organisation

Department of Planning and Coordination

　The Department of Planning and Coordination is responsible for the comprehensive planning and coordination of matters related to research conducted by the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and also promotes public utilization of the results. In addition, it fosters the collection and dissemination of information as a national center for research related to cultural properties conservation, and provides expert cooperation and advice to national and regional public institutes while also coordinating joint research projects with them. The cooperation furnished to the Agency for Cultural Affair's project for preserving and utilizing the murals of Takamatsuzuka and Kitora tombs is one of the good examples. 　
　For the execution of these projects, the department has five Section, with the following duties divided among them.

　The Department of Cultural Heritage has four section; the Historical Document, the Architectural History, the Cultural Landscape, and the Site Management Sections, throughout which it conducts specialized and comprehensive research with it regard to cultural materials such as historical documents and other written materials, historical and traditional buildings, gardens and cultural landscapes, and archaeological and historical site.

　Department of Imperial Palace Sites Investigations has five sections: Archaeology Section 1(engaged in compiling and analyzing the unearthed wooden goods and metal goods), Archaeology Section 2(pottery), Archaeology Section 3 (roof tile), History Section (literary documents), Architectural Feature Section (architectural sites). These sections collaboratively make the excavation research into Heijo-kyo (Nara Capital), the historical region of Yamato-Asuka and Fujiwara-kyo (Fujiwara Capital). The former gives peculiar features to Nara, the latter two are the historical setting of the establishment of the ancient Japanese State.

　The Center for Archaeological Operations studies and develops various methods and technologies for archaeological investigations.

　This is a museum with a historical focus, which opened in 1975 at Okuyama in the village of Asuka, in conjunction with special legislative measures aimed at preserving the historic features of the Asuka region. The Asuka period and region are the objects of its displays, with exhibits made centering on the results of investigations conducted in the Asuka area by the Department of Imperial Palace Sites Investigations (Asuka/Fujiwara). In addition to the regular exhibits there are special exhibitions held twice yearly in the spring and autumn, and lectures have also been held. Recently, in order to make the Institute's research activities more widely known, planned exhibits based on the research achievements of the Institute as a whole have been held.

Asuka Historical Museum Guide

　Department of Research Support and Promotion, which was reorganized from the Management Office for the purpose of having more appropriate functions for the surveys and research in April 2010, has three sections: Administration Division, Collaboration, Promotion Division and Research Support Division all to give logistical support for actively promoting the surveys and research conducted by Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.