Important Cultural Property (Japan)

Object of high historical or artistic value

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

An Important Cultural Property (重要文化財, jūyō bunkazai)[note 1] is an item officially classified as Tangible Cultural Property by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) and judged to be of particular importance to the history, arts, and culture of the Japanese people.[1]

## Classification of Cultural Properties

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To protect the cultural heritage of Japan, the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties was created as a "designation system" (指定制度) under which important items are appropriated as Cultural Properties,[note 2] thus 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 the 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. Varying levels of designation can coexist. For example, Sankei-en, a traditional Japanese-style garden in Naka Ward, Yokohama, is both city and nationally designated as an Important Cultural Properties.[2]

## Examples

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* Seiganto-ji, Wakayama Prefecture

* A Nio 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 Hachimangū in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture

* Meiji Seimei Kan in Tokyo

* Hatsuhana tea caddy, one of the special tea utensils, kept at the Tokugawa Memorial Foundation

## Lists of Important Cultural Properties of Japan

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* List of Important Cultural Properties of Japan (Asuka period: structures)
* List of Important Cultural Properties of Japan (Nara period: structures)
* List of Important Cultural Properties of Japan (Heian period: structures)
* List of Important Cultural Properties of Japan (Kamakura period: structures)
* List of Important Cultural Properties of Japan (Taishō period: structures)
* List of Important Cultural Properties of Japan (Shōwa period: structures)
* List of Cultural Properties of Japan – structures (Okinawa)

## See also

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* Cultural Properties of Japan

## Explanatory notes

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1. ^ The term is often shortened into just jūbun (重文)
2. ^ 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

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1. ^ a b "Cultural Properties for Future Generations" (PDF). Administration of Cultural Affairs in Japan ― Fiscal 2009. Agency for Cultural Affairs. June 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-27.
2. ^ Yokohama Sankei Garden Archived 2017-04-30 at the Wayback Machine, Sankei-en's official site accessed on November 3, 2009 (in Japanese)

## External links

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* Media related to Important Cultural Property of Japan at Wikimedia Commons

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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 databases: National |

* Japan

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