The Conservation of Cultural Property Course

In Cultural Property Science / Preservation and Reconstruction Course, various tangible cultural properties are studied mainly from the aspectsof material and technique. For example, various deposits discovered from sites can be guessed which country and area they were gathered or produced in by natural science analysis of the ingredients. In order to investigate history like this and to know people's exchange, students study special knowledge and analysis technique. If students want to understand a field of Preservation and Reconstruction deeply, they should start with getting to know various current conditions of reconstruction. In class, students learn the theories and techniquesabout curing or prolongation-of-life for oriental pictures, ancient documents, and the tools used in everyday life.

The importance of replying to the thoughts existing in things is studied.
You study the importance of answering thoughts existing in things."@Speaking of preservation and reconstruction, many people think that all should be restored cleanly. But, that is not always true. In some case, there are historical meanings on stains or damage. So, it is important to preserve and reconstruct after understanding the historical meaning of them. Extensive historical knowledge, and techniques of preservation and reconstruction, are essential in order to do that. To acquire techniquesand knowledge, and cultivate the mind valuing historical meanings, is to answer thoughts existing in things. At the same time, it is the most attractive point in this study.

Department of Historical Heritage
This course aims to make aesthetic sense or thoughts existing in things clear, by preserving, restoring and analyzing of cultural heritages.

Cultural Heritage Course

Fieldwork exchanging with people involved in cultural heritage is emphasized.
There are a lot of tangible or intangible cultural heritages in the historical ones made by human. About annual events, rituals, festivals, Noh(Japanese traditionalmasked-dance drama), Kyogen(Japanese traditional short comedic drama), performing arts such as Japanese dance, and traditional arts such as Chanoyu (tea ceremony) and Ikebana (flower arrangement), we can say they are intangible cultural heritages. In History and Culture Course, not only tangible but intangible heritages are studied and researched. This course aims to make the historical background and environment of tangible or intangibleheritages clear from the viewpoint of lifestyle history, and find human spirits in them. So, in addition to the documents, the investigation in the historical site and fieldwork exchanging with supporters are emphasized.

You study lifestyle from the general viewpoint.
If Kyogen, for example, we can study it from various viewpoints such as stage producing, clothes, stage properties, and body expression. In this course, however, students don't study it individually but think how the culture was efficiently used in the life of those days. We can't understand human life until we take it as a whole. We study only a part of it from one side. That is meaningless. This course aims to learn the techniques of investigating details while studying the whole image of things from early time by studying in the field many times and learning to take comprehensive views. We will know how we should live in future by taking culture comprehensively through a life.