Report on National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties Designation Submitted

On April 20, the Council for Cultural Affairs submitted a report on two assets to be designated as National Treasures and 46 assets to be Important Cultural Properties to HIRANO Hirofumi, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The two assets to be designated as National Treasures are dogū, a clay figurine, from the mid-Jōmon period, excavated at the Nishinomae site in Funagata-machi, Yamagata Prefecture, known for its graceful female form; and Amida Triad, a triptych of hanging scrolls, painted by Pu-yue in the Southern Song dynasty in China and brought to Japan (Shōjōkein temple, Kyoto Prefecture). The list for Important Cultural Properties includes Wooden standing statue of Shukongōshin and Wooden standing statue of Jinja Daishō by Kaikei, sculptor of Buddhist statues in the Kamakura period (Kongōbuji temple, Wakayama Prefecture). The Council for Cultural Affairs also recommended that 166 buildings, including the main building of JR Kotohira Station (Kotohira-chō, Kagawa Prefecture), which serves as the entrance to the Konpira pilgrimage, as well as ‘Archaeological materials in the Suwa region’ collected by the late archaeologist FUJIMORI Eiichi from Nagano Prefecture, be registered as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties. (Japanese)