JCIC-Heritage 35th Seminar “The 30 years of the Nara Document in the Global Context of Heritage Conservation” 

Overview

 ●Date & Time: November 28th (Thurs), 2024 10:00~17:30 (JST) (UTC+09:00) 

●Format: Hybrid (In-person: Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties / Livestreaming: Webex)

 ●Capacity: In-person： 50 people （No entry fee, Advanced registration required, first-come, first-served） Online： Unlimited number of participants （Advanced registration required） 

●Language: Japanese / English (Simultaneous interpretation) 

●Organizers: Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage, Agency for Cultural Affairs 

●Supporter: ICOMOS Japan

●Event Details Page: The 35th Research Seminar, “The 30 years of the Nara Document in the Global Context of Heritage Conservation” - JCIC-Heritage 

About the Seminar 
Adopted at the Nara Conference on Authenticity held in 1994 following Japan’s ratification of the World Heritage Convention, the ‘Nara Document on Authenticity’ has significantly influenced the conservation of cultural heritage across the globe. Recognizing cultural diversity, including specific local characteristics and backgrounds as a value of heritage, the ‘Nara Document’ built upon and extended the philosophy of authenticity declared by the Charter of Venice in1964, which required the rigorous preservation of the original status of heritage. Consequently, the Japanese restoration methods for heritage buildings, especially wooden structure, which faced concerns about meeting the standards of World Heritage inscription, gained international recognition as valid practices. Additionally, the ‘Nara Document’ has been accepted as a way of evaluating not only architectural heritage but also archaeological sites and landscapes, and has increasingly been applied to explain the legitimacy of the various heritage conservation in the non-Western regions, such as Asia and Africa. 

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the ‘Nara Document’, this seminar aims to provide an overview of how the concept of ‘authenticity’ promoted by the Document has been understood and practiced in the field of heritage conservation over the past 30 years. Through the cases from Europe, Africa, and Asia, the seminar will explore its impact in various parts of the world. 

Programme 
Please note that all the times listed below are Japan Standard Time (JST). 

10:00-10:10 Opening Remarks OKADA Yasuyoshi （Vice-President of JCIC-Heritage / President of ICOMOS Japan) 
10:10-11:40　 
Session 1： Europe Moderator: NISHI Kazuhiko (Chief Senior Specialist for Cultural Properties, Office for International Cooperation on Cultural Heritages, Agency for Cultural Affairs) Presentation 1 "About Authenticity on Heritage in Europe" Benjamin Mouton (Honorary Inspector General for Historical Monuments, Chief Architect for Historical Monuments) 
Topic 1 "The Relationship Between Religious and Emotional Heritage and "Authenticity": Reflections on the Restoration of the Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris" SAKANO　Masanori (Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Sophia University) Topic 2 "Diversity of Understanding of the Concept of Authenticity in Europe" Alejandro Martinez de Arbulo (Associate Professor, Faculty of Design and Architecture, Kyoto Institute of Technology) 

--- Lunch Break（80 mins）--- 

13:00-14:30 
Session 2： 
Asia Moderator : TOMODA Masahiko (Secretary General, JCIC-Heritage) Presentation 2 "Authenticity in Chinese Cultural Heritage Conservation" Lyu Zhou (Director and Professor, National Heritage center of Tsinghua University / Vice President of ICOMOS China) 
Topic 3 "Reclaimed materials and the repair of historical architecture in Japan" UGO Mizuko (Professor, Faculty of Intercultural Studies, Gakushuin Women's College) 
Topic 4 "Consideration of Authenticity through a Comparison of Japan's Cultural Property Protection System and the World Heritage System" SHIMOTSUMA Kumiko (Professor, Department of Tourism and Community Development, Kokugakuin University / Vice-President of ICOMOS Japan) 

--- Break（15 mins）--- 

14:45-16:15 
Session 3： Africa Moderator: NAGAOKA Masanori (Regional Advisor for Culture, UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa) Presentation 3 "Heritage Authenticity in the African Setting" George Abungu (Emeritus Director of the National Museums of Kenya) 
Topic 5 "Community-Inclusive Architectural Heritage in Africa" OKAZAKI Rumi (Associate Professor, School of Architecture, Shibaura Institute of Technology) Topic 6 "Contemporary Challenges in Heritage Discourse: Case Studies on African Heritage Authenticity in Theory and Practice" NAGAOKA Masanori 

--- Break（15 mins）--- 

16:30-17:25 Panel Discussion Moderator: KONO Toshiyuki (Professor Emeritus, Kyushu University / Honorary President of ICOMOS) Commentator: NISHIMURA Yukio (Professor (Dean), Department of Tourism and Community Development, Kokugakuin University) 
Panelists: All the presenters above 17:25-17:30　 

Closing Remarks AOKI Shigeo （Vice-President of JCIC-Heritage） 

Registration 
Advanced registration is required. Please register via the form below. 
JCIC-Heritage 35th Research Seminar Registration Form 
●Registration Deadline： November 22nd (Fri), 2024 

Others 
The report on the 35th Research Seminar will be published after the research seminar. The PDF version will be available on the JCIC-Heritage website.