Report on National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties Designation Submitted

On October 16, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: NISHIHARA Suzuko) submitted a report on the designation of the Former Crown Prince’s Tōgū Palace (Akasaka Palace) as a National Treasure as well as an Important Cultural Property, and nine assets including Naige daijingū shrine (Chikusai City, Ibaraki Prefecture) and the Former Tsuruoka Police Station (Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture) to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to KAWABATA Tatsuo, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. This marked the first time that modern architecture dating from the Meiji period onward was designated as a National Treasure. This brought the total number of Important Cultural Properties in the structure category to 2,359 (including 215 National Treasures). In addition to the list, Unomatchi, Uwachō, Seiyo City (Ehime Prefecture) was suggested to be selected to be an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, as well as to expand the existing preservation district in Yunotsu, Ōda City (Ōda City, Shimane Prefecture), which had already been selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. (Japanese)