Report on National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties (structures) Designation Submitted

On May 17, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: MIYATA Ryōhei) submitted a report on one building to be designated as a National Treasures and nine buildings to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to SHIMOMURA Hakubun, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes Bannaji (Ashikagashi City, Tochigi Prefecture), a medieval esoteric Buddhist temple that represents East Japan to be designated as a National Treasure; and the Former Residence of the Maeda Family (Meguro Ward, Tokyo), built in the early Shōwa period by the former feudal lord of the Kaga domain, to be designated as an Important Cultural Property. In addition to the list, Tsuwano (Tsuwano Town, Shimane Prefecture) and Jōtō (Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture) were also suggested to be the Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. At the same time, it also called for the lifting of the designation of the main hall of Kinzanji (Okayama City) as an Important Cultural Property, which burned down in 2012. (Japanese)