Collaborative Research
B Comparative History of East Asian Architecture
| Type of Research | Scientific Research |
|---|---|
| Project Title | General Chronological Research |
| Research Title | B Comparative History of East Asian Architecture |
| Head of the Research Team | SAITO Tsutomu |
| Research Period | 2007–2008 |
| Research Team |
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| Purpose | Since the Meiji period, the history of Japanese architecture has tended to belong to architectural courses within engineering departments; it has also been addressed as a part of architectonics, which studies engineering technology for actual construction works. Architectural history has undertaken evaluations of architectures as cultural properties, researching the technology needed to conserve and repair them and the training that engineers need to perform such work. On the other hand, however, architectural history is sometimes regarded as a broad-sense field, in that it deals with human affairs and is based on the viewpoint of architecture as a part of culture, with no eye to engineering technology. In the current research, the group sought to reconstruct the history of Japanese architecture while positioning it within the broader context of history. To achieve this goal, the group first needed to transcend a unilateral view of Japanese architectural history—one that confines the history of Japanese architecture within the archipelago as a complete object in itself—before it could consider Japanese architecture within the wider context of east Asia. For this purpose, the group members wanted to promote comparative research on the architecture of Japan, South Korea, and China, of which there is a current dearth. In doing so, the group will achieve a fuller understanding of east Asia, and the world as well, through its understanding of familiar buildings, including temples, shrines, palaces, castles, and residences. Though there are plenty of useful first-hand historical materials with regards to Japanese architecture—such as architectural models and old materials—in the NMJH, it does not necessarily mean that they are fully utilized in exhibitions. While the NMJH owns a significant number of pictorial materials and vessels such as ceramic wares, both of which are important in understanding ornamentation and usage in architecture, there have been few cases of their actual use in past exhibitions, at least in a form that emphasizes their relation to architecture. This kind of oversight is considered to be largely due to the conventional unilateral attitude toward the history of Japanese architecture, which has been confined to a domestic viewpoint; indeed, not much effort has been exerted in reviewing that history within a wider context. For this reason, the group believes that reviewing the history of Japanese architecture within the wider scope of east Asia and examining the relationship between architecture and society in a more essential way would be an appropriate theme for research on architectural history at the MNJH. |
2008
Progress
The group visited Taiwan in July 2008 and mainly researched traditional residential architecture in various locations. During the visit, the group held the "Taiwan–Japan Architectural Historical Researchers Academic Exchanges" at National Taiwan University.
In December 2008, the group held an international symposium entitled "Creating the Framework for a Comparative History of the Asian Architecture," at the NMJH. In February 2009, the group visited Fujian Province in China to undertake fieldwork; the group researched a variety of architectural structures, such as temples that were presumed to be related to those in Japan. The group also held study exchanges with researchers at Fuzhou University and other organizations.
Result
The group derived an overall outlook vis-à-vis the history of architecture in Japan, China, and surrounding countries, both within and without the context of south and southeast Asia, and were able to perform research on urban history in these areas; this work was made possible through three symposia: "Creating the Framework for a Comparative History of Japanese and Korean Architecture," in 2006; "Creating the Framework for a Comparative History of Japanese and Chinese Architecture," in 2007; and "Creating the Framework for a Comparative History of the Asian Architecture," in 2008. One of the major results of this research is the very fact that researchers of Asian architectural history have gathered in one place to have discussions of almost unprecedented breadth and depth.
In addition, by undertaking visits to Taiwan and Fujian Province, the group had opportunities to research the architectural culture of both peripheral and inland China and share research exchanges with local researchers. The group members believe that such fieldwork and research exchanges will break new ground in promoting a comparative history of east Asian architecture.
2007
Progress
First the group summarized the research results of the previous year, to re-examine its research policy. Other routes of progress made by the group during year were as follows:
Workshop with guest researchers
Valuable reports were presented, each of which observed the primordial forms of Japanese architecture from the viewpoint of east Asia and induced deep discussion.
Fieldwork in the Sichuan and Yunnan districts
Tetsuo Tamai, Kazuko Koizumi, Miho Fukuda, and Huang Lanxiang participated in the tour as cooperative researchers; they researched the architectural remnants of temples as well as the residences of Han people and those of ethnic minorities such as the Naxi tribe and Pei tribe—mainly in Cheng du, Lijiang, Dali, and Kunming—while also investigating architecture-related materials in local museums.
International symposium: "Creating the Framework for a Comparative History of Japanese and Chinese Architecture" (December 8–9, 2007)
Researchers from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Austria were invited to this symposium, which sought to compare China and Japan in terms of their respective architectures.
A workshop in Seoul, South Korea, on Korean–Japanese architecture
To discuss the outcomes of the 2006 symposium more fully, a workshop planned for 2008 was conducted ahead of schedule, in the form of a symposium. Focusing on residences, presenters from both Japan and South Korea aimed to promote substantive discussion.
Result
In the August 2007 meeting, Koji Sato (National Museum of Ethnology) and Nagajiro Miyamoto (a researcher emeritus at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Nara and Tokyo) made presentations. While both researchers base their research in architectural history, Sato sought a common ground with ethnology to focus on ethno-architectonics; meanwhile, Miyamoto sought one with archaeology in his study on the restoration of structures, which was based on excavated archaeological materials. The presentations were intriguing and induced active discussion among the Chinese researchers of architectural history and the Japanese researchers of the ancient period, producing significant academic results. Details of that discussion will be presented in the final report.
Fieldwork in the Sichuan and Yunnan districts of China in September 2007 also brought about noteworthy results. While many Japanese researchers of ethnology and anthropology visit these sites, few architectural history researchers have visited the relatively marginal areas of Sichuan and Yunnan. Naturally, visiting and seeing the actual architectural materials of ancient China with one's own eyes is of great benefit. The group also observed the present conditions of Lijiang, which is registered as a World Heritage site, to have a glimpse of the balance between the cultural properties and tourism development in China; this was very informative in terms of proposing and preparing for future research.
The symposium "Creating the Framework for a Comparative History of Japanese and Chinese Architecture" was also successful; the contents therein were suitable for breaking new ground in developing a comparative history of east Asian architecture. There are plans to publish the details of the symposium in the form of a separate report.
Because preliminary research starting in 2006 emphasized comparisons between South Korea and Japan, this year, emphasis was placed on comparisons of China and Japan; considering the characteristics of a comparative history of east Asian architecture, it is inevitable that such research would eventually take place. In this sense, the group can say that the cooperative research is moving in a favorable direction. It is also good that mutual discussion among cooperative researchers deepened with each meeting or symposium.
Of special note is the fact that through the international symposia, the group had several opportunities to discuss and exchange opinions directly with researchers from China and countries other than Japan, vis-à-vis China's architectural history. Thanks to these opportunities, the group seems to have succeeded in avoiding the wrong impression which the group might otherwise have easily had. Though significant differences in viewpoint between the Chinese and Japanese researchers cannot be denied—and they should be taken into consideration in future cooperative research—the group believes that it is taking a correct course and that there is presently no other way to break a new ground in the area of comparative research on east Asian architectural history.
In the fieldwork in Sichuan and Yunnan, the group members had a renewed recognition of the need to understand architecture through not only pictures and drawings, but by visiting the sites and seeing structures "with their own eyes." In particular, it is essential for Japanese researchers to see architectural or architecture-related remains in China, from their own points of view. For this reason, the group would also like to pursue such fieldwork opportunities in the future.
