2012 Volume 77 Issue 678 Pages 1997-2005
A five-year “National Treasure Important Art Structure Emergency Repair Project” was undertaken from 1946 in the wake of World War II but at first made little progress. It was found necessary to establish a new “National Treasure” classification in order to justify the large number of historic buildings to be included under a limited national budget. The undeniable appeal to national sentiment shown in the new definition of “National Treasure” was seemingly related to the contemporary slogan “Build the Cultural Nation.” The Council of Cultural Properties appointed by the Ministry of Education finished designating most of these structures by 1955. The revised concept comprised three overlaid values: Scarcity in terms of age or uniqueness, Representativeness of style and each period's characteristic building types, and Aesthetic Value, whether in design or construction.
