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Making awareness of the value of cultural properties and history that remain throughout Japan widespread will help vitalize local communities. The central and local governments should strengthen the dissemination of information about them and convey their appeal.
The Cultural Affairs Agency has announced this fiscal year’s sites selected for Japan Heritage status. “Otaru, a city called the ‘Heart’ of Hokkaido,” was newly designated, while the “Western Capital of Ancient Japan” in Fukuoka and Saga prefectures was excluded from the list.
The Japan Heritage system was established in fiscal 2015. Through introducing not only the value of individual properties, such as national treasures and important cultural properties, but also multiple cultural properties within an area grouped together, the system aims to transmit the “stories” of history and promote understanding of their charms.
Since the establishment of the system, 104 sites have been designated. There is a policy of not increasing the number of designated sites in order to protect the Japan Heritage brand. Instead, sites that have been listed for a certain period of time are replaced by others in a review of past evaluations.
The Western Capital of Ancient Japan was excluded from the list of designated areas for the first time based on this replacement system.
The area had been highly regarded as a site where visitors could directly experience an international city that was a diplomatic hub for interactions with East Asia, centering on the ancient Dazaifu government bureau site and the Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine. However, issues had been pointed out, such as the multiple instances of insufficient cooperation among related local governments.
Dissatisfaction reportedly has been raised by the local governments. Their disappointment is understandable, but they need to take the evaluation seriously and work to make improvements. Reapplication for designation is possible from fiscal 2026. It is hoped that they will take on the challenge of receiving designation for a second time.
Otaru, the newly designated site, is already a popular tourist destination known for its canals, but the hope is that the city will focus on building stories to make it even more attractive.
Of course, there is no point if the site’s significance and value as a Japan Heritage site is so heavily weighted toward tourism that the value of cultural assets that should be passed on to the next generation is damaged.
Some have pointed out that the agency’s evaluation criteria place too heavy an emphasis on the capability to attract visitors and economic results. The promotion of tourism itself should not be denied. However, if done excessively, the original purpose of “conveying the hidden charms of the area” could be diminished.
If tourism is overly promoted and the area is lined with information boards and other tourism-related materials, its charm as a cultural heritage may be lost as a result. Local governments need to carefully consider how to strike a balance between the protection and utilization of important local heritage.
Even landscapes familiar to locals often have value to people from other areas. The agency should remember its basic of recognizing and conveying widely the attractiveness of local areas.
