Tangible Cultural Property (Japan)

A Tangible Cultural Property (有形文化財, yūkei bunkazai) as defined by the Japanese government's Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties is a part of the Cultural Properties of high historical or artistic value such as structures, paintings, sculptures, handicrafts, calligraphic works, ancient books, historic documents, archeological artifacts and other such items created in Japan. All objects which are not structures are called "works of fine arts and crafts.

Considered by the Japanese government to be, like all Cultural Properties, a precious legacy of the Japanese people, they are protected in various ways, and their export is either controlled or forbidden.

Tangible Cultural Properties can be Designated or Registered. The two terms imply different terms of protection under the law.

To protect Japan's cultural heritage, the country's government has established with the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties a "designation system" (指定制度, shitei seido) under which it selects important items and designates them as Cultural Properties, imposing restrictions to their alteration, repair and export.

The law then categorizes Cultural Properties according to their characteristics. Concrete items of high historical or artistic value such as structures, paintings, sculptures, handicrafts, calligraphic works, ancient books, historic documents, archeological artifacts and other such items are classified as Tangible Cultural Properties. All objects which are not structures are referred to as "works of fine arts and crafts.

Designated Tangible Cultural Properties can then, if they satisfy certain criteria, be designated either as Important Cultural Properties of Japan (重要文化財, jūyō bunkazai) or as National Treasures (国宝, kokuhō), in the case of especially valuable items.

The designation can take place at a city (市定重要文化財, shijō jūyō bunkazai, city Designated Important Cultural Property), prefectural (県定重要文化財, kenjō jūyō bunkazai, prefecturally Designated Important Cultural Property) or national (国定重要文化財, kokutei jūyō bunkazai, nationally Designated Important Cultural Property) level. (In this last case the designating agency is often not specified.) Designations of different level can coexist. For example, Sankei-en, a traditional Japanese-style garden in Naka Ward, Yokohama, owns both city designated and nationally designated Important Cultural Properties.

...
Wikipedia