The Historical Research on How the Cultural Heritage Opened to the Public and Changed over Time in the Ritsurin-Park

Abstract

This study is the first trial to verify how the function and character of the Ritsurin-Park, which already lost the inherent function of the Daimyo-Garden at the time of Meiji Restoration, has been changed thoroughly since then through up to now, with respect to the social background, utilized form and spatial structure. And hence, in this paper, based upon our empirical fact-findings and verifications, we are to re-evaluate the characteristics of the present Ritsurin-Park, and also to find some clues to meaningful policy-recommendations on how to arrange and utilize it in the future. If we consider the historical details and/or circumstances of the Ritsurin-Park, which was originally brought forth by opening the former Daimyo-Garden to the public, the following two main different viewpoints should be taken into account. Namely one is the way of thinking on conserving the historical heritage as the garden, the other is the way of thinking on adding something new to it as the park. Therefore, we must consider how to harmonize such conflicting viewpoints as a historical garden or as current and modern park for furthermore arrangement of the park.