International Academic Exchanges Related to Cultural Property Conservation
The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties promotes
a variety of international projects including joint research, exchanges
of research personnel, technical training, and restoration and preservation
projects, and also provides assistance in programs of international cooperation
conducted by ACCU (Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO) and JICA (Japan
International Cooperation Agency). In the 2010 fiscal year the Institute
mainly carried out six projects of international cooperation and exchange.
(1) Joint investigation of the Han-Wei Luoyang imperial palace site in
the city of Luoyang, Henan Province, China, with the Institute of Archaeology,
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; (2) Joint research at the Huangye and
Baihe kiln sites, for producing three-colored glazed Tang pottery, in the
city of Gongyi, Henan Province, China, with the Archaeological Institute
of Henan Province, China; (3) Joint research of excavated artifacts from
the Sui and Tang graves in the Chaoyang district, with the Archaeological
Institute of Liaoning Province; (4) Comparative research on ancient capitals
in Korea and Japan and exchanges of personnel in conjunction with the National
Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Korea; (5) International cooperation
for the conservation of Western Prasat Top in the Angkor archaeological
sites, Cambodia, and a training program for Cambodian experts in conjunction
with APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and
the Region of Siem Reap).
Also, now in its seventh year, the (6) Cooperative Projects for the Conservation
of Cultural Heritage in West Asia were promoted together with the National
Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo. In 2010, investigations
were conducted in the field in June, and invitations were made to Afgan
researchers to participate in training for two months in Japan, from September
to November. In addition, the Institute also contributes to ongoing projects
of investigation and conservation for the Thang Long imperial palace site
in Hanoi, Viet Nam, and in various regions of central Asia along the Silk
Road, in cooperation with the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Japan
Agency for Cultural Affairs, and the Japan Consortium for International
Cooperation in Cultural Heritage.