individually certified].
The symposium began with an opening remark by Mr. ISHIMURA Tomo, director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and then featured a lecture by Prof. IMAOKA Kentaro from the Musashino Art University, entitled “On the Establishment of the Kabuki Play ‘Kanjincho’ and its Relationship with Kodan.” There was also a screening a film of ‘Kimura Nagatonokami no Kannin Bukuro,’ an episode from “Nanba Senki,” performed by ICHIRYUSAI Teisui and recorded at the performing arts studio in the institute on May 26, 2015. Afterwards, Mr. ICHIRYUSAI Teikitsu, a disciple of ICHIRYUSAI Teisui, performed the play “Kanjincho,” followed by a talk show entitled “About Master ICHIRYUSAI Teisui,” featuring Mr. ICHIRYUSAI Teikitsu and Mr. IJIMA Mitsuru, a visiting researcher of TOBUNKEN.
These recordings of ICHIRYUSAI Teisui’s performances will soon be available to view (with a few exceptions) at the TOBUNKEN library. An announcement will be made on our website when these become available.
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage will continue to record classical performing arts that are rarely performed, and make them available to the public in an appropriate manner, in an effort to contribute to the preservation of intangible cultural properties.
Recording scene of ‘Manzairaku,’ the bugaku performance
Recording scene of ‘Ryo-oh,’ the bugaku performance
On 30 September and 1 October 2024, a series of experiments was conducted to simultaneously measure audiovisual data, physiological data (such as respiration), and motion capture data during multi-person performances of gagaku, Japanese court music, as part of the joint research project “Dance and Instrumental Performance: Embodied Communication in Gagaku Practice,” led by Dr. KAMATA Sayumi, Researcher of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The project involves collaboration with the University of Tokyo, J. F. Oberlin University, Kobe University, Riken, and Durham University, and is supported by a Mishima Kaiun Memorial Foundation 2024 Academic Research Grant.
Traditional performing arts often require performers in different roles to coordinate their expressions; however, this coordination is not merely mechanical. To explore how this is achieved from multiple perspectives, the experiment had two main objectives: (i) to record elements that cannot be captured by video or audio alone, such as breathing and fine movements; and (ii) to gather insights from the performers about their specific awareness and coordination during their instrumental or dance roles. With the cooperation of a total of 13 performers, two representative pieces, ‘Manzairaku’ and ‘Ryo-oh,’ were recorded in both the bugaku (with dance) and kangen (instrumental only) styles. These pieces were chosen for their significance in the gagaku repertoire and their contrasting performance styles.
The data collected, both quantitative (audiovisual, physiological, motion capture) and qualitative (interviews), will be analyzed in detail to understand the interaction between performers. Although the research is in its early stages, it is expected to contribute to the development of diverse methodologies for documenting and preserving traditional performing arts.
A demonstration at the Symposium
Exhibitions
On August 9, 2024, a symposium entitled “‘Wisdom and Techniques’ Nurtured with Forests: For the Future of Intangible Cultural Heritage” was held at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN).
The recent difficulty in obtaining raw materials to support intangible arts and techniques for repairing tangible cultural properties has become a major problem. There are various reasons for this: the mountains are no longer cared for and thus suitable timber is no longer available, timber producers have withdrawn due to decreased demand, the distribution system has collapsed, etc. All of these factors are due to the fact that the relationship between people and Nature has changed.
The purpose of this symposium was to make the current situation widely known and to build a network for thinking together about how to solve these problems. In the first part of the symposium, five people were invited to demonstrate various techniques using natural materials. Ms. ARAI Eriko demonstrated making a “Ohara basket” from Itaya maple and Mountain maple, Ms. NOBUHARA Yuki wove a “Omogishi-mi (winnowing basket)” from the bark of Bakkoyanagi (Salix caprea) and the core of Sarunashi (Actinidia arguta), Ms. NAKAMURA Hitomi made “Hichiriki reeds” from Yoshi (reed), Mr. KOJIMA Shusuke made a “Kiri box” of Paulownia, and Mr. SEKITA Tetsuya carved a “Kezurikake,” a ritual tool, from wood from the Satoyama landscape; and all of these presenters freely interacted with the participants while providing information and explanations. The second part of the event was followed by a lecture by Dr. MAKITA Akifumi, Vice President of Akita Prefectural University, on “Nature as a Foundation of Culture,” and reports provided by three staff members of TOBUNKEN.
As mentioned earlier, a major factor behind the shortage of raw materials is the changing relationship between people and Nature. This is directly linked to changes in society as a whole, and it is not a problem that can be solved overnight. However, this is precisely why it is important to make society at large aware of this current situation, and to encourage people from various regions and standpoints to think about this issue and take action. The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage will continue to conduct related research and networking activities to contribute to the resolution of this issue.
A full report on the symposium will be published soon, and a PDF version will be available on the website of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
A scene from the online workshop (May 29, 2024)
An online workshop entitled “Reunion, Rehabilitation, and Revitalization: International Online Workshop for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage and Living Heritage in Sudan” was held on May 28 and 29, 2024. This workshop was part of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, “Heritage studies for realization of cultural diversity and peacebuilding in post-conflict countries,” a project led by Dr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN). The workshop was organized by the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, co-organized by the Safeguarding Sudan’s Living Heritage (SSLH) project of the UK, and supported by the Department of International Relations and Organizations, National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM) in Sudan.
Sudan has been embroiled in armed conflict since April 2023, the National Museum and the National Ethnographic Museum in the capital Khartoum have both been closed, and experts involved in the protection of cultural heritage have been forced to either flee the country or evacuate to relatively safe areas within the country. However, despite these difficult circumstances, Sudanese experts have continued their activities to protect cultural heritage. For example, our counterpart, Dr. Amani Noureldime (former Director, National Ethnographic Museum and current Director, International Relations and Organizations, National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums (NCAM), Sudan), has evacuated to a relatively safe area in Sudan and has been working with local residents to protect cultural heritage based at a museum in that area. In addition, the UK’s SSLH project is planning to start a project to safeguard traditional culture in cooperation with local Sudanese experts, also based at a museum in a relatively safe area of Sudan.
The purpose of this workshop was to connect experts engaged in various activities both inside and outside Sudan, share information, and hold discussions on ways to overcome this difficult situation. The agenda was as follows:
Day 1 (May 28)
Opening remarks (Mr. SAITO Takamasa, Director General, Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties)
Introduction (Dr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage)
Towards a National Strategy and Plan Aimed at Uniting Performers, Heritage Bearers, Activists, and Civil Society Institutions to Preserve, Rehabilitate, and Revitalize Sudan’s Intangible Cultural and Living Heritage (Dr. Ismail Ali El Fihail, Director, House of Heritage, Khartoum/ICH UNESCO Accredited Facilitator)
Current Trends of the UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (Dr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage)
Cultural Heritage and Disaster Risk Management (Prof. MASUDA Kanefusa, Ritsumeikan University/ICOMOS-ICORP)
Safeguarding Sudan’s Living Heritage Project Inside and Outside Sudan (Dr. Helen Mallinson and Mr. Michael Mallinson, Mallinson Architects and Engineers/SSLH)
Traditional Buildings in Sudan as Living Heritage (Dr. SHIMIZU Nobuhiro, Hokkai Gakuen University, Dr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Ms. SEKIHIRO Naoyo, Kyoto City Archaeological Research Institute)
Day 2 (May 29)
Keynote Speech: Museum Policies and Objectives in Sudan under the Current Situation (Dr. Ghalia Garel Nabi, Director General, NCAM)
Impacts on Cultural Heritage in War Situation: Case study (Gaziera Museum) (Dr. Amani Noureldaim Mohamed, Director, Department of International Relations and Organizations, NCAM)
Community Engagement and Heritage Protection During the Wartime Case of Jebel El-Barkal World Heritage Site and Marawi Land Museum Evacuation Northern State, Sudan (Dr. Sami Elamin, Director, Northern State Antiquities Office, and Resident Manager, Jebel El-Barkal World Heritage Site)
Community Engagement and Heritage Protection in Shiekan Museum (Dr. Amani Yousif Bashir, Director, Shiekan Museum)
Discussion, facilitated by Prof. Intisar Soghayroun (Expert/Head of Research Unit, the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts, ALESCO) and Dr. Julie Anderson (British Museum)
Commentator: Dr. Abdelrahman Ali (UNESCO Expert/ former Director General, NCAM)
Concluding remarks by H.E. Ali Mohamed (Ambassador of the Republic of the Sudan in Japan)
Some of the experts who participated via the internet from Sudan struggled with poor connectivity. Nevertheless, it was a great achievement that so many experts were able to gather together online, even in the difficult circumstances of armed conflict.
Sudan is still in the midst of armed conflict, and we are unable to travel there to carry out our activities. However, we will continue to consider the kinds of international cooperation we can provide to safeguard Sudan’s cultural heritage, even if we are outside of Sudan.
Reporting at the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Japan (Photo by SEKIHIRO Naoyo )
On May 19, 2024, the general meeting and public symposium of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Japan was held at the National Museum of Ethnology. At this general meeting, Mr. ISHIMURA Tomo, Director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, gave a report titled “Safeguarding Cultural Heritage Amid Armed Conflict in Sudan” (co-authored with Mr. SHIMIZU Nobuhiro and Ms. SEKIHIRO Naoyo). The authors had been collecting information on the current state of cultural heritage in Sudan under armed conflict as part of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, “Heritage studies for realization of cultural diversity and peacebuilding in post-conflict countries,” and presented the results of the research.
In Sudan, the armed conflict between the Sudanese National Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that began in April 2023 continues to this day, and the country’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage has been severely affected. We have been in contact with Sudanese cultural heritage experts both in and outside Sudan, as well as international experts in the UK and elsewhere, to collect information on the current situation. At this meeting, we reported on the results of our efforts and called for the need for international support for Sudan through the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is one of the organizations that make up the Blue Shield International. The Blue Shield International was established in 1996 as an international framework that works to protect cultural heritage that is facing threats to survival due to armed conflicts and disasters, based on the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (commonly known as the Hague Convention), adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1954. Japan ratified the Hague Convention in 2007, becoming the 117th state party, but Japan is not yet a member of the Blue Shield International.
Japan has been fortunate in not being involved in any major armed conflicts since the end of the war in 1945. However, much cultural heritage has been damaged by armed conflicts around the world since then. Japan has been involved in international cooperation for post-conflict cultural heritage protection in Cambodia and Afghanistan, and has received high praise from the international community for this work.
However, looking at the current situation, armed conflicts continue not only in Sudan but also in various other parts of the world, such as Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, and much cultural heritage is at risk. What can we do to safeguard this cultural heritage? We hoped that our report at this meeting of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Japan would serve as an opportunity to discuss this issue.
Common reed to use for rosetsu of hichiriki
Common reed tied into batches.
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereafter, “the Department”) is conducting investigations and research into the tools (e.g., musical instruments including their parts, stage properties, and costumes,) and raw materials that are essential for intangible cultural properties.
Common reed (Phragmites Australis) grown on a riverbed in the Kanmaki and Udono areas of Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, has been known to be suitable for the rozetsu (mouthpiece) of hichiriki, a traditional Japanese flute used in gagaku, classical Japanese court music. Though it is necessary to annually burn the riverbed to maintain a suitable environment for common reed growth, the burning could not be done for two consecutive years due to unsuitable weather conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in an overgrowth of wild vines, which forced the common reed to almost disappear from the area by around September 2021.
To improve the situation, the Udono Association for Common Reed Riverbeds Preservation and Kanmaki Working Union cooperated with local residents, Takatsuki City administrative staff, parties interested in gagaku, and others to regularly burn the riverbed and remove vines. The Department has been investigating the growing environment and characteristics of the common reed in the areas. As a part of our investigation, we joined in the cutting of common reeds on February 2 and 3, 2024, and collected information about the current situation regarding the common reed and its usage. This public occasion was planned to cut the thin common reed not suitable for rozetsu to produce other products such as paper and towels made of common reed, after the Kanmaki Working Union cut the common reed suitable for rozetsu of hichiriki. Enterprises trying to expand the demand for common reed and individuals and groups trying to understand the natural environment of common reed fields also gathered on those two days. More than 60 people worked each day. This year the condition of the common reed in the area was better than last year, but the supply yield was not sufficient to meet the demand for rozetsu.
It is essential for succeeding gagaku that local people and enterprises better understand the common reed itself and that involved parties interested in gagaku gain a better understanding of common reed as a raw material of rozetsu for hichiriki.
The Department is continuing its investigation of the characteristics of common reed itself and its suitability for rosetsu for hichiriki. Furthermore, we are carefully monitoring the local environment where the raw materials grow.
Mr. HIYOSHI Shogo
Staff responsible for recording techniques
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been recording live performances of the instrument “Heike” or “Heike Biwa,” which faces the crisis of not being inherited by the next generation because of the recent absence of sufficient successors. This series of recordings has been conducted since 2018 with the cooperation of the Heike Narrative Research Society, led by Prof. KOMODA Haruko, Musashino Academia Musicae, and other members of the society, including Mr. KIKUO Yuji, Mr. TANAKA Naoichi, and Mr. HIYOSHI Shogo.
The sixth recording session of the performance of ‘Suzuki’ (Japanese sea bass) was held in the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) Performing Arts Studio on February 8, 2024. In the ‘Suzuki’, an episode in which Japanese sea bass jumps into the boat of Taira no Kiyomori is narrated as a harbinger of the prosperity of the Heike clan under the patronage of Kumano Gongen. Because of its lyrics, ‘Suzuki’ is a favorite celebratory piece. The piece is also often used as an instructional (introductory) piece, as it contains a short but basic set of melodic patterns. For this recording of live performances, Mr. KIKUO, Mr. HIYOSHI, and Mr. TANAKA shared the performance, and the session was recorded.
This recording was assisted by students studying studio recording techniques under Prof. KAMEKAWA Toru, Tokyo University of the Arts, and thereby provided an opportunity to put into practice the sound techniques essential to the recording live performances. The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage will continue to record live performances, refining the skills involved in recording traditional performing arts with like-minded people.
Published video (from left, Mss. MIAYAZONO Senyoshie, Senroku, Senkazuya, and Senkoju)
Miyazono bushi is one of Japan’s Important Intangible Cultural Properties; however, it is not often performed these days. Therefore, the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereafter, “the Department) has been recording its live performances since 2018. Recently, we published the opening parts of these video recordings on the TOBUNKEN homepage (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/ich/video/).
The original recordings of the Miyazono bushi were performed by Mss. MIYAZONO Senroku and Senkazuya both are individuals certified as Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Property, so-called “living national treasures.” The whole traditional pieces were recorded and archived in full. The full versions are available at video booths at the TOBUNKEN Library. Due to the limited number of booths, contacting us regarding availability beforehand is highly recommended. A guide to the library is available here.
The Department plans to publish as much more audio and video recordings as possible.
Preparation for the recording
Recording scene (left: TOSHA Rosen IX and right: TOSHA Rokou)
On February 16, 2024, the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage conducted the second research recording of the Azuma school two-stringed zither called a nigenkin, in the recording room of the Performing Art Studio of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
The Azuma school nigenkin is a type of Japanese two-stringed zither, an instrument in which two silk strings are stretched over a wooden body and played with a plectrum. The Azuma school nigenkin was founded in Tokyo in the early Meiji era by TOSHA Rosen I (1830-1889) and has been transmitted mainly in Tokyo. However, as there are now only a few people carrying on the tradition and only a limited number of pieces have been recorded on publicly available audiovisual material, we are producing new research recordings.
The first recording highlighted six pieces composed by Rosen I, but the tradition also includes works composed by performers in later generations. The second recording featured six pieces: ‘Kishi no fujinami (lit. Riverside Wistaria Trellis)’, ‘Yatsu no hana (Eight Flowers)’, ‘Kiku no kotobuki (Chrysanthemum Festival)’, ‘Hana no ame (Flower Rain)’, ‘Matsukaze no kyoku (Pine Breeze)’, and ‘Funaasobi (Boating)’. The first piece is said to have been composed by Rosen IV (1869-1941) and the second by Rosen III (?-1931). The fourth piece is a work for which only the lyrics of Rosen I have survived, and later performers had supplemented the melody and resumed the transmission. The recordings, selected from a wide range of periods, demonstrate the diversity of performance techniques and compositions in the repertoire. They were performed by TOSHA Rosen IX and TOSHA Rokou, members of Azuma-kai, the performing group of the Azuma school of two-stringed zither music.
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage plans to continue recording rare performances and precious full-length performances.
