Collaborative Research
Study on the Development Preservation, and Cultural Resourcization of Human and Natural
| Type of Research | Specific Research |
|---|---|
| Project Title | Study on the Development Preservation, and Cultural Resourcization of Human and Natural |
| Head of the Research Team | AOKI Takahiro |
| Research Period | 2005–2007 |
| Research Team |
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| Purpose | It has long since become clear that natural recognition is cultural, and that natural science, which seemed to take an objective stance, is inescapably cultural. The meaning of the criticism of extreme developmentalism would have been originally included. However, in recent years there has arisen a trend that positions "nature" tampered with by human and large-scale civil engineering structures as the culture and inheritance, using this insistence in an underhanded way. For instance, the registration of terraced paddy fields and natural heritage is treating nature as a cultural resource. The movement trying to protect buildings like power plants and dams as elements of modernization heritages also justifies those considered unfavorable till then by applying the additional value of "culture." Moreover, the influence of culturalism is seen in the strengthening of nature management, typified by disaster control and the publication of the Red Data Book in recent years. For instance, mudslide-control dams are treated as cultural facilities on the pretext of their fusing to human life, and rare creatures, topographic features and lakes are conserved and managed with a vague value added. They often are positioned as cultural or tourist resources by the administration and natural scientists. It cannot be denied that the wish to protect nature along with the history of various acts of developments has enriched human life. However, the doubt remains in the current situation that the definitions of "nature" and "development," which should have been based on modern rationalism, absorb the idea of culturalism, and that the significance of their existences has been expanded while remaining vague. At this workshop, the group would like to clarify the historical background that began to treat "nature" and "environment" as cultural resources and the significance or problems thereof with an investigation report of natural science and social science concerning the history of development and preservation and with an investigation report of human construction with regard to the change in consciousness of them. |
2007
Progress
| The 9th Workshop |
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Schedule: June 2 (Sat.)–3 (Sun.), 2007 Venue: National Museum of Japanese History Presenters:
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The 10th Workshop |
Schedule: July 14 (Sat.)–16 (Mon.) , 2007 Venue: Hakusan City, Kanazawa City, Hakui City and Wajima City, Ishikawa Pref. Presenters:
Survey: Ikko-Ikki History Museum, Hakusan Piedmont Museum of Folklore, Hyakumangan-iwa, Rinsaiji Gezanbutsu, Shirayama-Hime Jinja, Kinkengu (Hakusan City), Kenrokuen, Higashiyama-Higashi Traditional Structures Preservation District (Kanazawa City), Chirihama, Keta Jinja (Hakui City), Sojiji Temple, morning market in Ama-cho, Shiroyone Senmaida, landscape for disaster prevention in Najimi (Wajima City) |
| The 11th Workshop |
Schedule: November 22 (Thu.)–24 (Sat.) , 2007 Venue: Naoshima-cho, Kagawa Presenter:
Survey: Tour of a plant of Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, the Art House Project, visit to merchant houses in the Honmura district，Naoshima Environmental Center，a facility for recycling of metal-organic |
| The 12th Workshop |
Schedule: March 8 (Sat.)–9 (Sun.) , 2008 Venue: National Museum of Japanese History Presenters:
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Result
In last year's cooperative research, the major issue was confirming the influence on landscapes of designation as a World Heritage site, so the group focused on research reports and surveys in this regard. The target had been limited to cultural heritage and mixed heritage. To understand the influence of designation as a World Heritage site more inclusively in this year, the influence on landscape of designation as a World Heritage site was discussed based on NAKAI report on the case of the Ogasawara Island group, which is one nominee for status as a World Heritage site, and the SHIBASAKI report on the case of Yakushima Island, which was already designated, at the 9th workshop. Moreover, it is important not only to examine the influence after designation but also to investigate the process of propulsive movement for designation. At the 10th workshop, the group heard Mr. TSUJI Takahiro, who was working on propulsive movement for designating Hakusan City as a World Heritage site, and investigated Kanazawa City's aims at registration as a World Heritage site, as well as those of Hakusan City. At the 12th workshop, the processes of designation as a World Heritage site and the trend afterwards are reported on using the case of Nikko, by Mr. MINAGAWA Yoshitaka, the case of Kumano, by Mr. KANDA Koji, and the case of Nara, by Ms. KAWAI Yasuyo respectively.
In addition, the significance previously mentioned and the limitations of conserving the culture and nature are comparable by examination from an operation side, typified by changing an area to a tourist site and revitalizing it, and from a facility side, typified by development when expanding the target more widely without limitation to issues of World Heritage. At the 11th workshop, AOKI Takahiro reported on effectiveness from the facility side and the operation side with regard to cultural landscape drawing attention to comprehensively protecting the culture and nature. At the 12th workshop, Mr. KADOTA Takehisa, the guest speaker, reports influence on the region by pilgrimage tourism.
Disaster and pollution are the other big issues brought up at this cooperative workshop. First of all, the attempt to conserve culture and nature is often in tension with development. However, for the conservation of culture and nature, it is necessary to assume development for securing safety from disasters and pollution or some alternative environmental measures. The result of disaster control was achieved in consideration of the protection of culture and nature from a facility side and discussed by Mr. AOKI Takahiro at the 10th workshop.
Moreover, disaster and pollution transfigure a landscape greatly, and the landscape after transfiguration is often preserved as a negative legacy. However, the negative legacy is variously interpreted by people preserving it or by users, for instance, as one with academic value, as an aid to memory not to be forgotten, or as a place of public entertainment. It is understood that there is a great difference between a landscape that has been left as a result and a landscape that is planned to be left as an ideal. With regard to this, results were achieved by Mr. KAGAWA Yuichi, who had dealt with a pollution site at the 9th workshop, and by Mr. MATSUDA Nobuhisa, who had treated a disaster site at the 12th workshop.
2006
Progress
| The 5th Workshop |
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Schedule: June 10–11, 2006 Venue: National Museum of Japanese History Presenters:
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The 6th Worksho |
Schedule: October 7–9, 2006
Places to visit: Ise Jingu, Nishiki Tower, Tsunami mark in Kata, Kumano-Hongu-Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, Kamikura Jinja |
| The 7th Workshop |
Schedule: November 25–26, 2006 Venue: Nikko City Presenters:
Places to visit: World Heritage sites such as Rin-Noji, Futarasan-Jinja and Toshogu, Inarigawa Sand control dam(Registered tangible cultural property) |
| The 8th Workshop |
Schedule: January 20–21, 2007 Venue: National Museum of Japanese History Presenters:
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Result
The group will advance the preparation for publishing the special issue of the research report in 2009, because this workshop ends in 2007.
2005
Progress
| The 1st Workshop |
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Schedule: May 28 (Sat.)–29 (Sun.), 2005 Venue: National Museum of Japanese History
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The 2nd Workshop |
Schedule: September 23 (Fri.)–25 (Sun.) , 2005 Presenters:
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| The 3rd Workshop |
Schedule: December 17 (Sat.)–18 (Sun.) , 2005 Venue: National Museum of Japanese History Presenters:
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| The 4th Workshop |
Schedule: February 11 (Sat.) , 2005 Venue: National Museum of Japanese History Presenters:
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Result
The purpose of the first year was to organize existing research on development and preservation of humanities and natural landscapes, and to search for common awareness of the issues in cooperative researchers by visiting the sites where humanities and natural landscapes are treated as cultural or tourist resources. However, at this workshop, the group did not adopt the way of deciding the direction of research by organizing the existing research at the beginning, because work to confirm the difference in views on culture and nature between different research fields was necessary. The group decided to reveal the difference in view of each cooperative researcher through anecdotal reports and field surveys. It seems that the group almost achieved the purpose.
First of all, at the 1st workshop, AOKI Takahiro expressed a negative opinion of the political use of culture and nature in the case of the Green Tourism, and on the other hand, Mr. AOKI Tatsuto proposed the eco-museum as a method of protecting culture and nature with the cooperation of local residents.
Next, at the 2nd workshop in Kagoshima and Minamata, it was confirmed that there was a vast difference in the image of preservation and development of landscapes with each subject, such as local residents, the administrations, and medical institutions, and that there was a great disparity also in view on those between cooperative researchers, through the investigation of traces of disasters like the eruption of Sakurajima, disaster prevention, the pollution of Minamata, the development of dams and coasts, and preservation of modernization heritages and terraced paddy fields. The research report meeting was held in Kagoshima University, and Mr. NAGASAKO Toshiro reported on the history of disasters by the eruption of Sakurajima and the use of Cirrus for Life, Mr. KAGAWA Yuichi discussed the history of pollution generation and the socialist movement in Minamata City, and Mr. MORIWAKI Hiroshi, the guest speaker, spoke on the long-term change in scenery in the southern Kyushu, respectively. It seems that understanding by means of the field survey deepened with these reports.
At the 3rd workshop, Ms. NAGAO Tomoko reported on the adaptation of resident life to flood damage with a case of a certain mountain village in Miyazaki Prefecture, Mr. NAKAI Tatsuroh reported on the historical transformation of the nature preservation movement based on his own experience, having taken part in nature preservation, and Mr. TERADA Masahiro, the guest speaker, reported on problems in treating memories of disasters and wars for exhibition as resources, respectively. In this reporting, Mr. NAKAI expressed an opinion accepting positive significance of the preservation of landscapes as culture, and problems in treating landscape as cultural resource were discussed.
Then, at the 4th workshop, AOKI Takahiro reported on the realities of cultural use in learning, and Ms. SAITSU Yumiko reported on historical details of policies for cultural properties, respectively. They raised the issues of this workshop.
On the other hand, a point to be reflected on is that the group sometimes argued on different planes in the 1st and the 2nd workshop because the definition of "culture" and "nature" for each of the cooperative researchers greatly depended on their specialized fields. However, the problem is being solved because the discussion will continue for a long time at the 3rd workshop. Moreover, the discussion is expected to be even more active because of having raised the issues at the 4th workshop.
