Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1993 > CHAPTER 3 �1 2 (2)

Two events have been established to increase people's understanding of cultural properties and to popularize the notion of protecting them. These are "Cultural Properties Protection Week", which has been observed annually from November l to 7 since 1954, and "Cultural Properties Fire Prevention Day", which has been observed annually on January 26, since 1955. On these two occasions, various events, including fire drills, have been observed every year.

The purposes of Cultural Property Protection Week are the further promotion of cultural property protection by the national and local governments, the dissemination of the concept of cultural property protection, the inspiration of the general public to protect cultural properties, and the encouragement of understanding and cooperation in this area. During this week, exhibitions, public showings of performing arts, guided tours to historic sites and other events concerned with the protection of cultural properties take place. On and around Cultural Property Fire Prevention Day, fire extinguishing drills and other fire prevention related events take place throughout Japan at the sites of cultural properties such as shrines and temples where cultural properties are stored.

Another method of promoting movements for the protection of cultural properties is the "Policy Means Study for the Promotion of Voluntary Community Activities for Cultural Properties Protection", under which the Agency for Cultural Affairs commissions prefectural boards of education to conduct a one-year study undertaking a concentrated program of practical activities. The results are reported at the annual autumn "Cultural Properties Volunteer Protection National Study Meetings", where discussions and consultations are held concerning various problems concerned with cultural property protection.

In order to promote nationwide movements for the volunteer protection of cultural properties, the Agency for Cultural Affairs has adopted a "Cultural Properties Preservation Emblem" in 1966, in the shape of a stylized "to-kyo" (kumimono), which is a part of a bracket system used to support the rafters of a traditional Japanese building. The symbol is made up of three such brackets arranged in tiers, representing the spirit of transmitting cultural properties from the past to the present, and on to the future.

Cultural Properties Preservation Emblem