[Comments solicited during the 2nd Intangible Heritage Committee : JAPAN]
Ref.: CLT/CIH/ITH/07/373 Decision 2.COM 8 Japan (Draft) Comments on the possible modalities for the participation of communities or their representatives, practitioners, experts, centres of expertise and research institutions in the implementation of the Convention
1. Elements that support the ICH The important elements supporting the ICH can be broadly divided as follows: (1) individuals or groups who practice and transmit the ICH (practitioners who bear the ICH, hereinafter referred to as “practitioners”); (2) self-governing organizations, consisting in principle of practitioners, which provide an environment or opportunity for performance or exhibition; (3) those who support and have a good understanding of the heritage, and, as local residents or admirers, support the activities of the tradition-bearers. some cases. These four must work together closely in order to transmit the ICH to future generations in good condition. The state of transmission of the ICH can be estimated by knowing the state of relations between these four and the ICH. In the following, we will introduce the Japanese system to protect ICH and look at the role played by each of the four elements. In addition, (4) those who are in a position to objectively observe the ICH, such as appreciators, critics, researchers, etc, can also play an important role in
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Role of practitioners and others with regard to ICH in Japan In Japan, the ICH is protected under the law for the Protection of Cultural
Properties and classified in the categories of “Intangible Cultural Properties”, “Intangible Folk Cultural Properties”, and “Selected Conservation Techniques”. Intangible Cultural Properties are defined as “drama, music, craft techniques and other intangible cultural assets that have high historic or artistic value for Japan.” In other words, Intangible Cultural Properties are the skills and techniques themselves that are
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possessed by human beings. The Government designates especially important items of these skills and techniques as Important Intangible Cultural Properties, and at the same time recognizes those who manifest or embody these skills or techniques at a high level as individual or group holders. There are three forms of recognition: “Individual (Holder) Recognition”, “Collective (Holders) Recognition”, and “Recognition of Holding Groups”. “Intangible Folk Cultural Properties” are manners and customs related to food, clothing, and shelter, occupations, religious faith, annual events, and other matters; folk performing arts; folk techniques; and clothing, tools, houses and other objects used in connection with the foregoing. This heritage is rooted in each local area and has been created and passed down in the course of daily life; it is indispensable for understanding the changes in lifestyle of the Japanese people. The Government designates especially important items as “Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties” and promotes their preservation and transmission through preservation organizations consisting mainly of local people. Japan also protects Conservation Techniques for Cultural Properties under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. In order to preserve tangible and intangible cultural properties for the future, we need to transmit the skills related to producing and repairing tools and instruments, or producing materials and other objects used in connection with the relevant cultural properties, for example “Wig styling for Kabuki play”. Therefore, the Government selects as Selected Conservation Techniques the traditional craftsmanship and techniques indispensable for the preservation of cultural properties, for which preservation measures are required, and takes measures for their protection. Based on the above, we would like to outline the roles, challenges, and government support measures for each as follows: (1) Practitioners and communities (a) Practitioners Practitioners have the special role of themselves performing, recreating, and transmitting the ICH, based on skills, knowledge, and experience that they possess. The Japanese government defines those individuals or groups who embody and carry on the relevant heritage as “holders”, “holding groups”, and “protection organizations”.
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Practitioners are expected to refine and improve their skills and technical abilities, and to improve their ability to nurture successors. The national government provides a special subsidy for further development of their own skills or art, and for training successor supports for such activities. (b) Community It is almost impossible to define “community” briefly because of its diversity: the extent of the community depends on the type of ICH, the number of participants concerned, the roles played in the process of transmission and other matters. However, as stated above, in the field of performing arts and in craft techniques, there is “collective recognition” for groups of practitioners of arts in which two or more people together embody outstanding skill in the technique. There is also recognition for “holding groups” consisting mainly of holders of techniques where the nature of the technique itself may mean that there is little distinction between individual practitioners, and where there are many holders of the technique. In the case of Folk Cultural Properties, groups which carry out activities to protect and transmit the properties are defined as “protection groups (preservation associations)”. These groups, made up mainly of practitioners, or networks linking protection groups or similar preservation organizations, all carry out their activities in different ways, so it is difficult to generalize about them. However, many are self-directed, independent organizations, which play an extremely important role in ensuring the organized, ongoing nurturing of successors. The Government also provides subsidies to the protection groups for part of the cost of their activities, such as successor training projects, local public performances, repair and renovation of essential facilities. (2) Centres of Expertise In order to protect the ICH, the government of Japan assigns specialists with expert knowledge of the traditional performing arts, craft techniques, and folk cultural properties to the Cultural Properties Department in the Agency for Cultural Affairs. As a body responsible for research related to the protection of ICH, the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage was set up within the Independent Administrative Institution “National Research Institute for Cultural Properties,
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Tokyo”. It conducts research and documentation in related fields. In addition, the Independent Administrative Institution “Japan Arts Council” operates the National Theatre, the National Engei Hall, the National Noh Theatre, the National Bunraku Theatre, and the National Theatre Okinawa. The Japan Arts Council holds performances of traditional performing arts, conducts training for successors, and carries out surveys and research, audio-visual documentation of performances and other activities, as well as collection and exhibition of related materials. The national government provides support for operating costs. In the course of the implementation of the Convention, these institutions can examine the condition of Japanese ICH and give advice as necessary to those concerned.
(3) Experts In contrast to the practitioners or the community, experts are in a position to record and assess the current state of the ICH and the process of transmission, based on which they can give appropriate advice on transmission. The national government provides support for survey and research activities as necessary. (4) Research Institutions These institutions provide organized support for experts, ensure the organized involvement of experts, and play an important role in the stable, ongoing nurturing and production of experts. The national government provides support for operating costs as needed.
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Comments from Japan Basically, Japan approves and supports the participation of communities or their
representatives, practitioners, experts, centres of expertise and research institutes in the implementation of the Convention. However, regarding the vast extent of communities which reflect the diversity of the ICH, it is difficult to standardize the specific modality of the participation of communities, etc. Accordingly, if we pursue conformity in regard to the possible modalities of participation for communities, etc., we would be denying the diversity of the ICH. Therefore, the modalities should be kept as flexible as possible, in order to adapt to
[Comments solicited during the 2nd Intangible Heritage Committee : JAPAN]
diversity of ICH. The States Parties, while fully recognizing the important roles to be played by the communities, etc., in the transmission of the ICH, should have responsibility for the safeguarding of cultural heritage in their respective countries, and must endeavor to grasp the current condition of the heritage.
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