Important Cultural Property (Japan)

Sankei-en's Rinshunkaku in Yokohama is a nationally designated Important Cultural Property

An Important Cultural Property (重要文化財, jūyō bunkazai)^{[note 1]} is an item officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Property by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people.^[1]

Classification of Cultural Properties

To protect Japan's cultural heritage, the country's government has established with the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties a "designation system" (指定制度) under which it selects important items and designates them as Cultural Properties,^{[note 2]} imposing restrictions to their alteration, repair and export.^[1] Besides the "designation system", there exists a "registration system" (登録制度), which guarantees a lower level of protection and support to Registered Cultural Properties.

Cultural Properties are classified according to their nature. Items designated as Tangible Cultural Properties (as opposed to Intangible Cultural Properties), cultural products of high historical or artistic value such as structures, paintings, sculptures, handicrafts, calligraphic works, ancient books, historic documents, archeological artifacts and other such items, can later, if they satisfy certain criteria, be designated either Important Cultural Properties or National Treasures (国宝), for especially valuable items. The designation can take place at a city (市定重要文化財, city designated Important Cultural Property), prefectural (県定重要文化財, prefecturally designated Important Cultural Property) or national (国定重要文化財, nationally designated Important Cultural Property) level. In this last case the designating agency is often not specified. Designations of a different level can coexist. For example, Sankei-en, a traditional Japanese-style garden in Naka Ward, Yokohama, owns both city designated and nationally designated Important Cultural Properties.^[2]

Some Important Cultural Properties of Japan

Seiganto-ji, Wakayama Prefecture
A Niō at Hōryū-ji, Nara
Kōchi Castle, Kōchi Prefecture
Nihon Bridge in Nihonbashi, Tokyo
Tsūjun Bridge, Kumamoto Prefecture
Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Tokyo
The Former Hokkaidō government office building
Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture
Meiji Seimei Kan in Tokyo

Lists of Important Cultural Properties of Japan

Notes

↑ The term is often shortened into just jūbun (重文^?)
↑ In this article, capitals indicate an official designation as opposed to a simple, unofficial definition, e.g "Cultural Properties" as opposed to "cultural properties".

References

1 2 "Cultural Properties for Future Generations" (PDF). Administration of Cultural Affairs in Japan ― Fiscal 2009. Agency for Cultural Affairs. June 2007.
↑ Yokohama Sankei Garden, Sankei-en's official site accessed on November 3, 2009 (in Japanese)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Important Cultural Property of Japan.

Cultural Properties of Japan

Tangible Cultural Properties

Designations/Registrations	National Treasures Important Cultural Properties Registered Tangible Cultural Properties

Lists	Lists of National Treasures (Japan)

Intangible Cultural Properties

Designations	Important Intangible Cultural Properties Preservers of Important Intangible Cultural Properties

Lists	List of Important Intangible Cultural Properties List of Living National Treasures of Japan (crafts) List of Living National Treasures of Japan (performing arts)

Folk Cultural Properties

Designations/Registrations	Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties Registered Tangible Folk Cultural Properties

Lists	List of Important Tangible Folk Cultural Properties List of Important Intangible Folk Cultural Properties

Monuments

Designations/Registrations	Special Historic Sites Special Places of Scenic Beauty Special Natural Monuments Historic Sites Places of Scenic Beauty Natural Monuments Registered Monuments

Lists	List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments Lists of Historic Sites of Japan Lists of Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan

Cultural Landscapes

Designations	Important Cultural Landscapes

Lists	List of Important Cultural Landscapes

Groups of Traditional Buildings

Designations	Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings

Lists	List of Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings

Conservation Techniques for Cultural Properties

Designations	Selected Conservation Techniques

Lists	List of Selected Conservation Techniques

Buried Cultural Properties

Authority control	NDL: 00575161

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