Heritage Conservation and Sustainable Development
Japanese Experience: The Case of Kurokabe Square, Nagahama, Shiga
By Emiko Kakiuchi
FINAL
VIDEO PRODUCTION SCENARIO (draft)
For the World Bank Institute
PART 1
Introductory Images
Title
Heritage Conservation and Sustainable Development
Japanese Experience: The Case of Kurokabe Square, Nagahama, Shiga
Title in Japanese: 文化遺産の保存と持続可能な発展
～日本の経験：滋賀県長浜市黒壁スクエア～
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Hello. My name is Emiko Kakiuchi, Professor, Hitotsubashi University.
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This video presents a short history of changes in the relationship between cultural heritage
conservation and regional development in modern Japan. Also we will look at the present system
of cultural heritage conservation in Japan. Then we will study one of the most successful cases of
regional development utilizing cultural heritage, Kurokabe Square in the city of Nagahama, Shiga
Prefecture.
Finally we will consider future trends and issues.
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Heritage conservation efforts by the Japanese government date back to 1871, just after the Meiji
Restoration, when Japan abandoned its policy of isolationism.
Heritage conservation at that time
focused on protecting antique arts, including artifacts and Buddhist statues, against Westernization
and the anti-Buddhist movement, preventing the drain of artifacts to foreign countries, and
repairing temples and castles, as well as preserving historic sites, places of scenic beauty, and
natural monuments.
During World War II, efforts on heritage conservation almost stopped.
Immediately after the war, heritage conservation efforts faced great difficulty because of
hyper-inflation, heavy taxes, and the psychological damage from Japan’s defeat, as well as a public
loss of interest in tradition.
In 1949 a fire at the Horyuji temple, the oldest wooden structure in
Japan, which is now included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, destroyed outstanding wall
paintings in its Buddha Hall. This accident induced a strong national sentiment for cultural
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heritage protection, which led to the enactment of the Cultural Properties Protection Law in 1950.
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The Cultural Properties Protection Law defines “cultural properties,” integrating pre-war tangible
heritage such as artifacts, buildings, and historic sites with the new concept of intangible cultural
properties such as stage arts.
The national government selects and designates the most important
cultural properties and imposes restrictions in areas such as alteration to existing appearance,
repairs, and exports. The government also undertakes a range of measures for preservation and
utilization.
For tangible cultural properties, these include preservation and repair, disaster
protection work, and acquisition.
For intangible cultural properties, these include training
programs for successors and the compilation of records.
Also, because of financial constraints,
the national government designates and protects only important cultural properties, while
prefectural and local governments designate and protect additional cultural properties of regional or
local interest.
Unlike the pre-war era when only the national government could designate national
treasures, this three tier structure for protection of cultural properties contributes to democratization
in the designation of cultural properties.
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In the 1960s and 70s, when Japan experienced rapid economic growth, serious social problems
occurred such as disorderly development, public nuisance, excessive centralization and
depopulation of rural areas.
In 1962, the Comprehensive National Development Plan was put into
effect for the first time, and in 1964 the Shinkan-sen (bullet train) service was inaugurated and the
Olympic Games were held in Tokyo. Also Japan joined the OECD (Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development).
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On the other hand, urbanization and economic development destroyed historic old towns and the
environment surrounding traditional buildings deteriorated.
Due to the drastic change in
industrial structure and modernization of life style, performing folk arts, traditional customs, and
buried cultural properties were lost.
Facing these facts, researchers on cultural properties and
citizens who recognized the importance of cultural properties as an important source of their
identity, formed grass roots movements and actively promoted the protection of cultural properties
throughout the nation.
In 1965, triggered by the development of building land in the backyard of
the famous Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, at the heart of Kamakura, a city near Yokohama, a
civic movement for the protection of not only historic buildings but also historic landscapes, gained
support from the mass media and public opinion.
Preservation of Ancient Capitals in 1966.
This led to the enactment of a new law for
This law was supported by members of Parliament
from both the ruling party and opposition parties. However this law applies only to ancient national
capitals such as Kamakura, Kyoto, Nara, and several other cities.
Many other local governments
started to enact regulations to protect historic landscapes, seeking quality of living environment and
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reevaluating historic landscapes which were lost due to rapid development. The city of Kanazawa
was the first to enact such regulations in Japan in 1968, aiming to prevent destruction of the
traditional environment of the city, preserve the traditional environment in coordination with
modern city, and pass it on to the next generation. The city of Kanazawa has been protecting the
historic landscape of the city, through a zoning system for the traditional landscape, extending
subsidies, and other related measures, trying to create a livable city and attain endogenous
development.
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Movements by citizens and local governments led to the revision of the Cultural Properties
Protection Law by the national government in 1975.
There were several important changes at that
time, such as expanding the concept of folk-cultural properties, and establishing a prior
consultation system for excavation of buried cultural properties.
We focus on “the Important
Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings.” These scenes show the Important
Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings in Kawagoe, Saitama.
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This shows another Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings along a
river in Sawara, Chiba, east of Tokyo.
hundreds of years old are preserved.
Old style merchant houses and storage buildings that are
In these districts, it became possible to protect not only each
designated building but also groups of historic buildings.
people still live there.
These buildings are a living heritage, as
The exteriors of the buildings are the main objects to be protected, while
both the exterior as well as the interior of designated cultural properties are preserved.
It is the
responsibility of local governments to determine these districts based on a consensus of residents,
while the national government selects districts with extremely high value from among the locally
determined ones and covers part of the expenses for protection.
Thus regional development and
urban planning are compatible with heritage conservation.
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In the 1980s and 90s, culture and region increasingly became key words for all aspects of life, and
people gradually recognized cultural properties as a stock for regional development. Many local
governments took action to preserve the historic atmosphere of each town and utilize historic sites.
Various entities emerged and became actively involved in protection of cultural properties, and
there was closer cooperation between the public and private sectors, and national and local
governments.
Also people started to recognize the importance of heritage and cultural properties as a resource for
tourism and commerce, and in 1992 a new law was enacted to promote regional commerce and
businesses utilizing traditional traditional performing arts.
Since Japan signed the UNESCO World Heritage Convention in 1992, heritage sites in Japan have
been added to the World Heritage List.
The public has become increasingly aware of the
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importance of heritage conservation, and governments are undertaking various measures to protect
not only the heritage sites but also buffer zones. The concept of cultural properties is interpreted in
a broad sense, to include negative heritage such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.
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These are historic villages with Gassho-style thatched roof houses in Gokayama, Toyama. These
villages, with a population of only 1500 receive more than 800,000 visitors a year. The village
protects the surrounding environment using income from fees charged to visiting vehicles, and
thereby also creates employment.
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In 1996, a new category of cultural property was introduced: registration of landmark buildings.
Once registered, unlike important cultural properties or buildings in preservation districts, the
owners are expected to preserve the exterior of the buildings, but they have more flexibility to
renovate the interior. The Kurokabe Building in the city of Nagahama is one of these registered
buildings.
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At present, the national government designates, selects, and registers include various types of
cultural properties. Tangible cultural properties such as artifacts and buildings (about 1300
designations, including about 2200 designated buildings and 2100 registered buildings), intangible
cultural properties such as theatrical performances (about 100 designations), folk-cultural
properties such as clothing, housing, and customs (about 400 designations), monuments such as
historic sites, places of scenic beauty and natural monuments (about 2900 designations), important
preservation districts for groups of historic buildings (about 60 selections), as well as cultural
properties conservation techniques (about 60 selections) and buried cultural properties.
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In sum, the relationship between protection of cultural properties and regional development has
changed from confrontation to coexistence.
The major reasons for this are the national demand
for improvement of the quality of life, and the reevaluation of regional culture. Also the focus of
regional development has changed from large scale public works to environmentally and human
friendly projects based on regional identity.
The importance of cultural tourism and cultural
industries are now widely recognized.
Cultural properties protection itself has become diversified.
Especially for tangible immovable
cultural properties, protection measures have evolved from preservation of a designated property,
to protection of a district of groups of historic buildings focusing on protection of the form of the
exterior, and recently to the protection of registered landmark buildings with increasing flexibility
of renovation and utilization.
Also, from an urban planning perspective, the focus has shifted to improvement of amenities and
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satisfaction of quality, rather than fulfilling minimum requirements for quality and quantity.
Cultural heritage is now regarded as a precious stock of the city, and heritage conservation has
become one of the most important elements of regional development.
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Cultural heritage is sometimes thought to consist of mainly buildings and monuments, but it is
really a much bigger concept, including intangible cultural properties such as festivals and
traditional customs, artifacts and conservation techniques.
Today, the city centers with rich
cultural heritage have been deteriorating, due to motorization and the development of large scale
shopping complexes in the suburbs. Let us look at the case of Kurokabe Square, in the city of
Nagahama, in Shiga Preferecture, see how the center of the city is being regenerated.
PART 2
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The city of Nagahama, the pearl of Lake Biwa.
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Hidyoshi Toyotomi, a famous feudal Lord in the 16th century, built a castle here, which led to the
foundation of the City of Nagahama.
Lord Hideyoshi has been a symbol of the city since then.
The Wheeled Float Festival, held every Spring, celebrates the birth of Hideyoshi’s son.
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This Nagahama Castle Historical Museum is one expression of this feeling.
It was built in 1983, by donations from the public, ranging from elderly citizens who donated some
money from their pensions, to children who contributed from their pocket money.
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This popular support is the driving force of the regeneration of this region.
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The concept of a Museum City is composed of two parts: to live beautifully in modern society
utilizing tradition, and to learn about the passion and wisdom of ancestors and pass their spirit to
the next generation.
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This was the scene before the regeneration movement started.
In the 1970’s and 1980’s, the inner city shops deteriorated due to motorization, suburban sprawl,
and the development of a large scale shopping complex located on the outskirts of the city.
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Building the Nagahama Castle Museum of History started the regeneration of the city.
Various events were held to celebrate the opening of the newly built castle museum, 400 years after
the founding of the original castle.
These events generated momentum for further efforts.
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The Daitsuji temple is popular among residents, who have given it the nickname of Gobo-san, the
dear temple. Gobo street is located in front of the Daitsuji temple. It is 160 meters long, with some
30 shops.
In 1979, this shopping mall made plans for redevelopment to try to reverse urban decay. They
decided to have a uniform setback of shops from the street, and that shops should have a common
exterior.
The remodeling was completed in 1990. The roof which had covered the shopping
arcade was removed, and following the original style of the main road to the Daitsuji Temple;
zigzags, whitewashed walls and lattice.
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The building of the Nagahama branch of the former Hundred Thirty Bank, which was nicknamed
the Kurokabe Bank, was built in the Meiji era, over 100 years ago.
bought the building and made plans to demolish it.
In the late 1980s a developer
However, strong opposition from local
residents led to the creation of company, Kurokabe, Inc., in April, 1988.
This company, which is
a “third sector” joint venture between the government and private industry, purchased the bank
building in order to preserve it, and also made further plans for the preservation and regeneration of
the inner city.
Kurokabe, Inc. was founded with capital of 40 million yen from the city government and 90 million
yen from eight regional companies.
The goal of this corporation is to encourage economic
activity in businesses other than pre-existing industries.
This company also aims to promote the
image of the city of Nagahama.
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Kurokabe, Inc. decided to focus on the craft of glass blowing, as this has an image consistent with a
district of restored buildings.
The craft of glass blowing matches well with other arts festivals
held in Nagahama, and creates an international aura.
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The Kurokabe glass blowing crafts and other urban regeneration efforts have been underway for 15
years.
Kurokabe square is now a lively area, welcoming more than 2 million visitors annually,
half of whom are repeaters.
What attracts so many visitors to Nagahama?
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Kurokabe Inc is a joint venture between the government and private industry, but it is the
participants from the private sector who actually run the company.
Kurokabe chose artistic
glassware blowing as the nucleus of its business, and has been trying to integrate it with the old
landscape of this city. By taking this approach, Kurokabe Inc. is compatible with existing local
industries, and is becoming one of the leading new industries of this city.
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More than ten shops have been opened in Kurokabe Square.
The Kurokabe glass crafts building has the atmosphere of the Meiji period in the late 19 th century,
and the other shops share this common historical atmosphere.
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Looking at these shops together, it easy to imagine how the town of Nagahama has evolved over
the past 400 years.
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Kurokabe Square has reopened the shutters of shops which were closed only 15 years ago.
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Kurokabe introduced glassware crafts to Nagahama for the first time
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The ten shops of Kurokabe combine to form a center for glassware crafts in Japan, while glassware
shops in other cities in Japan tend to be isolated shops featuring the works of individual artists, or
just souvenir shops or retail outlets for industrial glassware.
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Kurokabe has been trying to create a true glassware culture since it was founded.
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Stained glass and other artistic glassware objectss created by Kurokabe studios are displayed in
libraries and hospitals in Nagahama.
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Glassware is not as common in everyday life in Japan as pottery.
We would like to introduce practical but artistic glassware and promote glassware culture in
Japanese life.
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20 independent merchants operate shops as tenants in Kurokabe Square, in addition to the ten shops
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directly operated by Kurokabe, Inc.
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Keeping the atmosphere of the houses of old style merchants, these shops feature glassware culture.
Some are decorated with stained glass on the walls, and some are using glass tableware.
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Selling different items, these shops combine to create an attractive inner city of Nagahama using
the glassware cultural industry as an essential core, promoted by Kurokabe, Inc.
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This area is called Kurokabe Square. This square is a new source of energy to revitalize the city of
Nagahama.
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This charm helps to attract people from outside to Nagahama.
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Kurokabe is the center of Nagahama, which is now gradually becoming well known all over Japan.
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In the summer of 2003, Kurokabe Inc started its own name brand of glassware production of a high
quality; the brand name is “The Reflection.”
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In order to increase the value of Kurokabe’s glass blowing, we decided to have this kind of
exhibition of the Kurokabe collection. We will decide the title of the exhibition, and produce
displays, in the course of which Kurokabe’s artists will discuss the contents. This exhibition tours
widely in Japan, aiming to publicize the brand image of Kruokabe glassware.
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Kurokabe Inc. recently suggested and promoted the founding of the “Platinum Plaza,” a food court
established by elderly citizens who worked as volunteers for the Omi Hideyoshi Exhibition in
1997.
They are aiming to become a self-supporting business.
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In 1998, Kurokabe spun off a center for regional regeneration, which is operated independently.
This center functions as a bridge between local government, shops, and citizens, providing
information and coordinating services for various events.
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The regeneration of the inner city shopping mall, and regeneration of Hokkoku Kaido Street.
This
street runs more than one kilometer from the North to the South of central Nagahama, featuring a
historic townscape. The opening of the Kurokabe shops, combined with the efforts of local
residents, has created the beautiful townscape of Hokkoku Kaido street and helps to attract more
visitors. This virtuous cycle makes Hokkoku Kaido street the symbol of Nagahama.
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The Museum Street was historically the site for large scale wholesale shops for manufacturing.
Local residents formed a committee for regional development, on the occasion of the construction
of the Wheeled Float Museum, to try to create a cultural landscape as well as a comfortably livable
town.
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The founding of the “Museum City” in Nagahama succeeded in creating a beautiful landscape.
Many people love this city, and there are many non-governmental organizations and institutions
founded by residents’ initiatives, of which Kurokabe is just one example.
However problems still remain.
The depopulation of the city center is continuing, and less than
10 % of the two million visitors to Kurokabe actually stay overnight in the city.
Nevertheless, it is important to develop new culture such as the artistic glassware culture of
Kurokabe, while at the same time maintaining traditional local cultures at the same time, through
the initiative of residents.
PART 3
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Only fifteen years ago, the city center of Nagahama and shopping malls deteriorated due to
motorization and big shopping complexes on the outskirts of the city.
This endangered the
traditional Wheeled Float festival, which has over 400 years of history.
The historic landscape
and the Kurokabe building was about to be destroyed.
At this time Kurokabe Inc started
activities aiming to protect the cultural resources of the city and create a new culture.
How did
they succeed in protecting the cultural heritage and attracting so many visitors?
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The key factor was the dynamism generated by the combination of historic buildings and the new
glass culture.
By not just preserving buildings and the historic town landscape, but also utilizing
them to create new cultural values, they could differentiate Kurokabe from other towns.
The
“third sector” system, which combines the public and private sectors, has also contributed to this
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success.
A long tradition of the Machishu spirit (peoples power) in Nagahama created Kurokabe
Inc, and the art orientation of the company supported the growth of Kurokabe.
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On the other hand, how do the citizens of the city of Nagahama evaluate the activities of
Kurokabe?
According to one survey, public opinion is quite positive, and the public appreciates
Kurokabe’s upgraded regional image and cultural standards, the creation of a new tourist spot, the
protection of the historic landscape, and the contribution to the local economy.
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Every city has its cultural resources. Several elements are necessary to utilize these resources in
sustainable regional development such as active and voluntary involvement of citizens, close
cooperation with local governments, and a good system for consensus building and
implementation.
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One of the directions for sustainable development in Nagahama is, as Kurokabe demonstrates,
culture, arts and internationalization. In order to realize the Museum City concept, however, there
are some issues to be considered. In sum, they have to mobilize all the cultural resources into living
in a beautiful environment and succeed in building on their traditions.
Cooperation：
The City of Kanazawa
Kumano-jinja
Shrine
Kotokuin Temple
Transportation Museum
Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park Office
Tokyo Zoological Park Society
Shimogamo-jinja Shrine
Senso-ji Temple
Taito Ward, Tokyo
The Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
The University of Tokyo
Taira Village, Toyama
Hitosubashi University
Kurokabe, Inc.
Suntory Foundation
Shiga Prefecture
The City of Nagahama
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Production：
Emiko Kakiuchi, Professor Hitotsubashi University
The World Bank Institute
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