Report on Important Cultural Properties (structures) Designation Submitted

On October 18, the Council for Cultural Affairs (Commissioner: MIYATA Ryōhei) submitted a report on six buildings to be designated as Important Cultural Properties to SHIMOMURA Hakubun, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The list includes the Nasu Shrine (Ōtawara City, Tochigi Prefecture), whose structure combines medieval forms with early modern decorative design, and the former Kōyaguchi school building, which is considered to be the culmination of pre-war wooden school buildings. In addition to the list, two districts, one of which was the Masuda district in Yokote City, Akita Prefeture, where one of few merchant houses that were purposely built to cope with heavy snowfall in the Tōhoku region remains, were also suggested to be the Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings. (Japanese)