UNESCO and Japanese Broadcasting Corporation (Nippon Hoso Kyokai: NHK) launched in August 2004 a Partnership for heritage images archives initiative.
© NHK
Through this initiative, NHK is offering state-of-the-art digital visual and sound processing technologies to contribute to the documenting and safeguarding of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and of national heritage. The Partnership is aimed at promoting a better understanding of and respect for the heritage and to ensure transmission to future generation of the riches of diversity which the heritage represents. To ensure the scientific accuracy of the project, an advisory committee has been established and is chaired by UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador, Professor Ikuo HIRAYAMA.
Under the Partnership, cooperation between UNESCO and NHK has been consistently reinforced since 2004 with new films and broadcast events, especially introducing World Heritage sites. For example, a series of 5-minute digital high definition television programme, “World Heritage 100” (website in Japanese) has been produced in cooperation with UNESCO. Featuring one site per episode, a total of 100 episodes has been broadcast every year. These images have been also edited and presented on the UNESCO World heritage Website.
UNESCO and NHK have planned in 2007 to introduce five intangible cultural heritage episodes within the “World Heritage 100” programme so as to enable the public to better understand the specificities of the intangible cultural heritage and the linkage with tangible heritage. The five episodes were broadcasted in September 2007 in conjunction with a landmark event to be held in Japan, the 2nd Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.