文化財とまちづくり

[What it is]

In March 2009, Kanazawa City prepared the "Kanazawa City Master Plan for the Conservation and Utilization of Historical Heritage", and our company involved in supporting this plan. This master plan was intended as a comprehensive guideline for integrating the conservation and utilization of historical and cultural heritage with urban development, in view of the main focus of the “Basic Strategic Policy for Regional History and Culture”.
In April 2019, the national government established a comprehensive master planning system of “Regional Plan for the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Properties”, to support local efforts to protect cultural properties. Kanazawa City also created this plan, which contains specific projects; to realize the "Kanazawa City Historical and Cultural Heritage Registration System" proposed in the Master Plan, and also to ensure cultural properties to be passed on throughout the region.

[What we did]

We supported the preparation of this plan, for example by carrying out a questionnaire survey, in order to identify the cultural properties with citizen’s high interest, or by researching precedent cases, to examine the city's new registration system for cultural properties.

[What it is]

This scheme aimed at revitalizing the town by preserving and utilizing cultural properties, in order to convey a “Sense of Kaga”. This project was one of the pilots for “comprehensive identification of cultural properties,” the design for which the Agency for Cultural Properties has consigned to several municipal governments.

[What we did]

We researched local history and analyzed characteristics of the culture based upon a historic document written in the Edo period. We established six stories attesting to a “Sense of Kaga”.
As part of the effort to preserve and utilize the cultural properties, we proposed:

• promoting research and surveys
• support and promotion of community planning
• capacity building for passing on traditional skills and techniques
• preserving scenic beauty and living landscape integrated with historical and cultural properties

[What it is]

This project was to design a cultural revitalization strategy, known as the “Kumamoto Castle Town as a Field Museum,” for the area surrounding Kumamoto Castle. This became a pioneer project leading to the birth of the Basic Scheme .

[What we did]

We proposed to apply the concept of field museum to the castle town of Kumamoto. We comprehensively researched the history of the former city center which prospered from the time of construction of Kumamoto Castle at the end of the 16th century through the modern times.

[What it is]

This project is to design a plan to maintain and improve the historical scenic beauty of Uji City, preserving an environment that integrates the traditions of the community with its unique local history.

[What we did]

We produced a draft plan defining the historical scenic beauty and outlining the conservation of cultural properties. These include a wide variety of historic characteristics, such as details of traditional festival parades discovered through field studies.

[What it is]

The Hondera area used to be an autonomous estate called Honedera-mura, belonging to Chuson-ji. The agricultural landscape from the 12th century survives today.

[What we did]

We conducted surveys on a range of subjects in the village, including vegetation, land-use history, and building arrangement, and ascertained the characteristics of the cultural landscape in this area.

We also designed a preservation plan for the area based on the survey findings, and contributed to its selection by the national government as an Important Cultural Landscape

[What it is]

The central area of Ome City once thrived as Ome-juku, a settlement developed as a post town on the Ome Kaido, a historical major trunk road in the western Tokyo.
Along the former route, the following survive:

• shops attached to residences using a fireproof system of construction dating back to the end of the Edo period
• vernacular houses constructed in the Meiji perios, which have remained in use even after expansion and/or alteration
• Japanese style-inns and shops and workshops in billboard architecture from Taisho and Showa periods when the weaving industry was thriving

[What we did]

We identified the characteristics of the landscape and organized them into categories, as a part of drafting a basic landscape plan of the Ome Station area. In addition, we devised a model plan for repairing and landscaping the facade of different building types by surveying subject buildings and conducting interviews with residents about the history and past preservation of the buildings.

[What it is]

This project was in the preliminary phase for national selection as an Important Cultural Landscape. The urban structure has an area of 292 hecteres extending over the former castle town. Efforts to conserve it as a cultural landscape became a groundbreaking example of environmental conservation through cooperation among administrations for regional planning and cultural property protection.

[What we did]

JCHC conducted a survey for preserving the living landscape of Kanazawa, and designed its preservation plan.

[What it is]

This project was to design a preservation plan for the landscape of Yamaguchi village, a traditional rural village setting that appeared in the Legends of Tono, in order to be nationally selected as an Important Cultural Landscape.

[What we did]

For the design plan, we analyzed characteristics of the cultural landscape with academic experts who surveyed the land use history of the settlement, as well as its architecture, folklore, and vegetation. Organizing workshops with the local residents, we successfully fostered a sense of community for the project. We designed a rule for landscape conservation and established an operational system with agreement of the residents.

[What it is]

Kitazawa dressing and floatation plants site is located at the Oma Port in the Kitazawa area of Sado Island, which was a central hub of the former Sado Mine.
Oma Port was used for bringing in ore and materials to the plants. This project was supported by a community planning grant which developed the area in with collaboration between environmental designers and the community.
This is a successful case example of environmental improvement in a Historic Site.

[What we did]

JCHC researched the history of the facilities in the Kitazawa area from old photos and drawings. We protected the unearthed floor face remainsby placing a layer of covering soil over it, and presented remaining building walls as they were at the time with conservation treatments.

[What it is]

Horikawa Canal is a canal connecting the Hirowatari River and Aburatsu Port, constructed in the Edo period with the development of the lumber industry.
From the Meiji through the early Showa periods, lumber companies reinforced the bank by constructing stone walls over its surface.
Horikawa Bridge passing over the canal is a Registered Cultural Property (building).

[What we did]

Reconstruction work was conducted with traditional dry masonry, because surveying and exploratory drilling revealed the original remains of stone walls. We landscaped a small space along the canal as well.

[What it is]

Mimitsu district is located at the mouth of the Mimi River, an area that thrived as a strategic junction for inland transportation. The Mimitsu area including the Mimitsu bank was selected as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings.

[What we did]

As a disaster prevention project, we reconstructed the bank with drystone masonry on upper stream side. The lower stream side was reconstructed as a gravity-based concrete bank. Furthermore, the structures surrounding the bank, such as ancillary facilities and small spaces, were comprehensively designed to blend in with the surrounding historic landscape.

[What it is]

The Tokiwa-bashi Bridge is a double-arched stone bridge built at the site of the outer main gate of Edo-jo Castle. It consists of traditional timber piling and dry-stone masonry for the arches which were converted from the stone retaining walls of the Koishikawa Gate of Edo-jo Castle. It is the only existing stone bridge built in Tokyo during the civilization and enlightenment of Meiji period (1877).

[What we did]

The bridge was dismantled and re-assembled during the restoration, since it was severely deformed by the Great East Japan Earthquake and was in danger of collapsing. The entire bridge was dismantled except for the timber piles (piles for foundation), and during the process, detailed surveys were conducted and the results were reflected in its re-assembly plan. The bridge was then restored by using a combination of traditional and modern techniques, to both for preserving the value of the historical structure, and to improve its seismic resistance and flood control for safety. In addition, the lost Mizu-kiri-ishi (a pointy stone to reduce the flow velocity) and cast-iron railings were restored.
By improving the waterfront area and illuminating it, a comprehensive historical space was created, around this Tokiwa-bashi bridge.