The Committee
- Recalling the initial inscription of ‘Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan’ (submitted by Japan) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the fifteenth session of the Committee in 2020 (Decision COM 8.b.35),
- Takes note that Japan has nominated Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan (No. 02293) for inscription, on an extended basis as a national extension, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
The conservation and transmission of wooden architecture consists in a set of traditional skills, techniques and knowledge to build new wooden structures and restore existing ones. This includes skills such as plastering, the cultivation and harvesting of raw materials, lacquer painting of traditional structures, and many more. Initially, master craftspeople transmitted the related knowledge and skills by training apprentices as their successors. However, with modernization, this process became more difficult. As a result, preservation associations were formed to safeguard the element.
- Considers that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:
R.1: Certain skills associated with the element, such as the creation of ‘Nakatsugi-omote’ (a type of tatami surface), are transmitted through training sessions and seminars focusing on the sustainable use of natural resources and the cultivation of raw materials. Due to the country’s hot and humid climate, repair work must be undertaken on a regular basis. At restoration sites, craftspeople with different skills work together to complete the restorations. Some maintenance work also requires the involvement of local residents. The element thus serves a social function by fostering cooperation and social cohesion while strengthening the practising communities’ sense of shared cultural identity.
R.2: The nomination clearly demonstrates that the proposed extension promotes the link between intangible cultural heritage, built heritage and natural heritage associated with wooden architecture. At the local level, it can promote both craftsmanship and environmental management, raising awareness of the importance of cultural heritage in general. At the national level, the inclusion of the community can inspire greater interest in other safeguarding practices nationwide. At the international level, the nomination may foster a broader understanding of traditional architecture conservation, stimulate global discussion and promote cultural exchange, potentially offering a replicable model for other States Parties.
R.3: The nomination file clearly presents past and ongoing measures adopted by the communities of bearers to safeguard the element, most of which are formulated and implemented by the communities themselves, with the support of administrative bodies, particularly the training of successors and the provisioning of raw materials. The extension would encourage exchanges with the artisans involved in the original application, helping the new community to secure raw materials and creating an environment conducive to the transmission of skills, techniques and knowledge, reinforcing safeguarding measures.
R.4: For the extended nomination, all the newly joining and originally involved communities discussed measures for safeguarding and transmitting the traditional techniques of tatami mat making. They also provided information, documentation and visual records to prepare the nomination file. The original communities provided their consent to the addition of a new one, and, finally, they all provided their free, prior and informed consent.
R.5: The nomination file demonstrates that the seventeen techniques of ‘Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan’ have been selected as Selected Conservation Techniques under Japan’s Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties and included in the respective inventory. This inventory is managed and updated on a periodic basis by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
- Decides to inscribe Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, taking note that the present inscription incorporates and replaces ‘Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan’ (No. 01618), previously inscribed in 2020;
- Commends the State Party for its concern for the inclusion and consideration of new communities in this expansion within the same country, which demonstrates an ethical and transparent attitude that reflects the spirit of the Convention.