Amendment to the Law for the Protection of Cultural Property Passed

On June 8, the Bill for Partial Revision of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties and the Law concerning the Organization and Functions of Local Education Administration, which was passed by the Diet on June 1, promulgated. This was in response to the urgent issue of preventing the loss and dispersal of cultural properties as communities, which were the foundation for inheritance of cultural properties, had become increasingly fragile due to depopulation, falling birthrates and an aging population. The following three points were focused on; 1. Comprehensive conservation and utilization of cultural properties in the region; 2. Review of the conservation and utilization system for the secure inheritance of individual cultural properties; and 3. Review of the system pertaining to the administration of cultural property protection in local areas. This enables prefectures to formulate a general outline of comprehensive measures for the conservation and utilization of cultural properties. Taking this into account, municipalities are now able to draw up regional plans for protection and utilization of cultural properties and apply for accreditation by the government. In addition, the head of a local authority can now, by ordinance, take charge of the administration of cultural property protection, which were previously under jurisdiction of the local authority’s board of education. (Japanese)