ABOUT US
GOALS
◇Support Japan's rich cultural heritage
◇Create and sustain a diverse donor base
◇Work to generate global interest
The Story of Japan
Japanese culture and is a city dotted with many natural and cultural heritage sites. Many of these sites are over 1,200 years old and require substantial resources for maintenance, repair, and restoration. This Association was established in order to stimulate interest, provide a centralized administration, and to coordinate the overall process.
◇Support Japan's rich cultural heritage
◇Create and sustain a diverse donor base
◇Work to generate global interest
The Story of Japan
Japanese culture and is a city dotted with many natural and cultural heritage sites. Many of these sites are over 1,200 years old and require substantial resources for maintenance, repair, and restoration. This Association was established in order to stimulate interest, provide a centralized administration, and to coordinate the overall process.
Help to Protect and Preserve the World Heritage site.
Start from the first capital of Japan and Traditional Intangible Cultural Property!
WWW.1JPN.ORG
JAPAN NATURAL AND CULTURAL FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization.
Contributions to JANAC
While UNESCO recognized the importance of protecting and preserving the World Heritage site, it has became increasingly difficult to repair and maintain most of the Kasugayama Primeval Forest and the Nara Palace Site. Most of the wooden buildings are over 1,300 years old, and it is essential that repair and restoration efforts are ongoing. The costs are substantial and we need your support as we move forward with efforts to preserve this important heritage.
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. During this period the framework of the national government was consolidated, and Nara enjoyed great prosperity, emerging as the wellspring of Japanese culture. The city's historic monuments – Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the excavated remains of the grand Imperial Palace – provide a vivid picture of life in the capital in the 8th century, a period of profound political and cultural change.
Outstanding Universal Value
The Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara bear witness to the evolution of Japanese architecture and art, and vividly illustrate a critical period in the cultural and political development of Japan when Nara functioned as its capital.
The site of Heijo-Kyo was carefully selected using Chinese geomantic principles. A grand city plan, based on Chinese examples such as Chang'an, was laid out with palaces, Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, public buildings, houses, and roads on an orthogonal grid.
The palace itself, located at the northern end of the central avenue, occupied 120 ha. (almost 300 acres). It was comprised of the official buildings where political and religious ceremonies took place, most notably the Daigokuden (Imperial Audience Hall) and Chodo-in (State Halls), and the imperial residence (Dairi), together with various compounds for administrative and other purposes.
The archaeological site includes the Nara Palace Site and five Buddhist temples (the Todai-Ji, the Kofuku-Ji, the Yakushi-Ji, the Gango-Ji and the Toshodai-Ji). The site also includes a Shinto shrine (the Kasuga-Taisha) and a cultural landscape (the Kasugayama Primeval Forest), as well as the natural landscape which is an integral part of all Shinto shrines. Together, these places provide a vivid and comprehensive picture of religion and life in the Japanese capital in the 8th century, during that period of significant cultural and political change.
The blossoming of Japanese culture during the period when Nara was the capital is uniquely demonstrated by its architectural heritage. The layout of the Imperial Palace and the design of the surviving monuments in Nara are outstanding examples of the architecture and planning of early Asian capital cities. The Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines of Nara represented the continuing spiritual power and influence of these religions.
Integrity
The monuments of Ancient Nara include Buddhist temples representing this historic city, the cultural landscapes of the sacred forest, and the Shinto shrine. These monuments are illustrative of traditional worship in Japan and are an archaeological site. These essential parts of the property illustrate Japanese political structure and cultural tradition in the 8th century. Each piece has an adequate buffer zone, and thus the integrity of the property is ensured in the context of both wholeness and completeness.
In 2003 the World Heritage Committee expressed concerns about negative impacts on the cultural resources at the Nara Palace Site. The government intervened and continued to monitor for changing groundwater levels due to the Yamato-Kita highway construction.
Authenticity
Restoration work on the buildings of ancient Nara began in the late 19th century after the enactment of the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law (1897). The Kasuga-Taisha Shinto shrine has maintained its tradition of routine reconstruction.
There is a high level of originality and authenticity in the form and design, materials and substance, traditions and techniques used in construction and location. Traditional Japanese conservation principles have ensured that in replacing damaged or degraded architectural elements, the methods and materials employed by the original builders is respected. The archaeological site of the Nara Palace Site, protected for an extended period under cultivated rice fields, also has a high level of authenticity in form, materials, substance, and location.
Unearthed archaeological remains have been reburied for protection. Also, there has been some reconstruction of the gate, the study hall, and the garden at the Nara Palace Site.
The continuity of traditional architecture in Japan and the substantial amount of data recovered by archaeological excavation has ensured that the reconstructed buildings retain their form and design.
The State Party is currently addressing how to best maintain that continuity in ongoing reconstruction, emphasizing the need for a clear historical, architectural, and institutional justification for all interventions.
The Kasugayama Primeval Forest has been preserved as a sacred forest where no hunting or tree-felling has been permitted since 841. Thus it retains a high level of authenticity in location and setting, contributing to the overall ethos and spiritual well-being for generations.
Protection and management requirements
The National Treasures include a Special Natural Monument, and a Special Site, etc. under the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. The places of worship such as the Buddhist temples and the Shinto shrine are
owned by their respective religious communities, and strong conservation efforts are in place. Nara Prefecture has the responsibility of managing and protecting the Kasugayama Primeval Forest and the Nara Palace Site. These sites have been maintained in collaboration with the Japanese government and Nara Prefecture.
Nara Palace Site and its buffer zone have been parts of a National Government Park since 2008, and maintenance projects are scheduled with the purpose of appropriately protecting and utilizing the archaeological site.
The buffer zones are protected by the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, the Ancient Capitals Preservation Act, and various prefectural and municipal regulations.
However, there is no overall conservation and management plan for the property as a whole, although each part is the object of a conservation and maintenance survey program that includes restoration activities. There is an urgent need for consistent management and conservation policies to ensure the long-term preservation and protection of this valuable resource.
For any inquiries and questions:
JAPAN NATURAL AND CULTURAL FOUNDATION
281 HAKUHODAI KASHIBA NARA 6390262 JAPAN
PHONE: +81-90-6603-8888
F A X: +81-6-7635-2810
Contact
Start from the first capital of Japan and Traditional Intangible Cultural Property!
WWW.1JPN.ORG
JAPAN NATURAL AND CULTURAL FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization.
Contributions to JANAC
While UNESCO recognized the importance of protecting and preserving the World Heritage site, it has became increasingly difficult to repair and maintain most of the Kasugayama Primeval Forest and the Nara Palace Site. Most of the wooden buildings are over 1,300 years old, and it is essential that repair and restoration efforts are ongoing. The costs are substantial and we need your support as we move forward with efforts to preserve this important heritage.
Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. During this period the framework of the national government was consolidated, and Nara enjoyed great prosperity, emerging as the wellspring of Japanese culture. The city's historic monuments – Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and the excavated remains of the grand Imperial Palace – provide a vivid picture of life in the capital in the 8th century, a period of profound political and cultural change.
Outstanding Universal Value
The Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara bear witness to the evolution of Japanese architecture and art, and vividly illustrate a critical period in the cultural and political development of Japan when Nara functioned as its capital.
The site of Heijo-Kyo was carefully selected using Chinese geomantic principles. A grand city plan, based on Chinese examples such as Chang'an, was laid out with palaces, Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, public buildings, houses, and roads on an orthogonal grid.
The palace itself, located at the northern end of the central avenue, occupied 120 ha. (almost 300 acres). It was comprised of the official buildings where political and religious ceremonies took place, most notably the Daigokuden (Imperial Audience Hall) and Chodo-in (State Halls), and the imperial residence (Dairi), together with various compounds for administrative and other purposes.
The archaeological site includes the Nara Palace Site and five Buddhist temples (the Todai-Ji, the Kofuku-Ji, the Yakushi-Ji, the Gango-Ji and the Toshodai-Ji). The site also includes a Shinto shrine (the Kasuga-Taisha) and a cultural landscape (the Kasugayama Primeval Forest), as well as the natural landscape which is an integral part of all Shinto shrines. Together, these places provide a vivid and comprehensive picture of religion and life in the Japanese capital in the 8th century, during that period of significant cultural and political change.
The blossoming of Japanese culture during the period when Nara was the capital is uniquely demonstrated by its architectural heritage. The layout of the Imperial Palace and the design of the surviving monuments in Nara are outstanding examples of the architecture and planning of early Asian capital cities. The Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines of Nara represented the continuing spiritual power and influence of these religions.
Integrity
The monuments of Ancient Nara include Buddhist temples representing this historic city, the cultural landscapes of the sacred forest, and the Shinto shrine. These monuments are illustrative of traditional worship in Japan and are an archaeological site. These essential parts of the property illustrate Japanese political structure and cultural tradition in the 8th century. Each piece has an adequate buffer zone, and thus the integrity of the property is ensured in the context of both wholeness and completeness.
In 2003 the World Heritage Committee expressed concerns about negative impacts on the cultural resources at the Nara Palace Site. The government intervened and continued to monitor for changing groundwater levels due to the Yamato-Kita highway construction.
Authenticity
Restoration work on the buildings of ancient Nara began in the late 19th century after the enactment of the Ancient Shrines and Temples Preservation Law (1897). The Kasuga-Taisha Shinto shrine has maintained its tradition of routine reconstruction.
There is a high level of originality and authenticity in the form and design, materials and substance, traditions and techniques used in construction and location. Traditional Japanese conservation principles have ensured that in replacing damaged or degraded architectural elements, the methods and materials employed by the original builders is respected. The archaeological site of the Nara Palace Site, protected for an extended period under cultivated rice fields, also has a high level of authenticity in form, materials, substance, and location.
Unearthed archaeological remains have been reburied for protection. Also, there has been some reconstruction of the gate, the study hall, and the garden at the Nara Palace Site.
The continuity of traditional architecture in Japan and the substantial amount of data recovered by archaeological excavation has ensured that the reconstructed buildings retain their form and design.
The State Party is currently addressing how to best maintain that continuity in ongoing reconstruction, emphasizing the need for a clear historical, architectural, and institutional justification for all interventions.
The Kasugayama Primeval Forest has been preserved as a sacred forest where no hunting or tree-felling has been permitted since 841. Thus it retains a high level of authenticity in location and setting, contributing to the overall ethos and spiritual well-being for generations.
Protection and management requirements
The National Treasures include a Special Natural Monument, and a Special Site, etc. under the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. The places of worship such as the Buddhist temples and the Shinto shrine are
owned by their respective religious communities, and strong conservation efforts are in place. Nara Prefecture has the responsibility of managing and protecting the Kasugayama Primeval Forest and the Nara Palace Site. These sites have been maintained in collaboration with the Japanese government and Nara Prefecture.
Nara Palace Site and its buffer zone have been parts of a National Government Park since 2008, and maintenance projects are scheduled with the purpose of appropriately protecting and utilizing the archaeological site.
The buffer zones are protected by the 1950 Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, the Ancient Capitals Preservation Act, and various prefectural and municipal regulations.
However, there is no overall conservation and management plan for the property as a whole, although each part is the object of a conservation and maintenance survey program that includes restoration activities. There is an urgent need for consistent management and conservation policies to ensure the long-term preservation and protection of this valuable resource.
For any inquiries and questions:
JAPAN NATURAL AND CULTURAL FOUNDATION
281 HAKUHODAI KASHIBA NARA 6390262 JAPAN
PHONE: +81-90-6603-8888
F A X: +81-6-7635-2810
Contact