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GLOSSARY
Japanese religious and secular architecture
The earliest Japanese buildings were the pit-dwellings of the early Jomon period (c. 3000 BC). These buildings were surrounded by a bank of earth and roofed with straw and wood. Later, in the Yayoi period, the development of edged tools resulted in more complex structures, notably the elevated storehouse, the style of which resembles strongly the honden (main building) of the Great Shrine of Ise today By a process of constant rebuilding with complete fidelity to the ancient style, the Yayoi style has been preserved for well over 2,000 years.
By contrast, Buddhist architecture in Japan has undergone many developments since the introduction of Buddhism to Japan in the 6th century and therefore Japanese temples, though infinitely less ancient in style than Shinto shrines, contain the more sophisticated architectural heritage. The cities of Nara and Kyoto, in particular, contain some of the best-preserved and most awe-inspiring wooden buildings in the world, as well as small pavilions and teahouses of incomparable elegance. It is a mark of their international importance that in the Second World War the American Government decreed that neither Kyoto nor Nara should be subjected to bombing.
National treasures of Japane
Since 1871, the Japanese Government has had a system for honouring and preserving Japan's artistic legacy in which objects of national importance are designated either National Treasure (kokuho) or Important Cultural Property (juyobunkazai). To date, 8,867 objects have been designated Important Cultural Properties and 818 objects have been designated National Treasures, including 150 paintings, 115 works of sculpture, 249 applied arts and crafts, 269 works of calligraphy and books, 35 archaeological remains.
It was originally intended that 120 National Treasures should be represented in the capsule according to a list drawn up by the Selection Committee. However, at the time of the selection process, The Mainichi Newspapers published a fine volume of photographs of selected National Treasures called "Kokuho" and a three-volume series, each called [50 National Treasures], covering architecture, sculpture and paintings. It was decided to use the latter series as the core of the collection for the capsule, supplemented by additional photographs from "Kokuho"; in total,178 photographs were included in the capsule.
Item A-2-4 in this section refers to Intangible Cultural Properties: this award is an extension of the National Treasures system initiated under the Cultural Assets Protection Law in 1950. Recipients of this award, who are sometimes called Living National Treasures, are nominated periodically by the Ministry of Education. They include artist/ craftsmen, musicians,dancers and actors; in 1968, their numbers included 19 members of the performing arts and 33 craftsmen.